The State Board of the Nevada Faculty Alliance issued a formal resolution calling on the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents and Chancellor to commence national searches to fill the imminent vacancies in the offices of President at CSN, GBC, and TMCC as soon as practical, and to include faculty input in the search process as required by the principles of shared governance. It called for NSHE to initiate the TMCC search by May 2024, conduct interviews during Fall 2024 Semester, and select a successor in Spring 2025 Semester for a start date of July 1, 2025. Additionally, national searches for CSN and GBC should begin as soon as is practical for permanent presidents to be named before the end of Fiscal Year 2026.

The resolution also asks the Regents to restore searches as the preferred method for filling executive vacancies. Over the past decade, small incremental changes in the NSHE Code (Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.5) have dramatically altered the methods for filling vacancies for the Chancellor and campus presidents. Traditionally, in the spirit of shared governance, national searches with broad-based screening committees were used to select our executive officers. But, starting in June 2013, the Board began to adopt revisions that have significantly eroded this shared process, favoring appointments to fill the positions over a comprehensive search. 

This came into sharp focus at the December 2023 quarterly meeting of the Board when interim appointments were proposed for two upcoming presidential vacancies. Despite having advance notice of more than a year and ample time to conduct a legitimate national search while the incumbents serve out their terms, the NSHE Code now requires appointments of either an officer in charge, an acting president, or an interim president. National searches have been demoted and, apparently, only occur after one of these temporary solutions have been put in place.

This has led faculty members on multiple NSHE campuses to have growing concerns as the process for filling vacancies has become increasingly opaque. The State Board of the Nevada Faculty Alliance urges the Board of Regents to reverse the changes made to Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.5 of the Handbook in July 2013 and March 2018, and restore national searches as the preferred method for selecting all NSHE executive officers.  

An interim president has been appointed for GBC starting on July 1, 2024. This does not preclude the ability to conduct a subsequent national search, allowing the interim president to compete for the permanent position with other qualified candidates from a diversity of backgrounds.

CSN President Federico Zaragoza announced his June 2024 departure before July 2023. Despite plans to appoint an interim successor at the December 2023 meeting, the appointment was tabled and CSN faculty have no idea of what is happening. What little transparency existed before has evaporated. With insufficient time to conduct a national search before President Zaragoza’s departure, we urge the board to collaborate with faculty and stakeholders to find a suitable acting president, and plan for a search over the next year.

TMCC President Karin Hilgersom, in exchange for a one-year contract extension and a waiver of her periodic presidential evaluation, committed to a June 2025 separation from NSHE in July 2023. Faculty members at TMCC have confirmed that they prefer a national search to identify her replacement. With 17 months remaining before her departure, it is not necessary to appoint an acting or interim president since a legitimate national search is possible while she holds the office.