As a university president, there are times you really look forward to with great anticipation, and others that give you great pause and even some sadness. As I sit down to write this column for UNLV Magazine, I am feeling decidedly mixed emotions. It has given me occasion to reflect on the strides UNLV has made as well as to look ahead to a different chapter in my life, and in the life of this great university.
As most of you reading this are already aware, I will retire from the presidency at the end of June — just about 11 years to the day from the time I assumed the role. It’s been an incredible ride.
I remember coming to visit UNLV back in 1995, accompanied by my dedicated and long-suffering husband and greatest supporter, Mike. It was February, and when we departed for Las Vegas, it was one of those frigid, snowy upstate New York days. But in Las Vegas the sun was shining and it was about 70 degrees — Mike jogged in shorts and thought he’d died and gone to heaven. In some ways that image — that beauty, that brightness, that singular Las Vegas-ness — was a great metaphor for my experience at UNLV.
I cannot begin to tell you what a once-in-a-lifetime experience it has been to be at this university during its most formative stage of development. Having come from Ohio University and the State University of New York at Geneseo — two institutions steeped in well-established traditions — the opportunity to be a part of a young university just establishing its shape, its vision, and its own traditions has truly been an honor.
Just how far we’ve come together as a university family cannot be measured in simple statistics — though looking at growth in terms of student and faculty population, buildings, degrees, and research programs does boggle the mind.
One of the many outstanding qualities of our university is the sense of shared identity, of the campus community knowing where it wants to go and working productively together to get there. This is a community that, in my years as president, has never been afraid to speak its mind, to explore, to imagine, and to proudly proclaim its uniqueness. These are some of the qualities that intrigued me about UNLV even before I set foot on campus for the first time.
During our first strategic planning process, that energy and drive brought about some the most important, exciting, and difficult conversations in the life of the university. I’m very proud that so many in our extended family — including alumni, civic partners, and supporters — have joined students, faculty, and staff for these sessions over the years. They have been so critical to framing UNLV’s essential role and mission in Southern Nevada.
Two major planning documents and 11 planning retreats later, we’ve emerged stronger, with a clear strategy for the near, and not-so-near future. The 2005 planning retreat challenged us to look even further out — imagining UNLV a decade later and assessing our pathways to achieve that vision.
What I’ve learned from working with all of you is that UNLV is a place as unique as its people, and its community. It is a campus that welcomes non-traditional students and embraces a diverse learning community, valuing the teaching and learning experience at all levels. It is also increasingly a place for research, for discovery and economic development, for academic discipline and community engagement. These aspirations are intertwined in countless ways, with research adding to the richness of the student experience at all levels.
As I look back on my tenure as president, I am so proud of where UNLV has been and where it is headed. This progress is due to the hard work of so many — from dedicated faculty, classified and professional staff, students, and alumni to community partners and the many generous volunteers who have dedicated time and talent to strengthening and growing this great university. Looking at the astounding list of milestones we’ve achieved together, I am confident that with your stalwart support, UNLV will continue its rapid rise to prominence at every level. This is an institution that knows where it’s going. There’s just no stopping it.
It is a privilege to have served UNLV through such an amazing period of change. For all these wonderful years and so many exceptional experiences, I thank you all. The university is in great hands.
