Higher Education

As Nevadans decide who will be our state leaders for the next four years, we want to highlight the most significant project affecting the controller’s office and many others.

CARSON CITY — A delegation of educators from Mexico toured Western Nevada College’s mechatronics, machine tool and cyber security facilities on Thursday morning to strengthen their own technology programs.

CARSON CITY — For the second straight year Western Nevada College has earned a Best Value School Award from Best Value Colleges. The recognition keeps WNC among an elite group of high quality, affordable higher institutions.

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Grow Your Own, Nevada! Program presents four classes to help Nevadans get on the path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing and preserving more of their own food. The next class on Sept. 18 discusses composting and fertilizer basics.

RENO, NV – At Nevada Field Day on Sept. 8, visitors will be treated to a variety of free activities and giveaways, and even some tasty food samples.

As part of this year’s activities, nationally acclaimed local food advocate Mark Estee will present a cooking demonstration at 10 a.m. Estee has been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and in Esquire Magazine.

Primary and secondary education (K-12) has been the second fastest growing category of Nevada state spending over the past decade, rising from $1.24-billion in fiscal year 2006 (FY06) to $2.22-billion in FY17. It grew 33 percent faster than the incomes of Nevada families and businesses.

CARSON CITY — Wednesday marked the opening day to apply for the Nevada Promise Scholarship. High school students graduating from a Nevada high school in spring 2019, who plan to attend Western Nevada College in fall 2019, must apply for the scholarship no later than October 31, 2018, to be eligible.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s Recycling Program has $50,000 in grant funding available for projects to increase recycling, public awareness of the importance of conserving natural resources and for the reduction, reuse and recycling of solid waste.

Spring rains caused more weeds to germinate in northern Nevada this year than in previous years, including some designated as “noxious weeds,” which the law requires to be eradicated.

ACCRA, GHANA — Highlighted by a meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo, the successful first leg of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s trade mission to Africa wrapped up in Ghana on Sunday.

New Western Nevada College President Dr. Vince Solis began work July 2 and has been busy meeting Carson City area community groups and leaders as well as faculty, staff and leaders at its Carson Valley and Fallon campuses.

CARSON CITY — Another chapter in Western Nevada College leadership is underway. Dr. Vincent R. Solis began his WNC presidency on July 2. Dr. Solis is dedicating his first months to learning more about the college and its faculty and staff, as well meeting with community groups and leaders, leading up to the start of fall semester.

CARSON CITY — Nevada was recently awarded $968,595 ApprenticeshipUSA State Expansion in grant funds by the U.S. Department of Labor, Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Thursday.

PAMPLONA, SPAIN — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval joined the President Uxue Barkos of the Historic Community of Navarre on Wednesday to sign a memo of understanding between the state and the province on collaboration in economic development. The signing was preceded by a meeting with the National Center for Renewable Energies to share policies, initiatives, projects and best practices regarding the development and use of renewable energy.

LAS VEGAS — The Nevada Department of Education and Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation are set to host the Governor’s Education to Workforce Summit Thursday, June 28, an event that aims to strengthen the education-to-workforce pipeline for the New Nevada economy.

You can tell a great deal about a community and what it values by the investments made and buildings created.

CARSON CITY — They don’t have to drive 9 hours to Legoland to share the joy of what can be created with plastic construction toys. LEGOs have been only part of the Robotics Camp at Western Nevada College this week as area youngsters have been touched by the wonders of science and physics.

The CHS Class of 2018 is going to step onto the football field as a group of students without a diploma and step off the football field as high school graduates with a diploma and a new wilderness in front of them.

Carson City Toyota has generously funded $5,000 in scholarships for students attending Western Nevada College this fall. This donation is dedicated to helping students who are pursuing careers in automotive mechanics as well as students pursuing their associate degrees in other academic areas.

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Education has announced the launch of a first-of-its kind education-to-workforce initiative known as LifeWorks with a goal of developing more skilled workers for Nevada’s new economy.

The University of Nevada, Reno’s 128th Commencement will confer 3,137 degrees, the largest amount of degrees conferred in one semester. The commencement exercises will take place over four ceremonies in three days:

CARSON CITY — The Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education voted Friday to name Dr. Vincent R. Solis as the next president of Western Nevada College effective July 1.

UPDATE FRIDAY: The Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education voted Friday to name Dr. Vincent R. Solis as the next president of Western Nevada College effective July 1. Go here for the updated story.
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CARSON CITY — The Western Nevada College President Search Committee voted today to recommend Dr. Vincent R. Solis as the next president of the College. Dr. Solis is currently the Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Services at Laredo Community College in Laredo, Texas.

CARSON CITY — Without the efforts of Lupe Ramirez, many first-generation Latino students wouldn’t have overcome common barriers to achieve associate degrees, bachelor degrees and better-paying professional jobs in the workforce.

Contractors throughout the Silver State are encouraged to fill out the 2018-2019 construction wage salary survey, released this week by the Nevada Labor Commissioner.

his is the second column based on the Controller’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2017 (FY17). Here we disclose where the state spends its money.

Total state spending for FY17 was $12.29 billion: $11.033 billion (90 percent) from regular state accounts, including pass-through federal funds; $1.211 billion (ten percent) from tuition, fees, contracts, grants and other service charges by higher education; and $46 million in two other areas. The total was 74 percent higher than in FY06, or 17 percent more in real per-person terms.

Anne Frank wrote, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait for a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Two exemplary staff members at Pioneer High School are definitely not wasting any time when it comes to improving the world around them.

A military career showed Daniel Lear that he wanted to spend his life helping others. Adult life has taken Lear on a few twists and turns, but it hasn’t changed his primary goal to assist people. That desire is closer to becoming a reality as a second-year nursing student at Western Nevada College in Carson City.

We have just issued the Controller’s Annual Report (CAR) for fiscal year 2017 (FY17). Here we provide an overview of it. Future columns will discuss individual sections.

The CAR provides Nevada citizens, officials and others a summary of key facts, data, analysis and issues about the state’s fiscal condition and challenges. The Controller has a statutory charge to recommend plans for: support of public credit; promoting frugality and economy; better management of the state’s fiscal affairs; and better understanding of them.

Last August 9, law professors Amy Wax and Larry Alexander published an article, “Paying the Price for the Breakdown of the Country’s Bourgeois Culture,” in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It began: