Nevada State University

Nevada State University
Seal of Nevada State University
Former name
Nevada State College (2002-2023)
MottoOmnia Pro Patria (Latin)
Motto in English
"All For Our Country"
TypePublic University
EstablishedSeptember 3, 2002; 22 years ago (September 3, 2002) (opened)
Parent institution
Nevada System of Higher Education
Academic affiliation
Space-grant
PresidentDeRionne Pollard[1]
Students7,283 (Fall 2023)
Postgraduates69 (Fall 2021)[2]
Location
Henderson
,
Nevada
,
United States

35°59′14″N 114°56′20″W / 35.987248°N 114.938847°W / 35.987248; -114.938847
CampusSuburban
ColorsBlack and gold[3]
   
NicknameScorpions
MascotSting the Scorpion [4]
Websitewww.nevadastate.edu
Logo of Nevada State College
For the university known as Nevada State University from 1881 to 1906, see University of Nevada, Reno.
"Nevada State" redirects here. For other uses, see Nevada State (disambiguation).

Nevada State University (NSU), formerly Nevada State College, is a public college in Henderson, Nevada. It is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education and opened on September 3, 2002, as Nevada's first state college.[5] The university is a designated Minority Serving Institute, Hispanic Serving Institution, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution.[6] Its main campus is located on a 509-acre (206 ha) site in the southern foothills of Henderson.[7]

History

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In 1999, the Nevada Legislature created the Advisory Committee to Examine Locating a 4-Year State College in Henderson, Nev.[8] In December 1999, the Nevada Board of Regents approved the establishment of Nevada State College.[8]

In February 2000, the committee recommended the new institution be named Nevada State College at Henderson. The committee members determined Henderson should be part of the official name as they felt additional state colleges would be created in the state.[9] Later that month, the Henderson City Council, after having evaluated several potential sites, voted to locate Nevada State College northeast of Lake Mead Drive and Boulder Highway that was to be part of The LandWell Company's Provenance master-planned community.[10] In March, James Rogers, owner of several television stations and later chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, agreed to chair the college's foundation.[11]

Opponents of the creation of Nevada State College feared at the time that its creation would take resources from UNLV.[12] However, proponents of the college argued the "proposed college would be up to $3,000 cheaper than educating them at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The savings would come from smaller salaries for professors, who would teach four classes (per semester), rather than the three or fewer taught by UNLV professors."[13]

In April 2000, the Board of Regents voted 8-3 to begin negotiations for the Boulder Highway / Lake Mead site despite some concerns that the site was near a permanent toxic waste storage facility. The original site of the college, first proposed in 2000 and on approximately 300 acres northeast of Lake Mead Drive and Boulder Highway near downtown Henderson[14] raised environmental concerns as it was approximately one mile from a toxic waste storage facility,[15][16] which prompted the Nevada Board of Regents in 2001 to select the college's present day site[17] located west of U.S. Highway 95 in what was once the Wagon Wheel Industrial Park.[18][19] In June 2000, the Regents requested $5.2 million for start-up costs for the campus and $7 million for instruction costs for its first cohort of students in 2002-03 as well as $43.5 million for capital construction which was to include a library.[20] Nevada Gov. Guinn's 2001-2003 executive budget, which was developed later in 2000, reduced the Regents' request by recommending "$22.8 million in state funding, 6.8 million to open it to 1,000 full-time students in the fall of 2002, and $16 million to help construct the first campus building."[21]

Nevada State College opened in 2002. The college acquired accreditation, moved with its master plan for a 509-acre (2.06 km2) campus, and its first permanent building, the Liberal Arts and Sciences building, opened in August 2008.[22] In 2008 Nevada State College launched a campus-wide recruitment and retention initiative. Between the Spring 2009 and Spring 2010 semesters, Nevada State College increased enrollment by over 20%, to over 2,600 students.[23]

Among the different educational institutions of the NHSE, the largest 2009 budget cuts by the state legislature were for Nevada State College at 24.1%. Neighboring College of Southern Nevada had its budget cut by only 4.9%.[24] Students protested the cuts[25] which left student services understaffed[26] and about 25% of the university's teaching and administrative positions vacant in 2008.[27] The Nevada System of Higher Education faced a $900 million budget deficit and there were proposals to close down Nevada State College along with other NHSE programs and schools.[28]

DeRionne Pollard became Nevada State University's eighth president on August 16, 2021. She was the first Black female president within the Nevada System of Higher Education.[29]

In March 2023, the Nevada Legislature introduced legislation to change the school's name from Nevada State College to Nevada State University. The legislation passed that June; the name change took effect on July 1, 2023.[30]

Campus

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Nevada State University's 509-acre site is located at the base of the McCullough mountain range in the southeastern corner of Henderson.[31] The site was conveyed from the Bureau of Land Management to the city of Henderson in November 2002 as part of the Clark County Conservation of Public Lands and Natural Resources Act of 2002.[32][33]

The college opened its first permanent building, the Liberal Arts & Sciences Building, on its 509-acre site in August 2008.[22] The 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2) building has faculty offices, labs and seven classrooms. The building includes SMART classroom technologies which allow professors to use a wide array of audio and visual teaching techniques, and scientific equipment for educational use.[34]

In addition to the Liberal Arts and Sciences Building, NSU has also opened the Bob and Allison Kasner Academic Building (formerly known as Nursing, Science, and Education) along with the James E. and Beverly Roger's Student Center. The future Christenson Education Building and the Student Village dorm buildings are currently under construction. NSU currently leases the Dawson building on Nevada State Dr. which was originally the only building when the college opened, and purchased the J. Russell and Carol Raker Student Success Center on Paradise Hills Dr. which contains the financial aid office and student advising. NSU no longer leases two auxiliary buildings in downtown Henderson on Water Street.[35]

