AGENDA
University of Nevada, Reno
2010-11 Faculty Senate
August 25, 1:15 p.m.
JCSU- Rita Laden Senate Chambers
All times are approximate
1:15
1.
Roll Call and Introductions
1:20
2.
Consent Agenda
Action/Enclosure
1:30
3.
Chair’s Report
Information/Discussion
1:50
4.
Visit with President Marc Johnson
Information/Discussion
2:20
5.
Pathways to Growth: Sense of the Senate
Action/Enclosure
3:10
Break
3:20
6
Information/Discussion
7.
PeopleSoft & MyNevada: Melisa Choroszy, Assoc VP
Enrollment Services & Michael Bakker, Manager PeopleSoft
Professional Development Leave Committee Election
3:40
3:50
8.
Research and Grants Committee
Action/Enclosure
4:05
9.
New Business
Information/Discussion
10
Informational Items:
Link to the Informational Document for UAM Revisions:
http://www.unr.edu/facultysenate/meetings/1112/Agenda/Info_Items(UAM%20Revisions).doc
Student Services Report to Faculty Senate
Information/Discussion
Action/Enclosure
Adjourn
Future Senate Meetings
UNR Faculty Senate Website
September 15 2011 – JCSU
Rita Laden Senate Chambers
October 20, 2011 JSCU - R. Laden
Senate Chambers
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Future Board of Regents Meetings
NSHE Website
September 8 - 9, 2011
DRI Las Vegas
October 19, 2011
Tentative – Video Conf.
Page 1
UNR Faculty Senate Meeting
August 25, 2011
Agenda Item # 5
Sense of the Senate
Draft Motion
August 25, 2011
Endorsement of UNR and NSHE Efforts to Achieve Higher Education Funding Reform
For a very long time, Nevada’s higher education funding system has been strongly controlled by the
state legislature. The legislature sets a base level of state funding for NSHE, determines the amount
of student tuition, sweeps most student tuition dollars (about 70%) into the state’s general fund,
subdivides UNR’s appropriation into as many as eight budgetary lines, and restricts how these lines
could be used by administrators.
This top-down, rigid process may have made sense at one time, but it has out-lived its usefulness.
Very few states fund their university systems this way, in part because it creates an overly
complicated budgetary process, in part because it reduces incentives for universities to be more
accountable and entrepreneurial, and in part because states increasingly wish for universities to
become more autonomous.
In recent legislative sessions, the NSHE Chancellor and Board of Regents, as well as UNR
Presidents Glick and Johnson, have sought to align the higher education funding system in the state
of Nevada with common practice elsewhere, and they have made some strides. Student fees now
stay on campus. NSHE has won the ability to set differential fees for some programs, and it has
gained some measure of control over out-of-state tuition. Further, in the last legislative session,
UNR’s state appropriation was packaged into one line, giving administrators much more flexibility
over how money is allocated on campus. A bill was even introduced which would have given NSHE
greater control over in-state tuition dollars. At the end of the last legislature session, the legislature
created an Interim Committee to Study the Funding of Higher education. This committee is tasked
with taking stock of what has been done in the recent past and to make recommendations on how the
funding process might be further revised in the next legislative session.
After several years of severe cuts in state appropriations to UNR, this campus stands at a decisive
moment in its history. The UNR faculty is committed to recovering the momentum lost by these cuts,
and sustaining this campus as a premier higher education institution. Like NSHE’s chancellor and
UNR’s president, we believe that a 21st century funding process is critical to achieving these goals.
We need a formula that rewards performance, gives institutions incentives to grow, and holds them
accountable for their actions. Tuition retention and the ability to set tuition rates will be key elements
of this revamped formula.
