More on Rogers

Sagebrush, the campus newspaper at UNR, has called for Nevada higher education chancellor Jim Rogers to go.

“Rogers is playing too many roles as chancellor,” the newspaper said in an editorial. “He is a major philanthropist to the institutions. He is a public employee. And he is also a major political donor who often uses his donations against regents who are critical of him by donating to their opponents. … Some people would say Rogers has brought a welcomed leadership style to the system. But his inability to take criticism and build constructive relationships with the regents is hurting the integrity of the state’s higher education system. What we need is someone we can call a consensus builder—not a crybaby.”

The editorial was published after Rogers had been in talks with UNR about a $3 million contribution and then withdrew the offer because of criticism from Northern Nevada regent Ron Knecht.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Sherman Frederick also cited the Knecht incident in calling for Rogers to step down.

“This kind of behavior by Rogers is simply another in a string of examples that point to why Jim Rogers needs to gracefully excuse himself from this ill-conceived chancellor experiment,” Frederick wrote. “He’s too thin-skinned and too manipulative to be effective.”