The heads of Southern Nevada higher education institutions are bracing themselves for possible changes coming next year under President-elect Donald Trump, including mass deportation threats and efforts to stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and what it could mean for their institutions. 

UNLV President Keith Whitfield, Nevada State University President DeRionne Pollard, College of Southern Nevada acting President William Kibler and Desert Research Institute Director Kumud Acharya discussed the election results at a Friday roundtable at Nevada State University’s Henderson campus. The panel was moderated by The Nevada Independent Editor and CEO Jon Ralston. 

Ralston also asked them what they can do to convince state legislators of the value of higher education and how that investment plays a role in Nevadans’ lives after years of friction — including two failed attempts to remove the constitutional status of the elected Board of Regents who oversee higher education in the state and a 2023 bill that attempted to dismantle the Nevada System of Higher Education’s (NSHE) governing structure. 

“I think we need to be more aggressive at telling our story, but we need to tell that in a way that's effective,” Kibler said. 

Trump administration 2.0 

Pollard said that immediately after the election she was concerned about what Trump’s victory would mean for her institution with a diverse student body and staff. Last year, about 80 percent of Nevada State University students — many of whom Pollard said are first-generation students of color, including undocumented students brought to the country as children — and about 40 percent of staff were from a historically marginalized group, according to NSHE data. 

“I spend, now, an inordinate amount of my time thinking about how to protect and insulate this institution as much as I can given the students we serve in the profound mission that we have,” she said. 

She said she’s particularly unsettled by Trump’s threats to conduct mass deportations on day one of his new term and will be watching for new information on what will happen, how the state will respond and what local organizations the university could partner with in response if it were to occur. 

“We have been developing a plan based on what we know to be true right now, working with our students, our faculty and many various folks within the administration to try to be ready for what we don't know is going to happen,” she said. 

Nevada’s Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Trump supporter and former Clark County sheriff, has been silent on whether he will respond to Trump’s call for local law enforcement and the National Guard to support in this effort. 

South of Nevada, Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs recently said her border state will not aid Trump’s proposed operation. 

Whitfield said that during a recent luncheon, he heard from UNLV students who are feeling anxious about the possible changes that are to come. But Whitfield, who has a background in psychology, said they shouldn’t worry too much about unknowns that they don’t know for sure will happen and are out of their control — advice that leaders seemed to agree should also apply to them. 

The leaders also discussed proposed efforts to curb diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at college campuses. States such as Utah, Florida and Texas have already passed laws banning DEI. 

That legislation has resulted in universities closing cultural centers — spaces on campus dedicated to supporting minority students with specialized resources and opportunities to socialize — out of an abundance of caution to avoid running afoul of the state laws. It has also forced clubs representing students of color to cut ties with their institutions. 

As a transplant from Texas, Kibler said that although possible directives may force the institutions to make changes to their programs, it won’t change their values and commitment to their students and their work. 

Working with the Legislature

Pollard said although Nevada touts its business-friendly climate, the state doesn’t talk enough about how an educated populace is needed to recruit businesses. 

She adds that it's not unusual for states, including Nevada, to emphasize K-12 education over higher education, because grade school is compulsory. She said that attitude shows in national rankings such as ones from U.S News and World Report, which tend to place Nevada at the bottom for educational attainment, or the share of the state’s population with a college degree. 

“We sometimes seem proud of that,” Pollard said, adding that she’s heard repeatedly that there are job opportunities on the Strip offering salaries of $100,000. 

“I said, ‘Yeah, OK, for how long and do those jobs still exist? More importantly, whose kids are you talking about doing that?’” she asked. 

She added that an uneducated population means lower voter engagement, higher crime rates, higher dependence on social safety nets and poor health outcomes. 

“There's a reason why people flock to certain communities and why they exit other communities,” she said. “There’s certain reasons why industries come to certain communities and why industries flee certain communities.”

For the last five years, the Desert Research Institute has been inviting lawmakers to come out to their institution so they can see for themselves the research projects it is working on to address environmental issues, such as air pollution and wildfires, thanks to support from state funding. 

“This is the [return on investment] of the money that you give to us,” Acharya said.