With this said, the UNR Faculty Senate encourages the legislature’s Interim Committee to
recommend adjustments that will be necessary to bring the NSHE system’s funding process into the
21st century. Furthermore, we endorse the efforts of our representatives to impress upon the
legislature the need for these changes. The people of the state of Nevada deserve a first-rate higher
education system. The people who work at UNR are committed to giving them this system. A
revision of the process by which higher education is funded will allow us to do so.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 2
UNR Faculty Senate Meeting
August 25, 2011
Agenda Item # 2
Link to the Consent Agenda:
http://www.unr.edu/facultysenate/meetings/11-12/Agenda/8-25-11consentpkt.doc
Consent Agenda Items
1. Request to Approve the June 9, 2011 Meeting minutes
2. Request to Approve the University Special Hearing Committee Procedures
3. Request to Approve the Learning Outcomes Document
4. Request to Approve the University Academic Promotion & Tenure Committee Members
Selection Procedure
5. Request to Approve the Faculty Senate Committee Policy
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 3
UNR Faculty Senate Meeting
August 25, 2011
Agenda Item # 7
2011-2012 Professional Development Leave Committee Election
At the election please vote for four faculty members.
Name
Holly Gatzke
Grant Mastick
George Perreault
Kimberly Rollins
Unit
COOP
COS
COE
COBA
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Name
Howard Goldbaum
Swatee Naik
Raj Siddharthan
Patricia Swager
Unit
Journalism
COS
Engineering
SOM
Page 4
University Professional Development Leave Committee Bios
Name:
Holly Gatzke
Title:
Extension Educator, Associate Professor
Department: Cooperative Extension – Lincoln County
Number of years at UNR: 6
Educational background: Ph.D. Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan.
B.S.A., Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan.
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates): none
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
Historically I worked as a research director for a national group in Canada. There my role was to get
researchers from a wide range of disciplines to view the bigger picture in order that their specialty
areas combined to work for the community as a whole. In this role I discovered the huge successes
provided by professional development activities from professors working in other institutions within a
country and especially from work in other countries. The agencies I worked for also funded research
exchange work and learned what were the successful and not so successful professional
development activities. Through my work in UNR, researchers from campus are connected to help
address the society needs in an applied capacity. This change in work environment creates great
growth. I am passionate to help UNR professional to develop through this committee.
Name:
Howard Goldbaum
Title:
Associate Professor
Department: Reynolds School of Journalism
Number of years at UNR: 8.5
Educational background: M.A. Syracuse University
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates): none
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
Chair, Faculty Senate Technology Committee
also, I recently completed a year-long sabbatical
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 5
Name:
Grant Mastick
Title:
Associate Professor, Biology
Director, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program
Department: Biology
Number of years at UNR: 13
Educational background:
1986 BS, Biology and Chemistry, Alma College, Michigan
1992 PhD, Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon
1993-1998 Postdoctoral fellow and Research Investigator, Dept Biology, University of Michigan
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates):
None.
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
April-May 1998
Science and Technology Agency (STA) Fellow, National Institute of Neuroscience,
Tokyo, Japan
2006- 2007 Visiting Associate Professor, Queensland Brain Institute, Univ Queensland, Australia
July 2008-Dec 2008 Interim Chair, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno
1998-present International collaborations and publications with researchers in Japan, Canada, Mexico,
Germany, Brazil, UK, Australia.
Name:
Title:
Swatee Naik
Professor
Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Number of years at UNR: Sixteen
Educational background:
Ph.D. in Mathematics, Indiana University
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee: None
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:






Member of National Science Foundation Review Panels for federal grants in mathematics:
2005-2011.
Referee for several research journals in mathematics.
Reviewer of books and research articles for the American Mathematical Society (37 reviews on
MathSciNet, see http://0-www.ams.org.innopac.library.unr.edu/mathscinet/).
Department Chair (Wrote supporting letters for sabbatical applications), 2007-08.
Recipient of a sabbatical leave at UNR, 2003-4, 2010-11.
