The Nevada System of Higher Education commissioned a report from a think-tank to learn how to improve the state's community colleges.
But when the report was critical of the system's leaders, they killed it.
They asked the think-tank to rewrite the report to be more positive. But even after that was done, the finished project was spiked.
Now the system is coming under fire from legislators and educators about its tactics.
And in another story, the state's Board of Regents are expressing a lack of confidence in Dan Klaich, chancellor of the System of Higher Education.
Bethany Barnes from the Las Vegas Review-Journal has been covering the story. She said the problem with the report may not be the actual recommendations but the language in the report.
“I think it is some of the critical language that is in between those recommendations that made people very upset,” Barnes explained.
She believes that some people feel the report was a personal attack and not a critical look at NSHE policy. There was also a fear among system employees that information would be used by people critical of the system to “bludgeon” them.
The controversy comes at a difficult time for NSHE because of the efforts to reform education around the state.
“There are a lot people are upset about this whole thing because there are a lot of things that people want to get done right now,” Barnes said.
Bethany Barnes, reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal
