Trying to Close UNR's College of Ag AGAIN!?!?!?

The following is a copy of a Legislative Alert that was sent out through the Farm Bureau and I thought it was important enough to share with those who hadn't seen it yet--

The Details Of The Plans By UNR To Close The College of Agriculture (Again)Our report today takes a slightly different format than past e-notices of this type because the subject is not one we are looking for you to respond to, necessarily. Yesterday, April 4th, we were notified that announcements were being made at the University of Nevada in regard to possible plans for closing the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR), if the Nevada Legislature doesn't provide the funding that is sought for the upcoming biennium. This is the document which explains the specifics of those plans.
Our initial reaction (and not completely dismissed even after a candid conversation with UNR's Provost) was that this approach was being used to persuade rural constituents to make contact with their representatives to support tax increases and funding deemed more appropriate by University officials. We have been assured that while it is necessary, in the political sense, for the Senate Majority Leader to secure rural votes for a tax increase, that isn't the reason that the College of Agriculture is again being targeted for possible elimination. The purpose for doing away with the College of Agriculture, through the proposed merger of programs into the College of Science (moving the Agricultural Experiment Station into that College as well) is simply because of cost savings and preservation of priority areas that UNR Administration believes necessary.
This is the letter sent to all University personnel by UNR President Dr. Milton Glick. It provides a more comprehensive overview of the extent of both planned cuts and possible cuts.
As you may already be aware (and covered briefly in Dr. Glick's letter of impending actions) Nevada Cooperative Extension is currently involved in the review process used to eliminate tenured University employees through the disbanding of program areas. This is the same operational system that CABNR went through in 2010.
The interesting perspective for the planned re-distribution of $5-plus Million from Cooperative Extension to the support of UNR program areas considered more essential, is that the Legislature (when they get to it) will adopt a specific line-item for Cooperative Extension not contained directly in the UNR Budget structure. Both Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Research have their own line items in the state budget and some might suggest are stand alone components. Since employees who are supported by General Fund dollars in Extension are University of Nevada faculty. It appears that the plan is to free up their salary dollars (by no longer having the employee) and then moving those "unencumbered" resources into the operational realm of UNR.
Nevada Farm Bureau has not been a vocal opponent of the move by UNR to acquire Cooperative Extension dollars, primarily because of Extension still being in existence after the plan would be implemented. Granted there would be significant reductions, but each county would retain an Extension Educator and six specialists would be maintained. Although not a perfect world - the potential for continued service (albeit at reduced levels) would be available.
We are aware and wholly support Farm Bureau members/leaders and others who have more vigorously engaged in the defense of Cooperative Extension. We have also reviewed and shared response comments to the proposal by Cooperative Extension to counter the proposal put forward by the UNR Provost. If you wish (and haven't seen this document), you can go to the following website:
http://www.unce.unr.edu/budget/

The website will provide instructions on how you can provide your input online. Input must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 7.
Nevada Farm Bureau's Current Perspective:
It seems likely that there will be upcoming meetings to further discuss the potential closure of the College of Agriculture. In all likelihood, an effort to rally support and oppose the closure will be mounted as it was successfully carried out in 2010.
Nevada Farm Bureau does not currently have plans to support tax increases necessary to provide the funding that University System officials believe necessary.

Given the way in which closing the College of Agriculture is always considered as the first alternative to solving UNR's funding shortages, we have to wonder how sustainable the College of Agriculture might be.
Perhaps, a better and more effective approach would be to spend the energy and attention on obtaining necessary benefits for Nevada agriculture elsewhere. A number of very good agricultural colleges are available in the West to provide opportunities that UNR deems to be less of a priority. Arrangements and support might be possible to assist agricultural students acquire their education in these institutions.
Agricultural research, to address Nevada concerns, may or may not be satisfied through the proposed restructuring of Nevada's Agricultural Research system. Follow-up and follow-through will be required to properly communicate the importance of obtaining relevant research for agricultural needs. Exploration is also underway to determine workable safeguards that secure agricultural research assets for the benefit of Nevada agriculture - as opposed to simply selling them off for the benefit of UNR.
Preliminary information does not provide much guidance on how to approach removing the University of Nevada, Reno's "Land Grant" status and relocating it to an institution more inclined to follow the mission of a Land Grant University. As they continue to maintain their worthiness for such status, UNR officials use an extremely broad view in defining what a Land Grant University might be. They also point to elements of activities being conducted which qualify as still being properly engaged.
As Nevada Farm Bureau (and our state agriculture's community) prepares for future policy activity, we believe it would be extremely useful to consider specific actions that should be taken to achieve identified goals/objectives that extend beyond saving what we thought we had. An emphasis on determining what we need and where best to go in order to have those needs met would seem a more productive approach.
For Your Contact With Doug Busselman:
Office Phone: (775) 674-4000
Cell Phone: (775) 742-6245
Fax: (775) 674-4004
E-mail: dbuss@nvfb.org