Recipient of a National Science Foundation research grant, joint with C. Herald and S. Jabuka,
2007-11.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 6
Name:
George Perreault
Title:
Professor
Department:
Educational Leadership
Number of years at UNR:
13
Educational background:
PhD, University of New Mexico 1979
MEd, University of Massachusetts 1972
BA, Boston College 1963
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates): N/A
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
Scholarly expertise: 5 books published, one under contract; numerous journal articles
Extensive experience with creative writing: 3 books published; numerous journal publications
Received sabbatical from UNR, spring 2009; fellowship from National Endowment for the
Humanities; several awards and residencies for poetry
Name:
Kimberly Rollins
Title:
Associate Professor
Department: Economics
Number of years at UNR: 10 (as of April 2012)
Educational background:
PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison 1990
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates): none
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination: While as a
faculty member at the University of Guelph, took sabbatical for professional development at Duke
University’s Nicholas School for the Environment 1998-1999
Name:
Raj V. Siddharthan
Title:
Professor
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Number of years at UNR: 27
Educational background:
Ph.D.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 7
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates):
I served twice (two 3-yr terms) in this committee (circa 1994 and 2004?) and once I was the chair.
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
I applied three times for sabbatical leave and was approved every time. All three times I was invited
to spend my leave at a host institution. The institutions visited on those sabbaticals are: MIT (1992),
Royal Military Institute, Canada (1999), and Livermore National Lab (2007)
Name:
Patricia Swager
Title:
NGEC Director
Department: School of Medicine
Number of years at UNR: 17
Educational background: Bachelor of Science in accounting, Master of Education with an emphasis
in health education, and Certificate in Gerontology from UNLV
Past service on the Professional Development Leave Committee (please indicate dates): None
Brief summary of other service or experiences that you think support your nomination:
2009 to 2011
Division of Health Sciences Courses and Curriculum Committee, member
2009-2010
Search Committee, member (Sanford Center for Aging Director)
2008 to 2011
Salaries and Benefits Committee, member
2004 to 2008
Faculty Senate, member
2002 to present Interdisciplinary Gerontology Curriculum Committee, member; Curriculum Review
Sub-committee, member (2003 to present); Gerontology Showcase Subcommittee, member (2003 to 2004)
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 8
UNR Faculty Senate Meeting
August 25, 2011
Agenda Item # 8
Faculty Senate
Research and Grants Committee
2010-11 Year-End Report
Submitted by: Roberto C. Mancini
Date submitted: April 14, 2011
Committee Membership
First
Sharon
Patrick
John
Valentin
Jeffrey
Bill
Evan
Yanyao
Roberto
Chris
Madeleine
Wilfred
Last
Brush
Colegrove
Cushman
Deaconu
Englin
Evans
Fulton
Jiang
Mancini
Pritsos
Sigman-Grant
Williams
Dept
B&P
Lib
BMB
Math
RECO
HDFS
So Ext
ME
Physics
Nutrition
So. Ext
Psych
Unit
CLA
LIB
CABNR
COS
CABNR
DHS
COOP
EN
COS
DHS
COOP
CLA
Committee Annual and Standing Charges
Purpose: The Research and Grants Committee monitors university policies and offices that
significantly affect the ability of faculty to compete for external funding, conduct high-quality research,
and publish research results. The committee studies the best practices of our aspirant institutions,
and makes recommendations to improve the university’s research capacity.
Standing Charges:
1. Develop strategies to implement the recommendations adopted by the Faculty Senate over the
past three years. Report on the implementation status of these recommendations, and assess
whether any of the recommendations should be modified or dropped.
2. Make recommendations on the future status, organization, structure, and charges of the RGC.
Consider whether the committee is necessary and effective, and how it could be improved.
3. Upon request by the Executive Board, review any proposals affecting RGC objectives, and
report recommendations to the Executive Board within six weeks after receipt of any request
for review.
4. Upon request by the Executive Board, serve as a sounding board for the Executive Board for
issues related to RGC charges and objectives.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 9
5. Appoint a liaison from the RGC to the Institutional Review Board Executive Committee.
Identify other campus committees with similar missions, and appoint liaisons as appropriate to
facilitate communication between these committees and the Faculty Senate. Recommend
strategies for improving communication between RGC, the OHRP office and IRB panels, the
Office of Sponsored Project Administration, and other relevant campus committees.
Additional Charges:
6. Communicate with F&A review committee, be aware of what this committee is doing, and
provide feedback and input.
