University of Nevada, Reno

University of Nevada, Reno
Motto	Omnia Pro Patria (Latin)
Motto in English	All for our Country
Established	1874
Type	Public Land-Grant
Endowment	$186 Million [1]
President	Marc Johnson (Interim)
Provost	Heather Hardy
Academic staff	999
Students	17,679 [1]
Undergraduates	14,431
Postgraduates	3,248
Location	Reno, Nevada, United States Coordinates: 39°32′45″N 119°49′00″W / 39.54583°N 119.8166667°W / 39.54583; -119.8166667
Campus	Urban 290 acres (1,200,000 m2)
Colors	Blue & Silver[2]
Athletics	NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference
Nickname	Wolf Pack
Mascot	Alphie and Wolfie Jr.
Website	http://www.unr.edu

The University of Nevada, Reno (also referred to as University of Nevada, UNR, or simply Nevada), is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA. It is the land grant institution for the state of Nevada.

The campus is home to the large-scale structures laboratory in the College of Engineering, which has put Nevada researchers at the forefront nationally in a wide range of seismological and large-scale structures testing and modeling. The Nevada Terawatt Facility, located on a satellite campus of the university, includes a terawatt-level Z-pinch machine and terawatt-class high-intensity laser system - one of the most powerful such lasers on any college campus in the country. It is home to the University of Nevada School of Medicine, with campuses in both of Nevada's major urban centers, Las Vegas and Reno, and a health network that extends to much of rural Nevada. The faculty are considered worldwide and national leaders in diverse areas such as environmental literature, journalism, Basque studies, and social sciences such as psychology.

The Carnegie Foundation ranks the University of Nevada, Reno in the Doctoral/Research University-Intensive category, which places it among the top 10 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States. This classification reflects the success in providing undergraduate students with opportunities to pursue degrees in more than 75 disciplines, and to pursue advanced degrees in a broad range of fields. Today, more than 100 graduate-degree programs are offered at the master's and doctoral level. Some of the degree programs offered by the university include journalism, biotechnology, mining, engineering, business administration, and natural sciences such as seismology.

The university is home to the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, which has produced six Pulitzer Prize winners.^[3] The school includes 16 clinical departments and five nationally recognized basic science departments.^[4] The University of Nevada is also home to the National Judicial College, founded in 1963.^[5]

History

Manzanita Lake in the southwestern part of the campus.

The University of Nevada was established by the Nevada State Constitution, and was founded in Elko, Nevada in 1874. In 1885, the University of Nevada was moved from Elko to its current home in Reno.^[6]

The University of Nevada remained the only four-year academic institution in the state of Nevada until 1965, when the Nevada Southern campus (now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) was separated to become its own university.

The University of Nevada, Reno has been affected by the national economic crisis, which resulted in the vertical cutting of several programs rather than blanket across the board cuts. The Fall 2011 semester saw the largest incoming class in the history of the University.

Precise name

There is some debate over whether the university should be called UNR or Nevada.^[7] However, some claim that since it was the first university in the state, its historical name should be its official designation, as it is in many other multi-campus public university systems such as the University of Michigan; or similar to the way the University of California's flagship campus of UC Berkeley is referred to as "Cal". Several of the university's institutions retain the institution's traditional name: "University of Nevada," including the alumni association, the student government, and the athletics department (which refers to the university's teams simply as "Nevada," a practice held since the late 1800s). When the University plays in sports against in-state rival, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the school's name is decided by the home team. When the game is held in Reno, it reads UNLV vs Nevada, however, if held in Las Vegas it reads, UNLV vs UNR.

Academics

The fountain located in the University of Nevada Honor Court

University of Nevada, Reno is ranked 181 amongst national universities nationwide as a Tier 1 University.^[8]

Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through:

Colleges College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources College of Business Administration College of Education College of Engineering College of Human and Community Sciences College of Liberal Arts College of Science University of Nevada Cooperative Extension National Judicial College

Schools Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism Graduate School Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering Orvis School of Nursing Nevada School of the Arts School of Medicine School of Public Health School of Social Work School of Social Research and Justice Studies

Centers

Nevada sponsors a center dedicated to Basque studies (Including Basque language) due to the large Basque population in northern Nevada.

In addition, the university maintains and sponsors many centers, institutes & facilities.

