The University of Nevada Board of Regents has come under fire due to accusations about board members using their position to obtain favors from university employees.
Regent Howard Rosenberg said ethical concerns began when former Regent Doug Seastrand accepted an administrative position at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas before resigning from the board.
Although Rosenberg said some regents believe Seastrand was improperly named to the position due to his influence as a regent, he vouched for his former colleague's integrity. "He is the most honest man I met in my life," Rosenberg said.
Regent Douglas Hill introduced the allegations in an effort to address the underlying issue of favors. He alleged the Seastrand incident is part of a bigger culture of misconduct among the regents.
"[The controversy is] only addressing the mouse hole in the corner, not the elephant in the living room," he said.
Hill said the favors consist of "those ranging from the trivial, to the way less than trivial" and accused regents of placing "demands for tickets to the Final Four [and] demands for passes to get on field for football games."
The most serious offense, Hill said, occurred when regents intervened with the application process to dental and other professional schools.
Favors, if occurring, are not only self-indulgent in nature, but also place stress upon university presidents. Hill pointed out the president is elected and evaluated by the board, which gives presidents reason to placate regents in their requests.
"When you make a phone call to the president, it gets returned fast," Hill said, illustrating the relationship between regents and presidents.
Rosenberg dismissed Hill's inference, and said presidents are smart and forceful people who "won't be cowed by regents."
While decisions won't be made until December, the amendment has brought attention to current university policies.
University of Wisconsin System spokesperson Doug Bradley said he does not recall questions of favors surfacing in Wisconsin, and spoke positively of the UW regents' ethical behavior.
"This has not been a problem here; we have very rigorous [ethical] standards and open laws in Wisconsin," Bradley said. "[The regents] care deeply about the institution [and], by design, don't get caught up in favors and favoritism."
UW bylaws already include language specifically prohibiting regents from using his or her public position or state property to "attempt or gain anything of substantial value" for his or her own benefit.
Former Regent President Guy Gottschalk referenced the current policy, and said he hopes regents would behave in an ethical manner regardless.
"Regent conduct is governed by state statute, Board of Regents policies, and (hopefully) [sic] individual regent's codes of ethics," Gottschalk said via e-mail.
