UNLV President Keith Whitfield speaks during the State of the University address Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.
Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023 | 10:10 p.m.
UNLV President Keith Whitfield is feeling good about new Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo’s pledge to support schools, specifically, higher education, as the new Legislature is set to begin session next week.
During his hourlong State of the University address held at the Philip J. Cohen Theater on UNLV's campus, Whitfield repeatedly cited financial constraints as a large issue in different university matters and hopes for Lombardo’s efforts to alleviate those concerns, including campus revitalization projects and hiring efforts.
“Thank you, Gov. Lombardo; thank you, thank you, thank you,” Whitfield said. “Looking at his budget, I think that we’re off to a really good start of having a great education governor.”
UNLV will be in Carson City with the Nevada System of Higher Education not only to support Lombardo, but to seek some changes as well, specifically in the way funding for higher education institutions is determined.
Whitfield said the university will be asking the state to modify the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) so that it is “tied directly to the weighted student credit hour rate to ensure that funding for NSHE institutions keeps pace with increased costs to provide services.”
The HEPI is an inflation index currently used to help develop budgets for higher education. Several components are factored into calculating the HEPI, including salaries for university employees, supplies and materials, utilities and fringe benefits.
This means state resources would be allocated to colleges and universities based on the student credit hours racked up in completed classes.
It’s a move Whitfield believes is necessary so colleges and universities can continue to provide students vital services, especially in a time where states are decreasing funding to higher education.
“If I had a crystal ball, I’d expect that there’s going to be fewer colleges and universities by 2030 and those that survive will need to adapt and change their business and education models to be able to succeed,” Whitfield said.
In an interview with the Sun last August, Whitfield said pandemic budget cuts hurt the university greatly and affected the institution’s ability to teach and conduct research among other things. He is already planning to ask the Nevada Legislature and governor to return the school’s budgets to pre-pandemic levels.
The university will be working with the NSHE to request summer school funding as well, according to Whitfield. This would allow teachers to offer more classes at a wider variety and provide the school with money to offer as financial aid for students in summer courses.
Whitfield’s big goals don’t just stop at the dollar figures, though. He also said that he wants to grow UNLV’s student population to 40,000 by 2030 and double the number of programs ranked in the top 50 nationally.
Enrollment from fall 2022 was down only slightly compared to before the pandemic, and Whitfield gushed that UNLV welcomed its largest class of freshmen to date this past fall.
While many of these students — roughly 70% of the university — are Nevadans, Whitfield said UNLV plans to boost enrollment by bringing in more students from out-of-state and beyond. They have already bolstered their recruitment office in preparation.
There was a 27% rise of undergraduates and 26% of graduate international students, according to Whitfield. A roughly 15% increase is anticipated for next year and it’s expected to continue growing, Whitfield said.
“We want to bring the world to UNLV by increasing the number of international students who attend our university,” he said.
