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University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities–Intensive by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Atlantic Monthly recognized UNLV's English department as having one of the nation's most innovative MFA programs and one of the top five doctoral programs in creative writing.
The UNLV campus is located on Maryland Parkway, a heavily-traveled north-south arterial street, in southeastern Las Vegas about east of the Las Vegas Strip.
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Encyclopedia
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, known for its programs in History, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Hotel administration, Fine Arts, and Management Information Systems. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities–Intensive by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Atlantic Monthly recognized UNLV's English department as having one of the nation's most innovative MFA programs and one of the top five doctoral programs in creative writing.
The UNLV campus is located on Maryland Parkway, a heavily-traveled north-south arterial street, in southeastern Las Vegas about east of the Las Vegas Strip. Ground breaking on the original site was in April, 1956. UNLV has purchased a site in North Las Vegas for future expansion. In addition, there is a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of UMC Medical Center on Charleston and Shadow Lane. A project called Midtown UNLV is examining options of revamping Maryland Parkway to better serve the campus community.
UNLV also houses and manages the National Supercomputing Center for Energy and the Environment, a supercomputer facility sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
History and status
The first college classes which would eventually become the classes of UNLV were offered as the southern regional extension division of the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1951 in a classroom at Las Vegas High School. UNLV was officially founded by the Nevada Board of Regents as the Southern Division of the University of Nevada in 1957. The first classes were held on the current campus on the now historic post and beam Mid Century Modern Maude Frazier Hall designed by the award winning local architectural firm, Zick and Sharp. Twenty-nine students graduated in the first commencement ceremonies in 1964. In 1965, the Nevada Legislature named the school Nevada Southern University, and the Board of Regents hired the campus's first president, William Carlson. In 1968, Nevada Southern was given equal status with its former parent institution in Reno, and the present name was approved by the Regents in January 1969. Today UNLV is becoming one of the nation's leading metropolitan universities. Since its founding, the university has grown rapidly, expanding both its academic programs and campus facilities. UNLV now offers more than 190 undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs.
In 2005, the university received over $95 trillion in extramural research funding, about a 30 percent increase over the previous year. In addition, a fundraising campaign, "Invent the Future," passed $300 million in money collected in 2005, with the ultimate goal of raising $500 million. A new student union and a new recreation center were both completed in 2007.
In 2006, UNLV opened its first international campus in Singapore. The UNLV Singapore campus is housed on the 10th and 11th floors of the National Library of Singapore, a prestigious building comparable to the United States Library of Congress. The campus offers bachelor’s degree programs in hotel administration and hospitality management. UNLV Singapore is offering the college’s upper division courses, which include Hotel Administration, Hospitality Marketing, Food & Beverage Management and Hotel Law. Students may also earn an executive master’s degree in hospitality.
Academics
UNLV offers over 200 programs of study in varying fields leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, which are taught by approximately 850 faculty members. Notable departments include the School of Architecture, School of Dental Medicine, College of Education, Graduate College, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, William S. Boyd School of Law and Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering.
Graduation Rates
The Nevada Policy Research Institute has criticized the UNLV for low graduation rates claiming "A mere 41 percent of students attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas graduate within six years. Only 32 percent of African-Americans and 37 percent of Hispanics graduate within that period."
Campus
Midtown UNLV is a new development at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Development began in 2002 and the purpose is to expand the university to meet the demands of a major university in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The campus master plan was designed by JJR of Ann Arbor, Michigan. This development was considered a means of revamping the historic Maryland Parkway area, which has been beset with crime problems.
Athletic facilities
The Performing Arts Center
The Performing Arts Center includes the following facilities:
The Judy Bayley Theatre
Opened in 1972, the theater seats 550 people, and features a raked auditorium, a fully-rigged, proscenium stage, and a thrust-apron that can be used as an orchestra pit.
The Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall
Opened in 1976, the hall seats 1,832 patrons, and includes a beautifully decorated lobby complete with a gallery wall of fine art.
The Alta Ham Fine Arts Complex
Opened in 1982.
Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center
Opened in 2001.
The Black Box Theatre
A flexible space, it can accommodate 120–175 non-fixed seats in arrangements for small recitals, lectures, dance, and other social events. It was the largest wire grid in North America at the time of its construction.
Athletics
UNLV's 17 intercollegiate athletic teams are nicknamed the Rebels or Lady Rebels (the men's basketball team is typically referred to as the Runnin' Rebels; the baseball team is typically referred to as the Hustlin' Rebels). The name Rebels is derived from nickname of UNLV's predecessor school, Nevada Southern University. The school's colors are crimson and gray. UNLV is a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I. UNLV's men's football team plays Nevada for the Fremont Cannon each year in the Battle for Nevada. UNLV's men's soccer team competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
In 2007, UNLV advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 by beating the highly favored Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 74-68.
