ELKO - After the Board of Regents was assured Trudy Larson would not become the power behind the chancellor of the university system for academic matters, the board Thursday agreed to create a new position naming her assistant chancellor.
Most of the questions came from regent Howard Rosenberg, who said he was concerned she would be assuming too much of the authority the board had granted to interim chancellor Jim Rogers and that her job wasn't properly defined.
"I will continue to be chancellor," said Rogers. "I do not intend to abdicate any authority in that area."
He told the board Larson would be his subordinate and that he would make the final decisions but that as interim chancellor with the vast majority of his experience in private business, he needs her support and experience to help make needed changes in the university system.
"Let me pick the person I feel comfortable with," Rogers asked the board.
Rosenberg cast the lone no vote to the appointment, despite being assured it was a temporary appointment for one year.
Larson will be paid $165,000 a year.
The issue came up again on the next agenda item - the appointment of Richard G. Carpenter as president of Community College of Southern Nevada.
Rosenberg questioned how the board could name a new president at CCSN since the system is currently in litigation over how it went about demoting former president Ron Remington. He was demoted to professor following a closed-door session in which Remington wasn't allowed to respond to the allegations against him.
"I can't support this," said Rosenberg, pointing out that a court could order Remington restored as president of the campus.
Regent Linda Howard questioned legal counsel Tom Ray about what would happen in that case and about the lawsuit. He said he couldn't discuss the case in public.
"We're voting on something we can't discuss," Howard said, adding that she would join Rosenberg in voting no.
Both made it clear they were not objecting to Carpenter personally.
Carpenter will be paid $109,000 a year for his four-year contract.
Contact Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.