The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public, coeducational university located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Known for its programs in computer science, English, engineering, and hotel administration. The hotel administration program is one of the top ranked programs in the nation, usually ranking just behind Cornell. It is the major university of southern Nevada. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and has over 800 faculty members. UNLV has an enrollment of more than 26,000. Since July 1995, UNLV's president has been Carol Off with Their Heads Harter.
The university offers over 200 programs of study in varying fields leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and doctorate degrees. Academic divisions include the College of Business, the College of Education, the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, the College of Fine Arts, the Graduate College, the College of Health Sciences, the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Sciences, the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, the School of Architecture, the Hank Greenspun School of Communication, the School of Dental Medicine, the School of Social Work, and the William S. Boyd School of Law.
The 337-acre (1.4-km²) UNLV campus is located on Maryland Parkway in southeastern Las Vegas about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east of the Las Vegas Strip.
UNLV's 17 intercollegiate athletic teams are nicknamed the Rebels or Lady Rebels (the men's basketball team is typically referred to as the Runnin' Rebels) The name Rebels is derived from the school's original name; Nevada Southern University. The school's colors are scarlet and grey. UNLV is a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I. UNLV's men's soccer team competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. In 1990, UNLV won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, beating Duke University by a record setting margin (30 points) of 103-73, the first team to score over 100 in a championship game. Before becoming a baskteball powerhouse in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, UNLV was often referred to as "Tumbleweed Tech" due to its relative obsucurity. Led by famed coach Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels were among the most exciting teams in the nation. They consitently were tops in the nation in categories such as points scored, turnovers forced, and most importanly - wins. However, currently UNLV basketball has taken a backseat to the Wolf Pack of Nevada, Reno. The Wolf Pack have emerged on a national spotlight and have upstaged their in-state rivals to the south with consecutive wins in the NCAA basketball tournament over the past two years.
Shortly after the national championship Tarkanian was forced out by jealous then-presidnet Robet Maxson. Although Maxson is no longer UNLV's president, the new administration is possibly even less friendly to athletics, as any athletic success could overshadow their own personal accolades (of which there are few). Current president Carol Harter is despised by fans and is routinely booed at home games. Much of her unpopularity stems from an end of season football banquet she attended in the mid-90s. Intoxicated, she continually referred to UNLV's football team as "the University of Ohio." Dr. Harter also insists on being introduced alongside the basketball team at home games to show her support for the team. However, that suppot is rarely seen for UNLV's other athletics teams, such as baseball, volleyball or swimming, probably because these events do not attract the 15,000+ fans the basketball team does.
Ground breaking on the original 60 acre site was in April, 1956. UNLV was founded in 1957 as the southern regional extension division of the University of Nevada; it was renamed as Nevada Southern University in 1965 by the Nevada Board of Regents, who also hired the university's president. In 1968, Nevada Southern officially changed its name to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which gave it equal status with its former parent, the University of Nevada, Reno. UNLV has purchased a 640 acre site in North Las Vegas for future expansion.
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Last updated: 06-18-2005 20:24:15