Libraries

The university and surrounding community is served by several campus libraries. The libraries are:

• Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center (main library). Opened on August 11, 2008 it was a $75.3 million project which began in September 2005. It replaced the Getchell library.
  • Basque Library (housed in separate section of the Knowledge Center)
• DeLaMare Library (engineering, computer science, mining, and geology)
  • Mary B. Ansari Map Library
• Savitt Medical Library
• Nell J. Redfield Learning and Resource Center (education library and resources)

Rankings and reputation

University rankings (overall)
National
Forbes[9]	221
U.S. News & World Report[10]	181
Washington Monthly[11]	235

Within the College of Business at the University of Nevada, the part-time MBA program is ranked 21st in the United States by BusinessWeek as of 2009.^[12]

Campus

An older picture showing part of the campus in the foreground

The campus is located just north of downtown Reno overlooking Truckee Meadows and the downtown casinos.

Early construction

The university's first building, Morrill Hall, was completed in 1887 and still stands on the historic quad at the campus' southern end. The hall is named after U.S. Senator Justin Morrill, author of the 1862 Land-Grant College Act.^[13]

Lincoln Hall (all-male residence) and Manzanita Hall (all-female residence) were both opened in 1896.

The Quad

The Quad is located in the southern part of the campus, surrounded by Morrill Hall and the Mackay School of Mines. This quadrangle is modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s at the University of Virginia. The northern end of the Quad contains a statue of John William Mackay (namesake of Nevada's Mackay School of Mines, later renamed the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering), created by Mount Rushmore designer Gutzon Borglum. The Quad and the original campus buildings surrounding it have a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

View of the Quad, looking north

Arboretum

Across the campus of the university exists the University of Nevada, Reno Arboretum, which was established in 1985, contains a collection of trees, shrubs, flowers, ornamentals and native flora, including over 60 genera and about 200 species of trees, many with several cultivars present. Thirty-six mature elm trees line the Quad.

Mackay Stadium

Main article: Mackay Stadium

The football team plays at Mackay Stadium, The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1965 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 29,993.

Residential Life

The University Of Nevada, Reno offers a variety of options to students who are willing to stay on-campus. There are 8 different resident halls which comprise living learning communities and substance free halls. The living learning communities houses students of similar academic interests.

Sustainability

Since its creation in the Fall of 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno's Sustainability Committee has been gathering information on various aspects of campus sustainability and beginning the development of a plan for creating a more sustainable campus.^[14] A lot of efforts are made towards recycling and keeping the campus green. Many University buses run on bio-diesel fuels. The bicycle program has seen a significant increase in the number of bicycle users. The University's Food Services has made a commitment of 1% of the meal plan revenue to go towards funding sustainable initiatives on campus.^[15] In order to reduce energy use, UNR has installed solar panels on the Joe Crowley Student Union and built its first LEED accredited building.^[16] The University of Nevada, Reno has been ranked among the nation's most sustainable colleges,^[17] receiving an overall grade of "B+" on the Sustainable Endowment Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2010.^[18]

Student government

Associated Students of the University of Nevada

The Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) is made up of every undergraduate student at the University of Nevada and provides a vehicle, through elected officials, to voice student concerns. The ASUN was founded as the Athletic Association in 1898 and is composed of an Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch of ASUN consists of the following student body officers - President and Vice President - elected by the undergraduate student body. Appointed members include the Director of Programming, Director of Clubs and Organizations, Director of Traditions, Director of Campus Unity, Director of Legislative Affairs, Presidential Assistant on Public and Campus Relations, Attorney General, and Chief of Staff. The Senate of the Associated Students was established in 1933. The Senate is led by the Speaker of the Senate, and is the official voice of the undergraduate students on decisions regarding campus policies, programming, and money spent by the student government on student support services. The senate consists of 22 senators elected from each of the academic schools and colleges. ASUN

Graduate Student Association

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) represents the graduate student population at the University of Nevada. The GSA consists of 25 Council Members and a 3 member Executive Council. The Council Members are elected from all of the colleges and schools throughout the university with graduate programs. The Executive Council includes the GSA President, Vice President of Internal Affairs, and Vice President of External Affairs, which are elected by the GSA Council Members.

