Flooding the desert: mindful of the opportunities that go along with Nevada's massive growth, the Silver State's community colleges are betting they can make the state's future even brighter.

LAS VEGAS -- After graduating from high school in his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, Kurtis Smith had big dreams but little direction. He saw himself graduating from a U.S. university, but because of his unimpressive grades was advised to begin at a community college and transfer to a four-year school. He spent his first year at the Community College of Southern Nevada just getting his bearings. Then, with the support and guidance of a counselor and the encouragement of his professors, he earned associate's degrees in both general studies and business.

Now, freshly graduated from CCSN and on his way to a bachelor's degree in finance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the 24-year-old Smith's enthusiasm about his community-college experience shines forth. "There are a lot of outstanding professors there. They help you shape your level of vision and make you realize you have more potential than you thought you had," he said. "The counselors go deep into a student's background. They keep you motivated when you get discouraged."

Saul Ulerio, a 21-year-old second-year CCSN student from the Dominican Republic, plans to transfer to a four-year college. "CCSN has an international program. Two faculty members--Hispanics too--recruited me for CCSN," Ulerio said.

He is pleased with his experience there.

"The faculty get involved, they want to teach, and they want you to learn. And the classes are really intimate," he said.

Helping to weave the diverse tapestry that makes CCSN special--half of the school's students are Hispanic--the experiences of Smith and Ulerio testify to the quality provided by one Nevada college.

But overall the state's community colleges, while fulfilling their mission of transforming lives, are facing complex demands presented by the combination of an exploding population in and around Las Vegas--in the southeast corner of the state--and the sparse population that endures across much of the vast landscape making up the rest of Nevada.

A State Divided

Nevada, in fact, seems a divided state--not only demographically, but culturally--and also among its community colleges and what they require to accomplish similar goals.

These divisions are most prominent when comparing the situations faced by CCSN and Great Basin College--a community college based in Elko, in northeastern Nevada.

Located in Las Vegas, CCSN serves the fastest-growing city in the country--with 6,000 people moving there every month, said CCSN President Richard Carpenter--and one of the most diverse. One of the five largest multicampus community colleges in the country, CCSN is tasked with educating and training 35,000 students from the community, the country, and the world--including many first- and second-generation Americans and some foreign nationals, as well.

GBC, on the other hand, is squarely in the middle of rural Nevada, serving four counties covering an area of about 45,000 square miles--close to half the size of Nevada--with a population of only about 86,000, or less than two people per square mile. Many of GBC's 3,000 students are fourth- and fifth-generation Nevadans, according to Dr. Paul Killpatrick, the school's president.

This contrast between urban and rural community colleges creates challenges, particularly in a state like Nevada, one of a handful of states where state college and university presidents report directly to the state chancellor of higher education and board of regents rather than to a local board. The state's community colleges receive no local funds, and almost all of community-college public financing comes directly from the state. The rivalry between colleges for attention from the state's power brokers is constant.

Big State, Few Schools

For all of Nevada's 110,000 square miles, there are only eight public institutions of higher learning there, and large distances separate their campuses. Separating the state's two largest cities--Las Vegas and Reno, which is halfway up the state near the California border--are 400 miles. Because of the "vast spaces separating people, the distribution of learning is different," said Dr. James Samels, president of The Education Alliance, a higher-education consulting firm in Framingham, Mass.

Aside from CCSN and GPC, Nevada's community colleges are Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, and Western Nevada Community College (with campuses in and around Carson City, about 30 miles from Reno).

Despite the distances between colleges, "Access is good for the most part," according to Dr. Larry Leslie, distinguished visiting professor at the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, and a former consultant on community colleges to the Nevada Senate. "All population centers of any size are served. In fact, many very small populations are served reasonably well by extension work by the community colleges."

More and More

Nevada has been the fastest-growing state in the country for the past 18 years--with about 80 percent of its population growth in the Las Vegas area, according to Jim Shabi, an economist with the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. New residents are drawn by Nevada's quasi-sunbelt location, its relatively inexpensive real estate, and its expanding economy and wealth of jobs.

The exploding population growth has fed employment: jobs have increased exponentially, by 4 percent in the 1990s, by far the largest increase for that period in the United States.

While a good proportion of new jobs are similar to existing jobs in the gaming and mining industries, jobs also have grown in manufacturing--mostly of products used by the gaming industry, such as slot machines; in information technology; and particularly in construction. "New jobs in science and information technology are playing a big-time role--from medical technology to life sciences," Samels said.

