New med school, football complex part of a changing UNLV, Jessup says in annual speech

By Ian Whitaker

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016 | 6:30 p.m.

"Change."

That was the big buzzword coming out of UNLV President Len Jessup's second State of the University speech today.

It's been a busy few months for the university and Jessup, about to come up on his second full year at UNLV.

The school just received a $10 million gift from the Fertitta family to build a football training facility, it's rolling out a new medical school and preparing to host the final presidential debate in October, and just today college officials were handed a victory when tourism officials voted in favor of a proposed $1.9 billion stadium that UNLV would share with the Oakland Raiders.

UNLV is also wrapping up construction on an addition to the Thomas & Mack Center, is awaiting the completion of a new hotel college building around this time next year and just welcomed its largest-ever freshman class.

"This university is going through significant change," Jessup said. "We're a very special university in a very special place."

Jessup's speech, interspersed with a handful of flashy videos showcasing students and faculty, touched on the university's reputation as a diverse college as well as its long-held desire to become a "top tier" university.

He said UNLV was on track to finally become a "school of choice" by 2026, when his 10-year plan to achieve "elite" status will have been completely rolled out.

By then, he added, UNLV will have grown to an enrollment of around 40,000 undergrads and will have the infrastructure to compete for a slot in a Power Five athletic conference.

"It's inevitable," he said.