Detailed Committee Activity

Research and findings
1. The Vice President for Research (VPR) Dr. Marsha Read is holding regular, periodic
meetings to receive feedback and input with College representatives in the area of
research as well as faculty members involved in research. This is in response to a
previous recommendation made by the RGC.
2. Current, research funding of the University is about $100,000,000 and the ICR rate is
41% (up from 40.5%).
3. Staffing of the VPR’s office is small but adequate. The situation is more critical with the
staffing of OSPA. The OSPA office has had several changes over the last few years,
including changes in Directors. At the moment, the interim Director of OSPA is Dr. R.
Bjur. The VPR is considering hiring a new, permanent Director but this is uncertain
given the budget problems.
4. Travel grants for faculty to attend professional meetings and conferences are available
from the VPR’s office. They are $300 for domestic travel and $700 for international
travel. These are modest contributions but still helpful.
5. The Junior Faculty Research Awards has been suspended for three years now. These
grants used to be of up to $10,000. It is very unfortunate that budget problems prevent
these grants from being awarded again.
6. The VPR is considering small grants, in the range from $2,500 to $5,000, in order to
provide seed funding to support for new research initiatives.
7. According to the VPR the pool of funding for start-ups has been reasonable in the last
few years.
8. Dr. J. Hayes is chairing the committee in charge of reviewing the current formula for the
distribution of the indirect-cost-recovery (ICR). At the writing of this report, the ICR
committee has not yet finished its work and produced final recommendations. However,
Dr. Hayes shared with us some of the ideas that the ICR committee is considering and
discussing.
9. The ICR committee is considering a recommendation to request the addition of three
more staff members to the OSPA office to help and speed up proposal processing and
submission, and grant processing paperwork.
10. The ICR committee is considering a recommendation to establish a University strategic
research fund to stimulate and support strategic initiatives in research.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 10
11. Accordingly, the ICR committee is also considering a recommendation to establish a
University Research Advisory Council to advise the VPR on how to use the strategic
research fund.
12. The University strategic research fund could be funded with up to 10% of a future,
revised ICR distribution formula.
13. The ICR committee is also considering a recommendation to increase the College
percentage of ICR distribution.
14. There are no plans to establish a pool of bridge funding to help faculty who are
transitioning from one source of funding to another, or who temporarily (i.e. short period
of time) lose their funding.
15. There are no plans to establish a pool of leave funding for research faculty whose
appointments are soft-money funded from research grants and contracts.

Recommendations (if applicable)
1. The RCG committee recommends the use of an online electronic filing and processing
system, including electronic signatures, in the OSPA office for the processing of proposal
and research grant/contract paperwork. This will modernize and help to speed up the
business of the OSPA office. Most (external) proposal submission today is done
electronically, but our internal workings are not yet up to this standard.
2. The RCG committee recommends the use of an online electronic filing and processing
system in the University Travel Department for the processing and execution of travel
requests and refunds. This will help to expedite University travel procedures in general and,
in particular, those required by research activities such as conference and professional
meeting travelling as well as travel to perform experiments in national facilities and out-ofcampus laboratories.
3. The RCG committee recommends the use of an online electronic filing and processing
system in the University Purchasing Department for the processing and execution of
purchases. This will help to expedite University purchasing procedures in general and, in
particular, all purchase related with research funded by grants and contracts.
4. The RCG committee recommends that the VPR’s office re-establish the practice of
annual Junior Faculty Research Awards. This additional source of funding and support for
junior faculty was important in the past and current, promising young faculty should be able
to benefit from it.
5. The RCG committee recommends that the University set up a pool of bridge funding the
help faculty active on research who temporarily lose funding or as they transition from one
source of funding to another. At the moment, the University offers no back up to the “upsand-downs” of research, soft-money funding. Such a fund would have an important impact
on graduate students and post-doctoral research associates who are fully supported by and
dependent on research grants and contracts.
