The University of Nevada, Reno’s Faculty Senate met on Thursday, Feb. 20, to discuss faculty and administrative operations on campus. 

President Marc Johnson and Provost Kevin Carman spoke first during the meeting on topics such as faculty non-tenure tracks, student housing and enrollment numbers. Faculty Senate Chair Brian Frost also discussed the monthly Chair’s Report covering issues such as University Administrative Manual policies, NSHE diversity statements and faculty award procedures.

Johnson began with comments on student housing and what current university plans are for the future. Johnson said Wolf Pack Tower will no longer be in operation in fall 2020 as the contract with Eldorado Resorts ends in the summer. He also said there will not be a Wolf Pack Tower bus every 15 minutes for student transportation.

“We’ve just contracted with a couple of new housing facilities near the campus,” Johnson said. “One is Canyon Flats—which is just south of the campus [on] Virginia and Center—that’s under construction currently. They will be done and if they’re not done, there’s something in our contract, so they’ll take care of housing for our new freshmen.”

Johnson also mentioned Uncommon Reno which will be located on the northwest side of campus. He said if the apartment contractors were unable to finish the buildings by fall semester 2020, they would be required to find housing for students until the projects are finished.

Johnson said there will no longer be a bus service for students because the apartments are closer to the university than Wolf Pack Tower. Johnson said the main source of campus dining will be the Den, as it is currently.

Nye Hall is expected to be ready for operation in fall 2020, Johnson said. Argenta is expected to be finished in fall 2021.

Johnson spoke on recent enrollment numbers to the university. He stated the university was down nearly four percent in enrollment since 2018. Johnson stated this was a national occurrence.

“We are suffering some of this national trauma over the demographics or the number of 18-year-olds coming out of high school across the nation,” Johnson said. “It is most pronounced in the Midwest and the Northeast, the least pronounced in the South and moderately printed out here in the West.”

Despite the drop in undergraduate enrollment, the number of graduate students slightly increased over recent years, Johnson said. He said because of the increase, finding funding was not yet a problem, but could potentially lead to issues funding projects in the future.

“I would anticipate having less money coming forward,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping to at least stay stable in the formula funding we get from the state… One revenue source is the fact that the funding formula is determined by the weighted student credit hours. So the way some graduate courses are higher than the weights on undergraduate courses.”
Sarah Strang can be found at sstrang@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @sarahstrang100.