It is easy to look at different states and cities and see how the most prosperous places also have the best educational offerings. Nevada’s future economic prosperity will be impacted by the type and number of companies that relocate to Nevada. Companies looking to relocate their businesses look at several factors in evaluating a new location. Education is an important component in the evaluation process of company relocation. It is also a barometer of the caliber of prospective employees.

Our colleges and universities in Nevada need to offer a higher quality education. Nationally, UNLV is ranked 249^th and UNR is only slightly better at #227^th in the nation according to US News and World Report. When we compare our universities to other major universities in neighboring states, Nevada falls short. Nevada must ask the question of why Nevada falls short? Everything must be put on the table and be evaluated.

As Nevada’s best and brightest high school graduates evaluate their college options, Nevada schools often fall short. Nevada needs to offer these students better options. It is far too common that Nevada’s best and brightest attend schools in other states and do not return. Offering a better product to this group of graduates, more will consider Nevada as the best option available. At the same time, we lose the opportunity to attract the best and brightest from out of state as well as international students. We do have some great programs within the NSHE, but when looking at overall rankings, we must do better to make Nevada more competitive.

Nevada can do better.  Nevada should do better.  The better the education offer, the brighter the future is for Nevada.

Sadly, one of the problems we face today is crime and violence. Just as supplying a quality education is vital, the safety of all who use or visit the campuses is equally important.  The most recent crime statistics for the NSHE are through the end of 2020.  All crimes rates appear to be dropping but remember the campuses where closed and only limited onsite activities were taking place.

In 2021, the campuses began to reopen so it is expected to see increases in crime. Overall, crime has become a greater concern for everyone. My family is very involved in law enforcement in Southern Nevada. I hear their stories and I understand why there is so much fear. Law enforcement has had many issues face it in recent years and they have impacted policing and crime prevention.  As NSHE campuses return to normal activity and student population grows, ensuring safety will be vital. We must support law enforcement. We must incorporate technology. We must do everything possible so UNLV or UNR is not in the news for the wrong reason! The NSHE must constantly work to find new and innovative ways to ensure the facilities are safe for everyone to use. If a student or staff member does not feel safe, they cannot perform at their highest level.

If you were to Google issues facing universities today, you would find that the list is endless. With the pandemic the problems facing our post-secondary institutions have grown and some of the issues facing NSHE today, where not issues at all just a few years ago. Of the many duties of the Regents, it is more important than ever to be forward looking and innovative in seeking the best path forward.

• Online education is not new but the importance for it now could not have been predicted in 2019.
• Fiscal constraints will become tougher as government budgets shrink and inflation impacts the NSHE budget. We must find ways to improve our education with potentially fewer dollars.
• Regents must consider how Artificial Intelligence (AI) impacts the future of education and the student and staff experiences. When AI is discussed in any industry, it is done so with a hint of fear in these discussions. How can NSHE embrace AI and become an innovator in the application of AI within the NSHE system? We must be on the cutting edge to be competitive.
• Cost of an education. Everyone worries about the ever-escalating cost of a college education. NSHE must find innovative ways to keep cost down while improving the quality of the product delivered.

We know where we are, but we need to figure out how to get where we want to go. Nevada is a great state with many wonderful attributes and our colleges and universities need to be its equal.