The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents is set to discuss the potential elimination of its Inclusive, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee in a special meeting on Aug. 27.
The Board of Regents — the governing body over all Nevada colleges and universities — created the committee in 2005, when it was originally named the Cultural Diversity and Security Committee. In 2021, it was renamed the IDEA Committee.
This committee recommends policies to the regents to create, enhance, promote and support an environment that fosters a safe space for inclusion, diversity and equity for students, faculty and staff.
Though the committee’s intent is to foster a safe environment, the briefing paper, provided in the meeting agenda, states that the elimination of the IDEA Committee “reinforces NSHE’s commitment to fostering a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment.”
NSHE spokesperson Elizabeth Callahan told The Nevadan “because the Board has not yet considered or acted on the item, we don’t want to get ahead of that discussion or speculate the outcome.”
“The proposal concerns the Board’s governance structure and, if passed as written, would not remove IDEA-related matters from Board consideration,” Callahan wrote in a statement to The Nevadan.
The Board of Regents is already under fire from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter for allegedly harboring “far right extremist” views.
The UNLV DSA chapter wrote that Regent Byron Brooks is a “far right extremist” who doesn’t “represent our interests as students and members of the Las Vegas community.”
Brooks, along with other regents, has been embroiled in controversy for several years. In 2022, the NSHE chancellor accused Brooks of attempting to intimidate her in a private legal briefing by carrying a firearm.
Brooks is up for reelection this November.
The trend of dismantling DEI programs
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have been heavily targeted by the Trump administration since he reclaimed the presidency in 2025 and the administration has cut funding and frozen grants for higher education programs in response. Since then, UNLV began restructuring DEI initiatives. Nevada State University also terminated its diversity program last year.
In contrast, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has doubled down on DEI efforts, and sought to become a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution.
The Department of Justice began investigating UNR’s UnDocuPack program last year, which is a service that provides academic support and legal resources to undocumented students. Unlike other Nevada university presidents, UNR President Brian Sandoval defended the program and UNR’s DEI initiatives.
Students, faculty, staff and community members can make public comment at the NSHE Board of Regents special meeting on Thursday, August 27 at 9 a.m.
Comment can either be made in person at the System Administration building in Las Vegas (4300 South Maryland Parkway, Board Room), via phone call or submitted in writing through the Board of Regents portal.
Editor’s note: The story was updated to include a statement from NSHE spokesperson Elizabeth Callahan.