6. The RCG committee recommends that the University establish a pool of leave funding
for research faculty whose appointments are soft-money funded from research grants and
contracts. The University is lagging behind in several aspects that are relevant for softmoney research faculty. The lack of a leave-pool prevents research faculty who
significantly contribute to the research enterprise in campus from pursuing professional
development.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 11
UNR Faculty Senate Meeting
August 25, 2011
Informational Items
The following UAM Revisions were approved by the Executive Board.
Link to the Informational Document for UAM Revisions:
http://www.unr.edu/facultysenate/meetings/11-12/Agenda/Info_Items(UAM%20Revisions).doc
2,505 Faculty Policies
2,904 Teaching and Research Assistants
2,682 Faculty Leave for National & International Awards
Courses & Curriculum Table
Student Services Report to Faculty Senate
August 5, 2011
Submitted by Shannon Ellis, Vice President for Student Services
The Welcome Center
A newly remodeled first floor area of the Crowley Student Union is now open to welcome prospective
students, families, and university guests. Prospective students gather here to begin their university
tour and learn about the university. Campus media clips, photos and print material are available for
review by all. Over 2,000 campus tours were led this year by the University’s Student Ambassadors,
a volunteer student organization of nearly one hundred students. Members of the faculty senate are
encouraged to come by and take a tour.
MyNevada
Fall 2011 marks the full implementation of the new student information system, PeopleSoft. The
student and faculty portal has been named MyNevada. Students access registration, academic
history, transfer credit, financial aid awards and billing information through MyNevada. Features such
as checklists and communications facilitate timely correspondence to students regarding important
information supporting their enrollment. The new version of degree audit, named the Academic
Advising module in PeopleSoft will be live in mid-September. Faculty will access their class lists
through MyNevada and Academic Advisors will view student information through the Advisor Center.
Training is currently under way and will continue.
Freshmen Advanced Registration
New freshmen admitted for fall 2011 who accepted their admission by May 1 were placed into their
first semester classes by the Office of Admissions and Records. This was done in close collaboration
with the college advisors and consistent with the recommended first year program of study for each
major. Over 2,000 new freshmen were registered through this program. Students were asked to
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 12
accept their schedules through an advanced registration fee deposit that applied to the total fees
owed.
New freshmen met their academic advising requirement through attendance at their advising session
at New Student Orientation. Students were able to change their schedules as needed with the help
of their advisor. Admissions and Records staff assisted students with schedule change activity on the
second day of Orientation. Over 2,700 students will have attended New Student Orientation by the
time this report is filed.
The Freshmen Class
The freshmen class is expected to number approximately 3,000. At the time of this report, students
are still in the process of attending new Student Orientation and registering for fall. Preliminary
enrollment figures will be available mid-September.
Due to the high demand for on-campus housing this fall, we began the first ever waiting list in late
June, even after assigning Juniper Hall as doubles and three students to a room in Argenta. By
creating temporary assignments in lounges and RA rooms, we anticipate assigning all students who
have applied for housing and are eligible for an assignment, even those on the waiting list. Housing
occupancy for Fall 2009 was 1,700, but jumped to 2,150 for Fall 2010. We will be housing over 2,250
students for Fall 2011.
Increased National Merit Awardees and Presidential Scholars
Thirteen new National Merit recipients will join our freshman class for fall 2011. The total number of
National Merit students attending Nevada this fall is estimated to be 50. National Merit students
qualify with high academic index scores and represent the brightest high school graduates. UNR is
the state’s only National Merit sponsoring institution. National Merit designation places UNR into a
higher level academically on par with other well known, elite universities throughout the country.
The Presidential Scholar freshman class for the 2011-2012 year continues to grow. The entering
Presidential Scholar freshman class is estimated to be 73 students. Our entering freshmen
Presidential Scholars will join other participants in the program for a total of 165 scholars for the
2011-2012 academic year.
Students awarded in this category demonstrated a minimum high school un-weighted cumulative
GPA of a 3.50 or better AND either an ACT score of 31 or better or a combined math and verbal SAT
score of 1,360 or better. To maintain the scholarship over four years of undergraduate study,
students must earn a minimum of a 3.50 UNR GPA and 30 UNR credits annually.