Mostly as a result of the growth in population and in employment opportunities, enrollment in higher education has been skyrocketing. Another driver of increasing enrollment, Shabi said, is the state's Millennium Scholarship Program--introduced by Gov. Kenny Guinn--which has removed some of the financial burden for low- and middle-income students.

Enrollment in Nevada colleges has grown from 35,000 to 105,000 in 12 years, said Jim Rogers, interim chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada. Unfortunately, the state's higher-education infrastructure hasn't kept up with the demand.

According to Rogers and Carpenter, CCSN's lack of classroom space forced the school to turn away 2,200 students this year. Carpenter went on to say that in the distance-education program, "we turned away 44,000 students last semester and 54,000 students this semester." He explained, "The public has a misunderstanding (about distance learning). There's far more interaction with students in distance-ed classes than in traditional classes."

There also has been trouble at the helm at CCSN. "The school has had seven presidents in the last 10 years," said Carpenter, who began his tenure there last August. Disagreements over funding priorities have played a part.

The Bottom Line

As with so many community colleges across the country, Nevada's schools often grapple with fiscal constraints.

"Resource scarcity is a constant condition, not a passing one," Leslie said. "Human and government wants are insatiable. Community colleges' unique feature is that they are community organizations. Those scarce resources should be so focused."

However, "The (state) has a grossly unfair funding scheme--that's the legislative committee's language. (CCSN) is funded at subsistence level," Carpenter said. "We get $3,400 per student below the state average. Yes, there are economies of scale, but not usually at 110 to 115 percent." The school's rapid growth is one reason. When the state funding formula for community colleges was devised, he said, no one anticipated the massive growth.

Rogers agreed that there are "big" problems at CCSN, aside from receiving no local funding--many of the school's 35,000 students struggle with affording tuition and other education-related expenses.

Because funding isn't keeping up with enrollment, "the faculty have to do without a lot of things," said Misty Weir, past faculty senate chair and professor of computing and information technology at CCSN. "Because new buildings aren't fully funded, we end up in classes that aren't fully equipped. Sometimes we have to be really creative. And the rural sites don't get as much attention as the central site. (For) extension and rural sites ... the services are not there. It's hurting our students, especially those who can't come to the central campus."

But Rogers sees it a different way. He said he thinks the colleges haven't been doing a good job of selling their product to the state Legislature and other potential supporters.

"But all colleges are like that," he said. "We're working on it."

State Assemblywoman Christine Guinchigliani, D-Clark, said Nevada's community colleges have no lobbying representation at the capital, while four-year schools such as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno, do have lobbyists. She said she attributes the disparity to the higher-education system's "move to research."

Still, Nevada community colleges' responsibility to their communities is being attended to. For example, "There's continuous construction [at CCSN], but we can't build fast enough for the growth," Carpenter said.

At the same time, the rural nature of most of the state has driven the colleges to emphasize distance education, with some schools more experienced than others in this area. Here too, CCSN is scrambling to catch up with demand. Carpenter explains one crucial reason why: "Since we're funded so low, we can't compete in salary offers (with the universities) to adjunct faculty" to teach the online classes. But the school is addressing the problem through its professional development center, to be launched next month. "We're going to grow our own distance-ed faculty.... We're going to train our faculty and others from outside the school to teach distance-ed courses ... (The center) will be state-of-the-art. It will be partly funded by a $10 fee per distance-learning student, to be charged starting this fall," Carpenter said.

By contrast, GBC has the state's largest distance-education program, according to Killpatrick. The school has two branch campuses and 11 satellite centers, where students at separate locations may participate in the same class by interactive video.

GBC's funding scheme differs from CCSN's. "We have a foundation that's just had its 20th anniversary," said Danny Gonzales, GBC's deputy to the president. "Our foundation is in the top 3 percent of foundations of its size ... and it's raised over $22 million."

"A good thing about Nevada is that there is lots of private money," Rogers said. "We're trying to bring the private sector in (when it comes to) constructing buildings at CCSN--this effort is just starting up."

Rogers also said the school is talking with Clark County about funding new buildings that will house classrooms.

Mission: Getting Accomplished

Despite challenges posed by the state's diverse cultures, geography and financial situation, Nevada's two-year schools manage to get the job done--and done well, many educators say.

CCSN plays a "major role in economic development and diversification" in the Las Vegas economy, Carpenter said. "I see (CCSN) as pivotal to diversification of the economy." The school is engaged in "customized training for businesses--we just opened the Division of Work Force and Economic Development, which positions us to play a dynamic role in the economic diversification of Southern Nevada." The school is also "actively engaged in industry recruitment--that is, recruiting jobs to the area.... (We want to) generate business interest in coming to the Las Vegas area and hiring workers. This is one way to do it: The company looks at 'what's the work force, what's the talent pool?' in considering whether to relocate."

