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NSHE requests $11 million for systemwide campus safety upgrades after UNLV shooting; committee hears broad stakeholder support
Summary
Nevada System of Higher Education officials requested a one-time $11 million appropriation to finance safety and security upgrades across NSHE campuses in the wake of the Dec. 6, 2023 shooting at UNLV.
The Nevada System of Higher Education asked the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means for a one-time $11 million appropriation to strengthen safety and security across NSHE campuses statewide.
Chancellor Patricia Charlton told the committee the funds would support “system wide implementation of the recommendations” from an ad hoc safety panel formed after the Dec. 6, 2023 shooting at UNLV. Charlton said the ad hoc panel has become a chancellor’s public safety council co-chaired by campus police leaders and that the council will help prioritize projects by need and impact.
NSHE CFO Chris Fatone explained the kinds of projects the appropriation would address: door locking mechanisms, expansion or improvements to video surveillance, building renovations to improve safety, and other infrastructure and technology investments identified by campus leaders. Charlton and Fatone said campuses have already made some investments using existing resources but that needs remain unmet.
Faculty, students and campus police testified in support. Doug Unger of the Nevada Faculty Alliance urged approval, saying the $11 million is “less than a third of the funding needed but it's a solid start that can save lives.” UNLV and other faculty leaders described how frozen positions and budget cuts made after the statewide cost-of-living adjustments had reduced campus capacity and increased reliance on adjuncts.
Student speakers described ongoing anxiety on campuses since the December 2023 shooting and urged lawmakers to provide funds that allow campuses to expand cameras, improve communications and install classroom door locks that secure from the inside. Eric James, chief of police for University Police Department Northern Nevada, asked committee members for support, saying the appropriation would “help us immensely” in improving safety and making students and faculty feel safer.
Caller testimony included students, faculty and community leaders who said investments should be systemwide and equitably allocated by need. Several speakers urged that funding be used for both north and south campuses and for improvements that are quickly implementable.
The committee closed the hearing on AB 567 after testimony; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
