The Invent the Future campaign is UNLV's first major comprehensive fundraising effort. Get answers to frequently asked questions about the campaign by clicking on the links below.
Why is UNLV running a campaign? Doesn't the state support UNLV?
Nevada provides approximately 32 percent of UNLV's budget. This funding percentage has decreased in the past decade, largely due to UNLV's rapid growth in student enrollment. Although the state provided more actual dollars to UNLV in that 10-year period, the university's budget also increased greatly because enrollment grew by 35 percent.
The state has done a good job in providing resources to UNLV. At the same time, the outlook for the future is clear: The state will never be able to increase its support of UNLV enough to fully meet even basic needs, much less provide excellent programs.
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Who decided on the campaign goals and priorities?
In 2002, the campus community engaged in a comprehensive planning process to determine its goals and priorities for the future. All campus departments participated, and final plans were endorsed by the president, deans, and university planning council.
This strategic plan calls for the recruitment and retention of top-tier faculty and students, the acceleration of research priorities that serve the region and attract national recognition, and greater links between the campus and community.
From 2002 - fall 2005, the vice presidents and deans worked with their units to identify more specific funding priorities to help the university reach these goals. They chose targeted areas where private support can make the biggest impact in their programs — and those became the campaign-funding priorities.
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What are the goals and priorities of the campaign?
The broad goals of the campaign are to:
- Enhance the quality of education and research activities.
- Raise UNLV's public profile and academic reputation.
- Broaden alumni support and participation, and involve more people in the life of the university.
- Strengthen UNLV's ability to impact economic development.
- Increase the fundraising resources and, as a result, the strength of UNLV.
The campaign is a "comprehensive" campaign, meaning every dollar raised for all UNLV programs will count in the campaign. That means all donors who make gifts to UNLV, including those who make restricted-program gifts as well as all-important unrestricted annual gifts, are helping UNLV meet its campaign goals.
The funding priorities are to:
- Create endowments for academic operations and faculty chairs.
- Strengthen academic excellence through scholarships and fellowships.
- Build new facilities for the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.
- Renovate key older facilities such as theaters in the performing arts complex and update classrooms with high-technology features.
In order to accomplish this, UNLV must raise significant funding in the coming years.
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When did the campaign start, and when will it end?
The "counting period" for the campaign officially started January 1, 2002. From January 1, 2002, through June 30, 2004, UNLV was in the planning phase for the campaign. As of July 1, 2004, the university entered the "silent phase" — the cornerstone fundraising segment of the campaign. The public phase of the campaign began September 15, 2005 and will conclude during the university's 50th anniversary year.
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If UNLV meets its campaign goal by 2008, will all the university's needs be met?
Not at all. In the strategic planning process, university officials identified $2.7 billion in needs. Still, the campaign will provide a good base of funds to help the university's most critical areas.
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Why does UNLV need scholarship money? Can't all Millennium Scholars get free tuition?
Millennium Scholars receive grants of $2,500 per year; undergraduate tuition on average costs $3,270 annually, so there is an immediate shortfall for students. When you also add in the expense of books (approximately $1,000 per year), student fees (at least $262 per year), and room and board ($8,260), you can see why students need additional scholarship funds. Plus, UNLV recruits the best and brightest Nevada high school students, and merit-based scholarships attract them to attend the university in their own community.
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What are endowments, and why does UNLV need them?
An endowment is a sum of money that is invested in perpetuity. The interest earned by the principal provides a predictable funding source for equipment, development, supplies, etc. At UNLV, spendable interest from endowments is capped at 4.5 percent; any earnings above that amount are reinvested in the principal. Therefore, a $1 million endowment would provide $45,000 of funds every year to upgrade computers or laboratory equipment or to support student research and participation in scientific colloquia. Extra funding from endowments can make the difference between a good scholarly program and a nationally renowned academic program.
The same is true of endowments that support endowed faculty chairs or professorships. Endowed chairs and professorships underwrite many of the costs associated with a faculty position, including salary, benefits, or research assistance. Significantly increasing the number of endowed chairs gives UNLV leverage to help attract and retain faculty who are leaders in their fields.
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Why does UNLV need more buildings?
UNLV's current enrollment is more than 29,000 students, and conservative forecasts predict an enrollment of 35,000 by 2010. Plus, many campus facilities were built during a time when the university's enrollment was much smaller.
Current building projects, such as Greenspun Hall--a new facility for the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs-- and the Science and Engineering Building will provide students and faculty top-tier research and learning facilities. Thanks to generous private support, the university was able to leverage state funds for the projects.
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Why is research support important?
One of the campaign's goals is to enhance the quality and quantity of faculty and student research, which has a major impact on a university's ability to teach students and to influence the broader community. In addition to research being done by faculty members, UNLV currently has more than 50 research centers and institutes exploring issues across all disciplines. These centers and institutes investigate solutions to issues ranging from the best public policies for children, to transportation and public transit problems, to research into aging and diseases such as cancer, to conflict resolution and work force development. Research at UNLV improves the lives of Nevada's citizens in very practical ways and benefits students who gain invaluable knowledge as they help perform real-life research.
Private support for research activity is particularly important because UNLV frequently has to raise money to match funds for federal and other grants as well as to provide research support for younger faculty members and to recruit top graduate students.
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What can I do to help?
All great cities have great universities at their centers, and Las Vegas and UNLV are no exception. To ensure UNLV is as vibrant and innovative as its community, we need your help. Together, we can build a university that truly reflects and serves the Southern Nevada community. UNLV's strength is drawn from that of its campus community, friends, alumni, and supporters. Working together, we can build on past successes to achieve excellence that will help us invent the future.
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Please contact a UNLV representative from our staff list to learn more about your role in the Invent the Future campaign.
