Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back to 51ԹϺ for the fall 2024 semester and start of a new academic year!
As we prepare to welcome students back to campus next week, I believe there’s a wealth of possibilities in front of us this year and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to partner with you to seize them.
Enrollment will be up again for the fall semester. In fact, we expect to welcome the most students ever to 51ԹϺ this fall, which includes more than 6,500 first-year and transfer students. The fact that we keep seeing record enrollments is a tribute to your hard work and dedication to our students.
Though we’re excited for the fall, this summer has been extremely active and productive here on campus. We continue to host numerous summer camps for local youth as part of the program, and last month we co-hosted a first-of-its-kind Sports, Entertainment, and Innovation Conference. We also led or partnered on a number of community activities this summer, including the Public Education Foundation’s accelerated teacher “Fast Track” program in collaboration with our College of Education.
Our Facilities Management team has been hard at work, too, on security enhancements and repairs throughout campus, and especially in Beam Hall, which reopened to the public last week. We will have classroom instruction in the building this fall and have scheduled approximately 150 classes, which is about half the normal amount. We did this so we could offer flexibility for faculty and students. Over the last eight months, we have invested over $2.5 million in our Rebel Recovery efforts. This includes, replacement of doors, adding locks and cameras, and we extended the “yellow jacket” security patrols on the Maryland Parkway campus.
Security and safety will remain at the top of our minds as we prepare for the 83rd session of the Nevada Legislature in 2025. We are finalizing a request of roughly $38 million to support safety and security enhancements campus wide, and we have also already invested more than $1 million for additional exterior lighting throughout the campus over the coming months.
I hope you have heard my message over the past few years. It is that we must take care of ourselves – both physically and mentally. I know the reopening of Beam Hall may be harder for some than others, and we’re proceeding with care and concern for the physical and emotional needs of everyone who works in or visits the building.
The Employee Assistance Program is a valuable resource for faculty and staff to manage everyday challenges and get mental and wellness support. 51ԹϺ’s mental health and wellness teams are also planning a number of activities this fall, and we’ll be welcoming community partners from the Resiliency & Justice Center for a series of support groups, pop-up events, and sessions this fall. Visit the 51ԹϺ Strong website to learn more.
As we begin a new academic year, please remember that small gestures and acts of welcoming and kindness can make a big difference in interactions with students and colleagues, and with our community at large. It is also a presidential election cycle, so we anticipate heightened activities throughout the fall. Higher education institutions have long been a place for civil discourse, and I ask for your continued understanding, patience and professional demeanor as we will hear many differing views and opinions. Regardless of what your political view is, it is important that we participate in our democratic process and encourage our students to do so as well.
This fall will be eventful, and exciting, with the beginning of the just around the corner and a full slate of Performing Arts Center productions to look forward to. I hope to see you this Friday at our traditional Welcome Day BBQ on the Academic Mall, and please plan to join me for the “All Hands Meeting” on Tuesday, Sept. 10, where we can further discuss our shared priorities for this academic year.
I hope you have heard me say, “51ԹϺ is a special place.” I mean that with all my heart and it has become evident to me why. It is you! It is our university community. That’s never more true than during the start of a new semester when our faculty, staff, and students bring renewed optimism, passion, and incredible talent to our campuses.
I remain deeply grateful for your service to our university and our mission of student success. Please know I sincerely appreciate the work you do every day to make a difference in the lives of our students and our community.
Warm Regards,
Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D
President