GBC also sees itself as a "platform for the economic development and diversification" of the region it serves, Killpatrick said. "Northeastern Nevada is one of the largest regions for gold mines in the country.... It's a boom and bust (industry). The Northern Nevada Partnership committee is looking at 'what happens when the gold runs out?' (One answer is) to diversify the economy."

GBC is an engine for "economic development and sustainability in rural areas," Killpatrick said. "When one business closes down, lots of people are affected.... For every worker at a mine, two or three more do work that's associated with the mine.... (We're working on) bringing new businesses in. We're meeting with developers, promoting the college, meeting with the state government, and working with the mining companies." He said the school wants to offer employers access to a well-trained work force.

At the same time, the community colleges and the four-year schools have to work together, Rogers said. "They have to go hand in glove--they're part of one system. ... Now they're talking about joint programs between colleges."

"CCSN's transfer role is probably about 25 percent of its role," Rogers said. Carpenter said the school has formalized transfer programs with UNLV.

While until recently, "the focus of CCSN has been mostly transfer," Carpenter said "that created a pent-up demand for technical (and other employer-centered training programs). The majority of jobs now are at the associate's-degree level--especially in the Las Vegas economy."

Still, Carpenter said, "We need more balance, but not at the expense of transfer programs."

While community-college baccalaureate programs are not currently a priority at CCSN, GBC is creating several. "It's 230 miles before you hit a four-year college, and that's in Idaho," said Gonzales. "Part of our mission is to provide access to first-generation college students. If they're more comfortable with an associate's degree, (after some time at a community college) they'll become comfortable with a four-year degree."

"One driver is technical education," Killpatrick pointed out about GBC's baccalaureate programs. "According to some industry standards, you need a four-year program. ... Some of it is industry driven.... And a lot of it is driven by need. For example, (this area) couldn't keep teachers. About 80 percent of rural Nevada teachers were from out of state."

Nevada Job Growth
Nonfarm payroll employment, in thousands

                              December   December
                                2004       2003     Change

Total                            1,169    1,115.3     53.7
Natural resources & mining         9.2        8.8      0.4
Construction                     116.1      103.9     12.2
Manufacturing                     46.3       44.6      1.7
Trade, transportation
  & utilities                    214.4      205.5      8.9
Information                       15.6       15.6      0
Financial                         62.6       60.3      2.3
Professional & business
  services                       134.5      124.2     10.3
Education & health services       81.1       77.5      3.6
Leisure & hospitality            311.8      304.6      7.2
Hotels & gaming                  206.3      204.4      1.9
Other services                    32.2       30.6      1.6
Government                       145.2      139.7      5.5

                              Percent   November
                              Change      2004

Total                           4.8%     1,167.5
Natural resources & mining      4.5%         9.1
Construction                   11.7%       117.3
Manufacturing                   3.8%        46.3
Trade, transportation
  & utilities                   4.3%       211.8
Information                     0%          15.7
Financial                       3.8%        62.3
Professional & business
  services                      8.3%       135.6
Education & health services     4.6%        80.9
Leisure & hospitality           2.4%       311.5
Hotels & gaming                 0.9%       206.3
Other services                  5.2%        32.2
Government                      3.9%       144.8

SOURCE: CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS, RESEARCH AND
ANALYSIS BUREAU, NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT,
TRAINING AND REHABILITATION, IN COOPERATION WITH
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Nevada At A Glance

People                                 Nevada         USA

Population, 2003 estimate             2,241,154   290,809,777
Population, percent change,
  April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2003         12.2%        3.3%
Population, 2000                      1,998,257   281,421,906
Population, percent change,
  1990 to 2000                          66.3%        13.1%

Nhite, percent, 20 (a)                  75.2%        75.1%
Black or African-American,
  percent, 2000 (a)                     6.8%         12.3%
American Indian and Alaska
  Native, percent, 2000 (a)             1.3%         0.9%
Asian, percent, 2000 (a)                4.5%         3.6%
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific
  Islander, percent 200 (a)             0.4%         0.1%
Reporting some other race,
  percent, 2000 (a)                     8.0%         5.5%
Reporting two or more races,
  percent, 2000                         3.8%         2.4%
White, not of Hispanic/Latino
  origin, percent 2000                  65.2%        69.1%
Of Hispanic or Latino origin,
  percent, 2000 (b)                     19.7%        12.5%

Foreign born, percent, 2000             15.8%        11.1%
Language other than English spoken
  at home, Pct. age 5+, 2000            23.1%        17.9%
High-school graduates, percent,
  age 25+, 2000                         80.7%        80.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher,
  percent, age 25+, 2000                18.2%        24.4%

Geography                              Nevada         USA

Land area, 2000 (square miles)         109,826     3,537,438
Persons per square mile, 2000           18.2         79.6

(A) INCLUDES PERSONS REPORTING ONLY ONE RACE.