Increase in FAFSA Filers
We have experienced a substantial increase in the number of students completing the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In the 2009-2010 school year, we received 13,921; in
the 2010-2011 school year, we received 17,292; and thus far for the 2011-2012 school year, we have
received 16,318 FAFSA’s. We will continue to receive applications throughout the school year. We
are estimating that we will surpass 20,000 by the end of the academic year. This upward trend
continues to demonstrate increased financial need in these economic times.
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 13
Increase in Pack Advantage and Federal Aid Recipients
The Pack Advantage program assists low-income students with college affordability. Those students
who apply for financial aid by March 1 and who are Pell Grant eligible, by federal need standards,
may receive up to $3,000 per semester in gift aid.
The university has seen an increase in the number of Federal Pell Grant recipients. In fall 2010, we
had 3,333 Pell Grant recipients of which 775 were freshmen. We are projecting a total of 4,000
recipients for the academic year with 950 being freshmen. Around 9, 200 students have been
awarded need-based financial aid thus far. Approximately, 13,000 students are expected to receive
aid for the 2011-2012 school year.
Constructing the Living Learning Community Residence Hall
The 320-bed living learning community residence hall currently under construction is anticipated to be
completed during the summer 2012. Our living learning community will be an academically rich
residential setting that includes faculty participation and academic as well as cultural programs,
academic advising, mentoring and on-site classes. Freshmen in the same areas of study will live
together and take some classes together in the building where they also live.
The building design promotes faculty interaction, classroom learning, group study and out of class
dialogue that deepens the learning experience for our students. Faculty offices and classrooms will
be on the first floor of the hall. The four floors above are designed with study lounges and libraries for
every 18 to 20 residents.
The value of a specifically designed and constructed living learning community is:
 deeper academic engagement by students in and out of the classroom
 stronger academic and social connections to campus
 a more integrated faculty experience with offices and classrooms in the living learning
community
 a more meaningful UNR experience resulting in higher rates of retention and graduation
 the ability to expand living learning communities to all colleges and many more academic
programs
 a setting that is more conducive to seminars, discussions outside the classroom, use of faculty
office hours where students live, resulting in seamless learning
This building will be a signature program for the University of Nevada, Reno. We will be the only
higher education institution in the state to have such a facility which will clearly attract the best and
brightest students along with engaged faculty to UNR.
Our current living learning communities include: Women in Science and Engineering, Honors
Residential Scholars, Arts, Business, Education, Engineering, Journalism, Pre-Nursing and First
Year.
MAP-Works
MAP-Works (Making Achievement Possible) will again be implemented for the third year. MAP-Works
is an on-line retention tool that assists faculty and staff to identify students at risk of leaving UNR.
Last year we had an 80% participation rate amongst the first year students. This provided participants
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 14
and campus users with a wealth of information about student’s transition to the University, their
opportunities for success and their areas of challenge. The new Alert Only feature allowed for
individual faculty to place an Alert when a first year student was facing challenges, enabling others on
campus to reach out to the student to help develop an effective solution. For the 2011-2012
academic year, the MAP-Works program is being expanded to include sophomore students to also
take the surveyed and Alert Only status for all undergraduates. These two enhancements will allow
for more awareness of success and challenges within students’ lives, along with providing
intervention opportunities throughout campus.
Advisement added to summer New Student Orientation
“Directions”, the orientation program for new students continued in the multi-day, small group format
throughout the summer. For 2011 we included the mandatory academic advising portion of the
program on Day One and Day Two of this two-day program. This allowed students to meet with their
individual advising college and identify the recommended course of study for their first year.
Orientation workshops included sessions on Academic skills and support (Tutoring Center, Math
Center and Writing Center); Healthy Lifestyles (Health Center, Counseling Services, and Lombardi
Recreation); and Campus Safety (Campus policies and Campus police). Additionally, the “What it
Means to be a NEVADA Student” workshop was continued and included references to athletics,
campus events and academic achievement and the “Real Life, Real Situations” workshop tackled
tough campus issues such as alcohol and drug use, poor academic performance, and civility in and
out of the classroom. A parent orientation program was also offered during this same timeframe,
covering many of the same topics, but in a different format that better met parent needs.
