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I just finished my term as interim Provost and boy are my arms tired. That’s not actually how the jokes go, but you get the idea – managing the provost’s responsibilities, along with a dash of my EVP duties, has been both an honor and a steep uphill climb, so I am thrilled Provost Sarah Frey is joining the fray (sorry, I had to, but never again). We are doing our best to extend her a warm welcome as she helps lead us through the next chapter of the Nevada State journey, and I hope the campus as a whole does the same.
As for me, I’ve been making progress on key initiatives, sometimes more and sometimes less than I would have imagined under ideal circumstances. However, many of those efforts do not warrant an update relative to what I’ve already communicated in the last two newsletters, so I’ll focus on items that are entirely new to this space.
Request to Increase Pay Rate for Nursing Part-time Instructors
We recently submitted a request to the chancellor’s office to increase the pay rates for temporary part-time instructors (PTI) in the School of Nursing. In discussions with the executive team, the deans, and finance and administration, there is a desire to request an increase for PTIs in other areas of the institution, but the urgency with which we are pursuing the nursing increase is based primarily on two factors:
- There is a significant concern, in the face of pay increases for nursing professionals both inside and outside of academia, that we would be unable to hire enough PTIs to maintain our existing course and student numbers, which likely would be even more costly to the institution than an increase in the pay rate. As a proportion of the rate paid by UNLV, which was used as a benchmark, the rate for part-time instructors in nursing was lower than other areas at Nevada State. Likewise, our pay rate relative to the healthcare industry has declined as the compensation for nursing professionals outside of academia continues to increase.
- Importantly, the School of Nursing has the funds to cover the expense without the need for additional financial support from the institution. For the next year and a half, SoN can cover the entire expense with funds from Senate Bill SB375, which provides additional funding for nursing programs within the System. Beyond that, the SoN can cover the cost with the expanded enrollments made possible by SB375 (including the addition of two new cohorts) and, if needed, funds from their differential fee, which is being brought to the Board of Regents for a proposed increase.
To go into effect, the request requires approval from the NSHE Chancellor, and at the moment we are still awaiting a response. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have questions.
Potential Partnership with Communities in Schools
Just yesterday I enjoyed a conversation with Communities in Schools (CIS) about a possible partnership with Nevada State. The best way to learn about the Nevada division of Communities in Schools probably is from their website, but in concise terms the organization “surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.” To date, their work has been focused on students in the K-12 school system, but their conversations with us are examining how we might be able to extend that support to the college/university level. An integral part of bringing this to life is to secure additional financial support, so yesterday’s conversation focused on the possibility of supporting them in the pursuit of a grant. I will share more as the dialogue unfolds.
New Assistant Director of Advising
I am pleased to announce that the Academic Advising Center (AAC) has hired Tayler Mesnard as our new Assistant Director of Advising, Curriculum, and Faculty Relations. This position, as part of the FY24 strategic initiative process, was designed to work heavily with faculty and LASB administrators on all things that overlap with Advising related to curriculum and AAC/Faculty partnerships. This position will work heavily with school-level administration, specifically on new faculty/AAC initiatives, course/block scheduling, re-designing the degree sheets and program packets that we currently manage within the AAC, and serving as an ex-officio on the Curriculum Committee to ensure that the Academic Advisors are up-to-date on all relevant curricular changes. Please welcome Tayler into her new role within the AAC.
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