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UNR day speakers urge protection of campus safety and funding as state budgets tighten
Summary
Representatives of the Nevada Faculty Alliance urged legislators to protect campus safety funding and fully fund existing compensation costs for staff and faculty as state budgets face cuts and federal research funding shrinks.
Two speakers representing the Nevada Faculty Alliance provided public comment during the committees' closing session, urging lawmakers to prioritize campus safety and to fully fund existing compensation commitments for higher education.
Ian Hartshorn and Kent Irvin of the Nevada Faculty Alliance told the joint subcommittees that federal funding cuts, including to NIH, will reduce research support at UNR and UNLV and that state budget decisions could compound those losses. They urged protection of campus safety funding, noting the 2023 mass shooting at UNLV and other campus safety concerns. They asked the legislature to avoid further cuts that would leave positions vacant, reduce course offerings and place additional burdens on students and remaining staff.
The speakers warned that deep personnel reductions can have larger economic impacts on Nevada communities because public sector employees and university staff support local economies; they recommended protecting existing costs, including pass‑through or contracted pay obligations, to avoid compounding economic harm.
Ending: Lawmakers did not take action on the public comments at the meeting but the remarks were entered into the record as part of public comment on the budget closings.