As of the first of August, 2,400 students and over 1,000 parents had attended one of the sessions,
and an additional 600 students and 200 parents are still scheduled to come to the final summer
session.
Successful Textbook rental implementation
To give students an alternative to purchasing textbooks, the ASUN Bookstore partnered with
Chegg.com to provide a textbook rental option. Renting textbooks can save students time and
money and also benefits the bookstore through a revenue-sharing agreement. Chegg.com serves
students on 6,400 campuses nationwide and offers access to more than 4.2 million titles.
Approximately 1,400 University of Nevada, Reno students are using Chegg Textbook Rentals.
Chegg has purchased over 35% of our textbook titles for rent and hope to grow this to 50% by year’s
end.
Bookstore implements off-the-shelf rental program for Fall 2011
To give students the ability to rent a textbook right off the shelf instead of having their rental textbooks
shipped to them. Nebraska Book Company has over 250 of the ASUN Bookstores textbook titles for
rent. Once again, we are bringing another textbook rental option to students in an effort to save
money. Most of these titles tend to be freshman level classes.
Impact of further reductions in state funding
The division continued to significantly reduce its state budget for a third year in a row. In addition to
the 20% and 4% reductions in 2009 and 2010, state funding was cut by an additional 17.5%
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 15
beginning July 1, 2011. The three years of reductions total 2.3 million state dollars. This equals 39.5
state-funded positions (27.5 administrative faculty and 12 classified) as well as more than 43 student
jobs, and the elimination of programs and services and related operating and travel. The most recent
reductions eliminated one of three units that comprise the division (student success services) which
meant an associate vice president and her immediate staff will not be replaced. The former SSS
directors will report to the two remaining associate vice presidents of enrollment services and student
life services. Working with the reduction in staff from prior years in our division and across campus
has definitely resulted in more workload and regrettable inefficiencies as we work to provide quality
service to our students and other stakeholders. The booming enrollment of our undergraduate
student population places an additional challenge before us as we strive to be an exemplary division.
Freshmen Retention
The most recent fall-to-fall retention rate for all new freshmen entering fall 2009 and returning fall
2010 was 78.3%.
Percent
entering
fall 2009;
returning
fall 2010
78.3
77.5
63.4
Percent
entering
fall 2008;
returning
fall 2009
79.6
77.3
64.3
All new freshmen
Hispanic/Latino
Black/Non-Hispanic
American Indian/Alaska
Native
61.9
85.7
White
80.0
80.2
Unknown
100.0
81.9
Asian/Pacific Islander
(new split starting 2010)
85.0
83.3
Pacific Islander
78.2
Non-resident Alien
75.0
73.3
Multi Ethnic (new as of
2010)
84.6
(University of Nevada, Reno Institutional Analysis)
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Percent
entering
fall 2007;
returning
fall 2008
75.5
71.3
66.3
Percent
entering
fall 2006;
returning
fall 2007
78.5
78
73.9
Percent
entering
fall 2005;
returning
fall 2006
75.9
74.3
78.5
73.1
75.1
77.0
61.5
78.3
80.8
52.2
76.2
75.3
83.9
82.3
87.5
83.9
80.0
84.0
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Graduation Rates
The graduation rate for all first-time, full-time freshmen entering fall 2004 and graduating by August
2010 was 49.9%.
