Lori Loves
Nevada

I know some board members run the NSHE like a business; they are successful business people, so it makes sense. They understand all of the import parts keeping a business afloat....including supply and demand, value perception, and making sure the books balance. 

 

I also know several of them have had to make decisions they didn’t want to because they couldn’t find an alternative. However...

 

Schools are facing more financial hurdles than ever. 

 

A board member pointed out that UNLV is still more affordable than some other options.  At the moment, yes. Four years from now? 

Framing your justification with a comparison means students are going to check, and they're finding online degrees are cheaper and faster. 30% of traditional students are choosing online now. 

 

As a business, charging higher prices for similar degrees your customer can get cheaper and faster elsewhere  never leads to success. 

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It's even worse when you aren't transparent about the increases to tuition and the framing. Yes, the vote in January increased tuition over the next three years by 12%. However, that amount is added to and compounded with the yearly increases from the predictable pricing program. By 2028, tuition will have increased by about 31%.  (This is for a four year undergraduate degree.) This also does not cover mandatory fees, which are their own issue.

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Transparency is again, a huge issue. Yes, they post their public meetings on youtube, but is there a searchable database for their decisions?

 

There seems to be little to no communication. Students and members of the public are ignored or waved off when they express concerns or ask questions. The board works for the people, and they should be working in service of the students. 

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