Athletics

Further information: Nevada Wolf Pack

Nevada Wolf Pack logo

Though often referred to as UNR within the state, the university prefers to be called simply Nevada for athletics purposes. Its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack (always two words). They participate in the NCAA's Division I (FBS for football) and in the Western Athletic Conference.

Men's basketball

Further information: Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball

In March 2004, the Wolf Pack Men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. The team earned a repeat trip in 2005 and beat Texas in the first round before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois. The team returned for 2006 as a #5 seed but was upset in the first round by former Big Sky Conference rival Montana. They began the 2006-07 season ranked #24. The Pack's major star during this recent period of success was Nick Fazekas. In 2007, Nevada was ranked #9 in men's basketball, which is the highest ranking that Nevada has ever held. Coach Mark Fox took over after Trent Johnson left in 2004 to coach at Stanford University. On April 3, 2009 it was announced that David Carter would replace Fox who decided to leave Nevada for the same position at the University of Georgia.

Football

Further information: Nevada Wolf Pack football

The football team, currently coached by College Football Hall of Famer Chris Ault, plays at Mackay Stadium. The modern Mackay Stadium was completed in 1965 with a seating capacity of 7,500. The facility has been expanded several times in the last 15 years and now seats 29,993. In 2005, Nevada won a share of the WAC Title. The 2010 season saw Nevada at its best finishing the season ranked #11 in the AP and #13 in the BCS, stunning Boise State 34-31 and costing the Broncos a possible shot at the BCS title, to win another share of the WAC Title.

Other

Further information: Nevada Wolf Pack

Other successes have come in boxing (four collegiate champion teams), rifle shooting, baseball, women's soccer and softball, swimming and diving, rugby and lacrosse.

Rivalries

Annually, Nevada's football team plays its primary rival, UNLV, for the Fremont Cannon in the Battle for Nevada. Nevada currently enjoys a 22-15 lead in the series, after beating UNLV in 2011, 37-0, in Reno, for the seventh straight year. Nevada also plays UNLV once a year in basketball, with UNLV currently leading the series 51-19. Nevada's two out-of-state rivals, particularly in football, are Boise State and Fresno State. Boise State is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, and Fresno State and Nevada will move there in 2012, which will intensify the Nevada-UNLV rivalry as UNLV is also in the MWC.

Mascot

The Wolf Pack's mascot is an anthropomorphized wolf named Alphie, who took over the duties of cheering from his uncle, Wolfie, in 1999. In 2007, Alphie was joined by his younger brother, Wolfie Jr.

Conference affiliations

Nevada has been a member of the WAC since 2000. Nevada will join the Mountain West starting in 2012.[2]

Previous conference memberships include:

• 1992-99 - Big West
• 1979-92 - Big Sky (swapped conference affiliations with Gonzaga University, which has been without football since 1941)
• 1969-79 - West Coast Athletic - (independent for football)
• 1954-1968 - Northern California Athletic Conference

[3]

Student media

Nevada's editorially independent, weekly student newspaper is called The Nevada Sagebrush. It comes out every Tuesday afternoon, and employs more than 40 people, 25 full-time. Prior to 2004, the newspaper called itself simply the Sagebrush.

The newspaper won the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker award in 2008 and 2009.^[19] It was also a finalist for a Pacemaker at the 2006 and 2007 ACP student journalism awards. It has won the best of show award at the fall 2005, 2006 and 2007 ACP national conferences in its category (weekly broadsheet at a four-year university). It was also nominated for an online ACP Pacemaker in 2008. It's new web site, [www.nevadasagebrush.com], which launched in the fall of 2007, has also been recognized by the Center for Innovation in College Media for it breaking news packages, podcasts, videos and general innovation and Web presence. Many of The Nevada Sagebrush's former editors go on to work and take internships at newspapers and news organizations such as The Washington Post, The Oregonian, USA Today, The Miami Herald, The Arizona Republic and the Associated Press as well as dozens of local newspapers around the country.

Insight Magazine is the only student-run magazine at the University of Nevada, Reno. Formerly Nevada's yearbook for nearly 100 years, Insight Magazine, has evolved into the second major publication circulating at the university. The first edition of Insight Magazine was published in September 2008. It presents itself as a theme-based monthly magazine, providing photography, stories and graphics, in contrast to the weekly, newspaper-style of The Sagebrush. It is put out both in print and online. The online version, UNRINSIGHT.com, provides both support for the published stories and independent content.

