Nevada higher education regents* have approved an early retirement deal for Chancellor Dan Klaich after he said his role in developing a college funding formula has become a distraction.
“The public hearing today, and particularly the kind comments by all of you, allow me to leave proud, with my head high, knowing that I have accomplished something that is appreciated, and for that I am profoundly grateful,” Klaich said before the vote.
Regents praised Klaich and approved a deal to let him leave in June but take pay, roughly $300,000, through his contract's expiration.
Klaich was accused of misleading the Legislature about the relationship between his staff and their consultant while the state worked in 2012 on a new formula for distributing money among colleges.
A Las Vegas Review-Journal investigation examining his emails questioned the independence of the consultant, pointing to a memo written by Klaich's staff but on the consultant's letterhead.
Klaich says he regrets some of his statements over email but didn't intend to mislead lawmakers.
*Note: The Nevada System of Higher Education holds the license to KUNR.