(B) HISPANICS MAYBE OF ANY RACE, SO ALSO ARE INCLUDED
INAPPLICABLE RACE CATEGORIES.

SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, STATE AND COUNTY
QUICKFACTS

Who Goes Where

Nevada enrollment in Title IV degree-granting two-year institutions,
by gender and attendance status, fail 2002

All students  49,281

Full-time
women            56%

Full-time
men              44%

Full time        24%
(11,923)

Part time        76%
(37,358)

Part-time
women            57%

Part-time
men              43%

Nevada enrollment in Title IV degree-granting four-year institutions,
by gender and attendance status, fall 2002

All students  46,390

Part-time
women            59%

Part-time
men              41%

Part time        36%
(16,526)

Full time        64%
(29,864)

Full-time
men              44%

Full-time
women            56%

SOURCE: THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

Note: Table made from pie chart.

Enrollment Trends

Fall headcount enrollment at Nevada community colleges, 1994-2004

[GRAPHICS OMITTED]

RELATED ARTICLE: Nevada chancellor challenges governor's rebate plan.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- The head of Nevada's university and community-college system has challenged the governor's $300 million vehicle fee rebate plan, saying the money should be used to build new classrooms for the state's ballooning student population.

"Quite frankly, higher education could use every nickel of that money," Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers told a joint Senate-Assembly budget committee. Rogers is one of several university officials who will plead their cases to lawmakers in the coming weeks.

Rogers asked the committee to consider funding three building projects that were either partially funded or left out entirely of Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget.

Guinn's plan to return $300 million of the state's surplus to taxpayers through a vehicle registration rebate has been questioned by members of both parties since it was outlined in detail last month. Guinn has said a rebate of up to $300 per registration is necessary to avoid a taxpayer revolt.

Rogers said he doesn't think the rebate will have much effect.

"I hope, no matter what happens, that that money won't be refunded. I just think that its impact is going to be spread over so many people, that it's not going to have any impact," he said after his testimony.

Rogers asked lawmakers to use part of the surplus funds for a $32 million science and math building at the University of Nevada, Reno, a $10 million automotive technology building and a $10 million classroom building, both at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

The governor's budget chipped in $5 million for the new classroom building, but asked the University and Community College System of Nevada to finance the rest with $28 million in estate tax revenues.

Enrollment in the state's community college and university system is rising at about 6 percent a year.

Under Guinn's budget, the community college and university system would receive $1.16 billion. That's an increase of 17 percent over current spending, and 20 percent of the total budget.

The governor allocated $37.2 million for a new College of Urban Affairs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and $13.2 million for a new technology building at Great Basin College.

Lawmakers on the budget committee also asked Rogers about a recent report that found that only about one out of 10 UNLV students will graduate within four years and less than four in 10 will graduate in six years.

Rogers said many students aren't prepared for the university and would be better off at a community college. He said regents are considering directing more students to those schools by raising acceptance requirements at UNLV and UNR, but that such a proposal would be premature if the state college and community colleges did not have the buildings to accommodate more students.

The buildings, Rogers testified, also could help raise private funds by showing that the state was committed to building top-notch programs.

Rogers, whose term expires in June, told lawmakers that he would like to stay on and focus his efforts on fund raising. He said he will offer his services as vice chancellor for development to the board of regents.

Rogers will have to compete with other projects that some lawmakers believe are higher priorities. He plans to discuss the matter at the university system's first budgetary meeting with lawmakers.

"Education is always a high priority for me and always will be, but right now we have a property tax crisis and a mental health crisis, and we need to address those," said Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, a member of the budget committee.

She wants lawmakers to support CCSN's proposed automotive technology facility. The university system requested $10 million for the first phase of project, which was not in Guinn's budget.

"Just because it's not on the governor's budget doesn't mean that's the way it's going to go," Cegavske said.

The college has been vying for the building for almost a decade, to deal with an overload of students and to fill a need for mechanics.

Rogers also plans to ask lawmakers to allocate $27 million more for operating the schools through the funding formula that provides money based on the number of students and types of programs at the institutions.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, did not support additional operating funds because it would increase the state's responsibility to the institutions. But the $50 million Rogers wants from the surplus is feasible, he said.