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Universities and colleges press finance committee for temporary funding to preserve positions after large COLAs
Summary
Assembly Bill 568 would appropriate roughly $28 million per year for cost‑of‑living adjustments at Nevada System of Higher Education institutions; university and college officials said the funding would preserve faculty and staff positions.
Assembly Bill 568, presented June 1 by Patricia Charlton for the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), would provide one‑time appropriations to help cover cost‑of‑living adjustments already awarded and preserve campus positions, Charlton and campus leaders told the Senate Finance Committee.
Charlton said the appropriation was originally in the governor's recommended budget and represents a bridge to maintain institutional stability: "This funding is vital to our institutions to support student success and institutional stability," she said. Charlton said the request is not a policy change and described the funding as necessary to prevent reductions in academic offerings and student services.
Campus officials described the operational impact: Andrew Klinger of the University of Nevada, Reno, said the bill would allow UNR to retain 85 positions that otherwise could be lost. Mindy Elliott of Truckee Meadows Community College said the bill would save six positions at TMCC. University presidents and faculty representatives from UNLV, UNR and CSN voiced support.
Nevada Faculty Alliance and campus officials warned that absent one‑time appropriations, institutions had already taken actions such as holding vacancies and increasing student fees on self‑supporting budgets; Kent Ervin of the Nevada Faculty Alliance said institutions may need to rely on student fees if longer‑term revenue is not found.
Supporters said the appropriation totals approximately $28 million per year for the biennium. The committee recorded no opposition testimony. The hearing closed with the institutions thanking the committee for consideration.
