UNLV adding new programs and facilities for fall

UNLV will start the fall 2004 semester with several new programs and facilities that address needs in the community as well as at the university itself.

To accommodate the need for qualified, skilled nurses in Las Vegas and across the country, the UNLV School of Nursing will now offer a doctorate program in nursing.

Cheryl Bowles, graduate program coordinator for the school of nursing, said that the new doctorate opportunity will not only provide more qualified nurses, but also more educators in the field to take the burden off of the dwindling number of professors.

"Our other program is a family nurse practitioner program, which is a master's designed to provide nurses with additional education courses, such as faculty at community college, to prepare them to teach students. The Ph.D. is designed to prepare people primarily in the university settings of nursing."

Students who complete the master's degree programs already offered will be on a fast track through the Ph.D. program. The median age of nursing professors in a university setting is 54 to 55 years old. While qualified nurses in a clinic or hospital setting is a concern of UNLV, Bowles said even more important is a staff that can teach them.

"The issue with faculty is that there's a tremendous shortage, and you've got to have people who teach other people how to be nurses," Bowles said. "In 2002 the percentage of faculty over the age of 50 increased to 70 percent. A lot of people will be retiring shortly and there's not the faculty coming up to replace those people."

In order to make nursing programs easier and more accessible to students, the college offers web-based courses during which students only have to visit campus several times per semester.

"It is a hybrid web-based program," Bowles said. "We're hoping we'll be able to reach people in other places. We have a number of nurses in Las Vegas who have master's in another area that's health related, and we're looking at how to get them prepared, also."

To better serve incoming students, a population that is rising at a steady rate of 6 percent per year, a new residential housing complex has been erected. The soon-to-be-opened Dayton Complex will offer several housing options for students.

The 104,215 square feet of living space will house 475 residents in 114 four-person suites, 10 suites will accommodate disabled students and one two-bedroom apartment is provided for a housing administrator. Access to the buildings is granted only to residents by the university identification Rebel Card. Despite the newness and size of the facility and its many amenities such as desert landscaping and a courtyard, the cost of living in the complex is $2,600 per semester. Rent includes all utilities, in-room internet connection and cable access.

Richard Clark, director for residential life at UNLV, said the last thing the new complex can be labeled is a dorm.

"It's really geared to be a living learning center," Clark said.

Besides 11-foot by 20-foot rooms, students have access to a fitness center, computer lab, multipurpose room and several laundry facilities. The housing floors are co-ed, but one all women's floor is available.

In addition, the buildings offer study or quiet floors and a substance-free floor for those who seek an alcohol and tobacco-free environment.

Clark said UNLV is becoming more dedicated to the concept of a cohesive university, in spite of its reputation as a commuter school. In the past, there was a long waiting list to get into the housing on campus, but the Dayton Complex has eliminated the need for a list for this year. The university plans to continue to add more student housing every few years as needed.

Clark said UNLV President Carol Harter intends to make the campus more conducive to a typical college experience, and the new residential buildings are just the beginning.

"It's a really good time to be here," Clark said. "You are seeing students who take a lot of pride here at UNLV. A lot of it's the details, how the little things we're doing are affecting the students. There are a lot of conveniences here that you don't have off campus."


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