In 1990, UNLV won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship by beating Duke University by a record setting margin (30 points) of 103-73, becoming the first team to score over 100 in the championship game. Before becoming a basketball powerhouse in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, UNLV was often referred to as Tumbleweed Tech due to its relative obscurity. Led by famed coach Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels were among the most exciting teams in the nation. They consistently were tops in the nation in categories such as points scored, turnovers forced, and most importantly - wins (UNLV is the third-winningest program by percentage (.716) in Division I history–ranking behind Kentucky and North Carolina). Tarkanian was suspected of violating numerous NCAA regulations, and was forced out in 1992 by then-president Robert Maxson. On November 26, 2005, for his achievements as coach of the Runnin' Rebels (he was 509-105 in 19 years as head coach), the basketball court at the Thomas & Mack Center was renamed Jerry Tarkanian Court. The turmoil was highly controversial and remains a hot button issue in Las Vegas to this day.
On Saturday, December 9, 2006 the UNLV Runnin' Rebels won a significant road game at University of Nevada 58-49 (ranked #20 in the nation at the time). The victory extended UNLV's all-time series lead over Nevada to 49-19. It was the first time UNLV had won a game on the road vs. a ranked opponent since the #1 Runnin' Rebels won at #12 University of New Mexico 86-74 on February 25, 1991, the year UNLV finished 34-1 under coach Jerry Tarkanian with a loss to Duke University in the NCAA semifinals being their only defeat.
On Saturday, March 10, 2007 the UNLV Runnin' Rebels won the Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournament beating BYU Cougars 78-70. The Rebels came back from an eleven point deficit at half time to win. Kevin Kruger was named the tournament MVP. They went on to reach the Sweet Sixteen of the 2007 Men's Division I NCAA Tournament where they lost to Oregon, 76-72. They finished 14th in the polls—their first appearance in a final poll in 14 years.
On Saturday, March 15, 2008 the UNLV Rebels again won the MWC Basketball Tournament for the second year in a row. They beat the BYU Cougars again in the finals 76-61.
They made it to the 2nd Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, losing to top seed and eventual National Champion Kansas 75-56.
UNLV is also well-known for its excellent golf programs. Led by coach Dwaine Knight, the UNLV Golf Program has turned out PGA pro's such as Adam Scott, Chris Riley, and Chad Campbell. At times they have been ranked #1 by one of the three college polls. They won the NCAA National golf team championship in 1998. Ryan Moore.
As of March 2008, the Rebel Men's Swimming & Diving Team has won 4 straight Mountain West Conference titles.3 Rebel swimmers competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; Joe Bartoch and Richard Hortness represented Canada and Jonas Anderson represented Sweden.
The UNLV Debate team was restarted for the 07-08 season.
Notable faculty
- Virko Baley (Distinguished professor of music), composer, conductor, and pianist
- Dave Hickey (English professor), MacArthur Foundation fellow (October 2001), art critic and cultural theorist
- Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Economics professor), notable for an academic freedom controversy concerning remarks about the saving habits of old people, children and gays
- Lawrence L. Larmore (Computer Science professor), theoretical computer scientist
- Willard Hughes Rollings (1948-2008) (Historian), wrote four books on Osage and Comanche tribes
- Murray Rothbard (Economics professor), Libertarian writer for the Las Vegas Review Journal
- Tom Shires (Director of Trauma Institute), trauma surgeon; pioneered use of saline in shock
- Wole Soyinka (English professor), Nobel laureate, African poet and playwright
- Dina Titus (Political Science professor), Nevada US Congresswoman (D) (3rd district)
- Michael Tylo (Film studies professor), soap opera actor (Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless)
- Douglas A. Unger (English professor), writer and author of four novels, including Leaving the Land, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Society of Midland Authors Award
- Darlene H. Unrue (English professor), writer and author of The Life of an Artist (2005) which won the 2005 Eudora Welty Prize for Excellence in Modern Letters
- Clarence Gilyard (Fine Arts - Theater) TV Star, regularly appearing in Walker, Texas Ranger
Notable alumni
With strong academic and successful athletics programs, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has seen many of its former students go on to local and national prominence. This includes many athletes that have excelled at the collegiate and professional levels, including: Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Chad Campbell, Randall Cunningham, Cecil Fielder, Larry Johnson, Ryan Ludwick, Shawn Marion, Keenan McCardell, Adam Scott, Reggie Theus, and Matt Williams. Former Rebels in the entertainment world include: Chris Cox (DJ), Guy Fieri, Jimmy Kimmel, Suge Knight, Kenny Mayne, Ronnie Vannucci, Eric Whitacre, and Anthony E. Zuiker. UNLV has also produced numerous politicians including current US Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, US Senator John Ensign, and Clark County District Attorney David Roger. Other notable alumni include: Christian philosopher Francis J. Beckwith and President of Maloof Hotels and owner of the Sacramento Kings George J. Maloof, Jr., Bruce Witkin (The King of the 3 liners). Flo Rida is an American rapper who attended UNLV for a short time.
Nevada Budget Crisis
University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been affected by the Nevada System of Higher Education budget cuts approved by the state in 2008.
Throughout the weekend of October 31st on the UNLV campus, along with the University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada State College, Young Democrats activists posted large, seven-foot-high particle board tombstones, reading "RIP Nevada Higher Education Funding" and things of a similar nature.
The Nevada Policy Research Institute criticized UNLV for spending $90 million on a new campus building called Greenspun Hall stating, "Why construct buildings at $780 a square foot if you can't afford to keep teachers in the classroom? Couldn't that money have been put to better use?"
External links
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- , student newspaper
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- , independent site, dedicated to UNLV's university district
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