All first-time, fulltime freshmen
Hispanic/Latino
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Entering
2004;
graduating
by 8/10
1,065/2,133
49.9%
63/151
40.6%
Entering
2003;
graduating
by 8/09
979/2,106
46.5%
63/144
43.8%
Entering
2002;
graduating
by 8/08
1,052/2,128
49.4%
59/149
39.6%
14/24
8/22
4/30
29.8%
36.4%
13.3%
745/1,452
716/1,512
780/1,599
White
51.3%
47.4%
48.8%
124/270
88/212
47/98
Unknown
45.9%
41.5%
48%
Asian/Pacific
76/143
68/138
89/150
Islander
53.1%
49.3%
59.3%
22/39
14/25
21.37
Non-resident Alien
56.4%
56.0%
56.8%
(University of Nevada, Reno Institutional Analysis)
Entering
2001;
graduating
by 8/07
943/2,003
46.9%
61/140
45.6%
Entering
2000;
graduating
by 8/06
944/1,930
48.9%
52/130
40%
4/23
17.4%
705/1,523
46.3%
38/87
43.7%
79/131
60.3%
22/40
55.0%
8/22
36.4%
722/1,454
49.7%
39/79
49.4%
76/140
54.3%
28/49
57.1%
Successful Retention Efforts
TRiO Scholars Program:
The federally funded TRiO Scholars Program serves low income, first generation undergraduates
with an identified academic need for services such as individual tutoring, career, academic and
personal counseling, and assistance with maintaining eligibility for financial aid. The program also
provides financial aid to participants who are receiving federal Pell Grants. The average award is
approximately $1,000 per year. Ninety-six percent (96%) of the 175 students served during the 20092010 program year were retained to the 2010 fall semester and 95% of those served during the 20102011 program year were retained through the 2011spring semester. Approximately 75% of students
served are students of color. The average six-year graduation rate for participants is 50% as
compared to 23% for similar students not served by the program.
Center for Student Cultural Diversity
The Center for Student Cultural Diversity (The Center) provides underrepresented students direct
services and referrals related to academic and personal success. Center retention efforts include the
nationally recognized College Life 101 program which offers in-depth retention support for students
who want an additional level of service and grade-level programming. It involves regular meetings
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
Page 17
with center coordinators, a service-learning component, and mid-term progress reports, as well as
academic, career and financial aid advising. The Center records service requests through the use of
a Wolf card electronic swipe system and detailed record keeping at programs and activities
sponsored throughout the year. The Center accommodated 22,725 requests for retention services
during the fall 2010/spring 2011 semester.
McNair Scholars Program
The federally funded McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduate participants from
disadvantaged backgrounds who have demonstrated strong academic potential for doctoral studies
through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Academic mentors and program staff
work closely with participants as they complete their undergraduate requirements. Participants
receive guidance and encouragement to enroll in graduate programs. Progress is tracked through to
the successful completion of advanced degrees.
The goal is to increase the attainment of the Ph.D. degree by students from underrepresented
segments of society. This federal program was funded to serve 22 students during the first four -year
grant cycle; it has been funded to serve 26 students during the new five-year grant cycle that began
October 1, 2007. Scholars receive a $2,800 research stipend and paid travel to present research
results at a professional conference and to visit graduate schools. Scholars are also granted a GRE
fee waiver and graduate school application fee waivers at many participating graduate schools.
During the 2009-2010 program year, 77% of the students served were students of color and 96%
were retained or graduated.
Special Admits update at the University of Nevada, Reno
In fall 2010, 2,707 new freshmen enrolled at the University. More than 13% (365) were classified as
“special admits.” This is the lowest percent of special admits in proportion to the freshmen class in 3
years. Twenty-seven of these 365 were athletes.
The Board of Regents increased the allowable number of special admits to address their concern that
higher admissions standards implemented in 2006 and 2008 would decrease underrepresented
populations. Slightly more than 18% of fall 2010 special admits were Hispanic, 9% were Black, 3%
were American Indian and 4% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 60% were White and the remainder were
unknown ethnicity.
The most frequent reasons for being admitted under these criteria were:
1. Core coursework was completed but the GPA was between a 2.99-2.65. A 3.0 is required.
(70%). These are often Washoe or Clark County students who demonstrated academic
preparation and commitment by showing improvement in their last year of school or took extra
years of math and/or science.
2. Missing one core science class but core GPA was above a 3.0. (25%). California, Washington
and Oregon state universities do not require as much high school science as we do at Nevada.
3. Home schooled (5%).
August 25, 2011 Senate Agenda Packet
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