Nevada State University Hosts Renaming Celebration

Yesterday, Nevada State University hosted a celebration to honor the renaming of Nevada State College to Nevada State University. University President DeRionne Pollard welcomed guests with an opening remark. Additional remarks were made by Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Susie Lee, and State Senator Roberta Lange. 

Assembly Bill NO. 220 of the 70th Session of the Nevada Legislature established an advisory committee to examine the issue of locating a 4-year state college in Henderson. The advisory committee recommended naming the proposed state college the Nevada State College at Henderson. During the 82nd Nevada State Legislation this year, Senate Bill 273 was passed and signed into law by Governor Lombardo to rename Nevada State College to Nevada State University. 

Since its establishment in 2002, Nevada State University has grown to 7,200 students and has begun to offer master’s degrees. Additionally, NSU is both a Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In addition, 55% of its students are the first in their family to attend college. In 2022, it graduated its largest class ever.

Half of all bachelor’s-prepared nurses in Nevada graduated from Nevada State University in 2021. From 2010 to 2020, the university tripled its number of nursing graduates.

In a supporting letter from U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, it states that “In a comprehensive analysis of 122 institutions in the United States, a renaming from college to university increased enrollment and yield rates. Over this time, the terms “college” and “university” has shifted. Most four-year institutions use the term “university,” while “college” has become associated with community colleges.” 

The bill received a letter of support from University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) President Dr. Keith Whitfield, College of Southern Nevada (CSN) President Dr. Federico Zaragoza, and Desert Research Institute (DRI) President Dr. Kumud Acharya.

The bill was sponsored by Senators Lange, Harris, Spearman, Flores, and Hammond and Assembly Members Nguyen, Thomas, B. Miller, Monroe-Moreno, and Bilbray-Axelrod as primary sponsors and 21 other legislators as co-sponsors.