On-going campus planning activities

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In 2010, the Nevada Board of Regents approved the college's campus master plan, which calls for the development of roughly six million square feet of academic, residential, retail, and cultural space by full campus build-out in order to accommodate 25,000-30,000 students.[31]

Sustainability Initiatives

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As it relates to sustainable planning and design, NSU's campus master plan is informed by three central goals: (1) achieve operational carbon neutrality, (2) become a model of sustainable development for the city, county and region, and (3) enable the campus to serve as a learning and training tool for topics related to sustainable development.[31]

Academics

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NSU offers one Master's degree, the Master of Education in Speech Language Pathology, and many bachelor's degree programs. In the Fall of 2008, Nevada State College launched Nevada's first bachelor of science degree in the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. The program addresses the deaf culture and its integration of deaf students into specific subject areas.[36] The college's academic programs are housed in one of three schools: the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing.[37]

Nevada State College also partners with Touro University to accommodate students in Occupational Therapy. Through the partnership, students complete three years of their bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy Science at Nevada State College, then transfer to Touro University for the final two years.[38]

Accreditation

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When it originally opened, Nevada State College operated under the accreditation of the University of Nevada, Reno. In 2011, Nevada State College received independent accreditation at the baccalaureate degree level from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.[39]

References

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  1. ^ "Board of Regents Appoint New Nevada State College President". Nevada System of Higher Education (Press release). April 29, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "College Navigator - Nevada State College".
  3. ^ "Scorpion Stylebook" (PDF). Nevada State College. Nevada State College. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  4. ^ "Facts and Figures". Nevada State College. Nevada State College. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  5. ^ Jennifer Knight. "Nevada's first state college opens its doors". LasVegasSun.com. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  6. ^ "President Pollard". Nevada State University. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Nevada State College - About Nevada State College". Nsc.edu. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Patton, N. (January 30, 2000). "First step for Henderson college: Find campus site". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1A. Archived from the original on January 31, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  9. ^ Whaley, S. (February 5, 2000). "School name recommended". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 23, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  10. ^ Flanagan, T. (March 1, 2000). "Henderson picks site for college". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  11. ^ Patton, N. (March 24, 2000). "UNLV donor to lead foundation for proposed college". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 12, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  12. ^ Patton, N. (April 6, 2000). "Henderson college faces crucial regents vote". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 6B. Archived from the original on January 23, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  13. ^ Patton, N. (January 4, 2001). Report urges state to fund new college. Review-Journal, p. 8B.
  14. ^ Flanagan, T. (March 1, 2000). "Henderson picks site for college". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  15. ^ "Don't dump here town residents worry about radioactivity". Albany Times Union. September 14, 1989.
  16. ^ Whaley, S. (April 7, 2000). "Regents vote to negotiate for land". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on July 1, 2006. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  17. ^ Valerie Miller (March 23, 2001). "Proposed college gets a new home on old studio site". Las Vegas Business Press. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  18. ^ Whaley, S. (March 22, 2001). "Lawmakers to hear pitch for college site". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on May 24, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  19. ^ Whaley, S. (April 7, 2000). Regents vote to negotiate for land. Donrey Capital Bureau, p. 1B.
  20. ^ Vogel, E. (June 24, 2000). Henderson funding irks some regents. Donrey Capital Bureau, p. 1B.
  21. ^ Whaley, S. (March 22, 2001). Lawmakers to hear pitch for college site. Donrey Capital Bureau, p. 1B.
  22. ^ a b http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=8858497 Nevada State College Moves to New Building
  23. ^ Las Vegas Review-Journal http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/budgets-shrinking-enrollments Accessed March 24, 2010.
  24. ^ hawaiiborn. "Faculty, professional staff shielded from furloughs". Lasvegassun.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  25. ^ "Nevada State College students rally against cuts". Las Vegas Review Journal. December 6, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  26. ^ Charlotte Hsu (July 30, 2008). "Rogers calls off fishing trip, but keeps up the discussion". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  27. ^ "Budget cut talks turn into reality". KVBC. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  28. ^ Virgil Sestini (February 3, 2010). "Regents' options to cut higher education are all grim". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  29. ^ "Honoring Dr. DeRionne Pollard, first permanent Black woman president of Nevada State College". Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. February 4, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  30. ^ "SB273 Overview". www.leg.state.nv.us. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  31. ^ a b c Nevada State College. (2010, March 2010). Nevada State College Campus Master Plan. http://nsc.nevada.edu/MPDraft.asp Archived July 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ Miller, V. (November 11, 2002). College gets land, needs cash. Las Vegas Business Press, p. 1.
  33. ^ Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 (PL 107-282, November 6, 2002)
  34. ^ Hsu, C. (March 15, 2008). "College's first permanent building to meet many needs". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  35. ^ "Nevada State College Future Campus Map" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  36. ^ Clark, D. (June 4, 2008). Nevada State College to train teachers of deaf. Henderson Home News, pp. 6A.
  37. ^ "Catalogy 2011 - 2012 Nevada State College" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  38. ^ Master's degree now required for therapists. Green Valley Henderson View. (September 4, 2007). Retrieved from [1] Archived July 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ Lake, Richard (August 14, 2011). "Accreditation is a dream come true for Nevada State College". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
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