Western Nevada College (WNC) hosted the Board of Regents, the governing body for the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), for its quarterly meeting on Thursday and Friday in Carson Nugget Hall. This marked the first time in five years that the meeting was held on WNC's Carson City campus.
Regents and NSHE institution presidents praised WNC staff for their hospitality during the event. "I want to express my deep appreciation to our students, faculty, and staff for the coordination and involvement in this event," said WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe. "The feedback has been nothing but complimentary about the 'Wildcat Way!'"
During the meeting, WNC faculty and staff shared updates on various college initiatives. President Dalpe and other institution presidents provided campus reports, followed by Professor of Psychology Dr. Rebecca Bevans discussing how flexible learning modalities at WNC have made college education more accessible. Specifically, open entry courses allow students to enroll through the ninth week of the semester and work at their own pace until they meet course requirements.
Lauren Stevens and Tyler Golden from Academic Advising and Access presented on their success with Artificial Intelligence messaging to support student success. "Through an adaptive Artificial Intelligence (AI) text system, students are heard and connected to resources tailored to their needs," Stevens explained. "This helps keep students engaged with their academic goals, encourages them to utilize campus resources, and empowers them to address barriers in order to thrive."
The meeting began with a performance of the national anthem by WNC Chief Human Resources Officer Melody Duley. April Reyes Banuelos, president of classified council at WNC, also provided an update for all classified councils within NSHE.
A significant outcome from the two-day meeting was the approval of transferring WNC’s High Tech Center to Carson City School District. In return, WNC Foundation will receive a $50,000 endowment aimed at assisting students.
A video replay of the meeting will soon be available at nshe.nevada.edu/regents/archive/.