Regents put consolidations, mergers back on table

Regents are putting school consolidations and mergers back on the table after taking them off a month ago.

Meeting in Las Vegas on Friday, the governing board of the Nevada System of Higher Education voted 10-3 to reconsider the drastic restructuring measures that include combining three northern Nevada community colleges.

Legislators requested the move at a hearing where college and university leaders presented reductions that did not add up to the $162 million in cuts included in the governor's proposed

budget.

The decision is a reversal from March, when regents voted to stop discussing consolidations and mergers because they were causing distress and were unlikely to materialize.

A report released earlier this week details the full impact of the higher education cuts, including program eliminations, layoffs and salary reductions.