Jessup offers overview of UNLV’S additions

Recalling UNLV’S golden days when her husband, Jerry Tarkanian, coached the Rebels to a national basketball title, Las Vegas Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian says the community should be as thrilled by what the university has planned in the coming years.

“I remember how excited our city was and how united we were, and it was truly an amazing time,” Tarkanian said, speaking this week at the third-annual Nevada Economic Development Conference at UNLV. “You know what — we’re still in an amazing time right now in Las Vegas.”

Additions to UNLV, both on and off campus, especially the School of Medicine on West Charleston Boulevard, which is in Tarkanian’s Ward 1 District, should excite the community, she said.

UNLV President Len Jessup laid out the school’s plans, which include pursuing Tier 1 university status, according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions, the gold standard of college rankings. He said UNLV was a year-and-a-half into to its 10-year plan to achieve that ranking.

“We want to be a Carnegie research institution at the highest level academically, and we want to be competing athletically at a level that makes us attractive Len Jessup, UNLV president

to Power 5 conferences like the Pac-12 and Big 12,” Jessup said. “Our plan is driven around doing that.”

Education additions

Infrastructure is a big focus as UNLV looks to expand its footprint. The School of Medicine, which accepted its first class of students this summer, is in the funding stages for its new building.

Jessup said the school had about $50 million in the bank for a project that at a minimum would cost $135 million. “It will be a state-of-the-art building … with all kinds of interesting collaborative spaces for a very innovative, problem-based or case-based curriculum,” he said.

The $57 million Hospitality Hall, a public-private partnership, housing the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, will open this fall. “That will help a world-class program now that they have world-class facilities,” Jessup said.

Additionally, the $12 million renovation to the Beverly Rogers Literature and Law Building, which houses the Honors College and the Brookings Mountain West, was completed in 2015.

Athletic additions

The university has long aspired to be in a Power 5 athletic conference. When UNLV “flirted” with the Big 12 last year, Jessup said, officials told him UNLV needed to have three components:

“No. 1 you already have — Las Vegas. You have the location and media market,” he said. “Second, academically, with everything you’ve got going on, with the medical school coming, you’re good enough for the Big 12. (But) third, your missing ingredients are in athletics.”

Kaepernick, others supporting Seahawks’ Bennett in Las Vegas police encounter.

Athletes and activists showed their support Wednesday for Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett.

Vegas pick’em: NFL Week 2 winners against the spread.

NFL fans will be spared the narrative of revolutionary offenses for at least one week.

What’s behind those massive building wraps on the Las Vegas Strip.

You don’t have to be a boxing fan in Las Vegas to know when one major bout is done and another is on its way.

UNLV student unwillingly photographed in campus bathroom.

UNLV police sent out a public safety alert after a student says she caught a person photographing her Sunday while she used a restroom inside a campus building.

Thunderstorm brings light show to Las Vegas Valley.

A thunderstorm moved through northern parts of the valley Wednesday, producing a light show in the sky, heavy rainfall, hail and strong wind gusts that reached up to 60 mph.