Fall 2008
From the President
Action in the face of uncertainty
by David B. Ashley (UNLV President)
Anyone aware of the state's current economic climate probably senses the enormous challenge ahead for our education system. UNLV has already absorbed cuts to the current state budget. We now face the possibility that the Legislature will cut another 14 percent when it convenes in February. This is a staggering amount when you consider that our programs are already severely underfunded.
The situation is leaving many concerned about the future of higher education:
- Our students want to know if we plan to dismantle the academic programs and support services they need to reach graduation.
- Our business leaders worry that they will struggle to find the well-educated employees they need to prosper in the next decade.
- Our alumni are concerned that UNLV's reputation — and therefore the value of their degrees — will erode as economic factors prohibit UNLV from advancing.
Some people might believe our budget challenges are so severe that we must put everything on hold, including efforts to rise as a research institution. To this I say retreat is not an option. We must respect the needs of our students, our community, and our alumni and work to advance this institution.
Our recently completed strategic plan, called Focus: 50 to 100, will guide us in these efforts. This plan calls for a focus on increasing graduation rates despite the lack of resources. So this fall, we launched the Academic Success Center by reorganizing existing resources (see "Back-to-School Bumps," page 8).
We will also place a priority on research that is most relevant to our region — projects related to health care, urban growth, immigration, and renewable resources, for example. We already are a leader in many of these areas; we cannot afford to lose the advantages we so recently gained.
I believe the state is at a turning point with education. As citizens, we must let our leaders know how important it is to us to support preK-12 schools, higher education, and workforce development. If we want high quality education in Nevada, then our institutions need funding stability. The issue is now in the hands of our political leaders to determine.
