Governance for a New Era Prompts Action in Nevada

The regents of the University of Nevada system are taking a stand for accountability, with the help of ACTA’s Getting the Data: 10 Questions Trustees Should Ask!

Earlier this month, University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson addressed every question in ACTA’s short and simple wallet card at the regents’ behest. And the board is requiring each of the system’s other seven presidents to take a turn in the hot seat, delivering key data on the system’s health. This is precisely the sort of transparency ACTA hoped to inspire with Getting the Data.

The 10 questions get at the heart of institutional health, drawing on the lessons of the Governance for a New Era report. Each addresses a pressing issue in higher ed reform, from the rising cost of tuition to low teaching loads among tenured professors. But the central lesson of Governance for a New Era was a much simpler one: trustees must be willing to ask such questions, and must insist on answers.

ACTA commends the University of Nevada regents for answering this call and we encourage other state systems to look to Governance for a New Era for guidance in these tumultuous times. Our nation’s higher education system faces many obstacles today, but all can be overcome with a thoughtful approach and—most importantly—a commitment to act before it’s too late.