In its sophomore year, Insight Magazine has received national attention from major college media organizations, such as the Associated College Press and the College Media Advisers. Insight placed fifth for headline presentation in Best of Collegiate Design 2009 by the "College Media Advisers". At the 2009 ACP Conference in Austin, Texas, Insight placed fifth in Best of Show for an audio podcast.

Nevada's literary arts journal Brushfire was created by a group of students in 1950. It is released once a semester and publishes original poetry, literature, and art by students and some faculty and community members.

The university is also home to a student-run radio station, Wolf Pack Radio. The station broadcasts primarily through its website, although it comes through at 1700 AM. Starting in the Fall 2010 semester, Nevada broadcast journalism students started "Wolf Pack Week," a 30-minute television newscast that is shown around campus. Future episodes will air on PBS in Reno and Las Vegas.

There are other independent student publications on campus (although they have stopped publishing regularly since 2006), including The Nevada Blue and the Pack Patriot.

Greek life

Interfraternity Council Alpha Epsilon Pi, (ΑΕΠ) Alpha Tau Omega, (ΑΤΩ) Lambda Chi Alpha, (ΛΧΑ) Nu Alpha Kappa, (ΝΑΚ) Nu Phi, (NΦ) Phi Delta Theta, (ΦΔΘ) Pi Kappa Phi, (ΠΚΦ) Sigma Alpha Epsilon, (ΣΑΕ) Sigma Nu, (ΣΝ) Sigma Phi Epsilon, (ΣΦΕ) Tau Kappa Epsilon, (ΤΚΕ)

Panhellenic Council Delta Delta Delta, (ΔΔΔ) Delta Gamma, (ΔΓ) Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ) Pi Beta Phi, (ΠΒΦ) Sigma Kappa, (ΣΚ)

Multicultural Greek Council Alpha Kappa Psi,[20] (AKΨ) Alpha Phi Gamma (colony) Delta Sigma Pi, (ΔΣΠ) Delta Sigma Theta, (ΔΣΘ) Kappa Alpha Psi Lambda Phi Xi, (ΛΦΞ) Lambda Psi Rho, (ΛΨΡ) Nu Alpha Kappa Phi Beta Sigma Sigma Omega Nu

Former Fraternities & Sororities

• Alpha Tau Omega, suspended for two years, until 2010, "student conduct office found ATO guilty of hazing pledge members during recruitment last semester^[21] "
• Pi Kappa Alpha, university charter revoked, new rushing member "Albert Santos drowned in Manzanita Lake."

Notable alumni & faculty

Main article: List of people associated with the University of Nevada, Reno

Film history

The University of Nevada's classically-styled campus has served as the setting for many movies, including:^[22]

• Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
• Margie (1946)
• Apartment for Peggy (1948)
• Mother Is a Freshman (1949)
• Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
• Hilda Crane (1956)

See also

• Black Rock Press - University of Nevada, Reno

References

1. ^ "Nevada News | University of Nevada, Reno". Unr.edu. 2010-09-08. http://www.unr.edu/nevadanews/templates/details.aspx?articleid=5530&zoneid=15. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
2. ^ "Fonts and Colors". University of Nevada, Reno. http://www.unr.edu/im/policies/fonts-and-colors. Retrieved 16 July 2011. 
3. ^ http://journalism.unr.edu/about-us/
4. ^ "University of Nevada School of Medicine". Medicine.nevada.edu. http://www.medicine.nevada.edu/. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
5. ^ "The NJC Experience". Judges.org. 1978-01-01. http://www.judges.org/about.html. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
6. ^ "Discover Nevada: History, stats, and highlights". University of Nevada, Reno. http://www.unr.edu/discover-nevada/university-history. Retrieved 2 August 2011. 
7. ^ Demeritt, Clint (2007-09-25). "The coming of the comma". The Nevada Sagebrush. http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2007/09/25/the-coming-of-the-comma/. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
8. ^ "University of Nevada-Reno - Best College - Education - US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. 2011-09-13. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-nevada-2568. Retrieved 2011-09-15. 
9. ^ "America's Best Colleges". Forbes. 2011. http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/. Retrieved October 6, 2011. 
10. ^ "National Universities Rankings". America's Best Colleges 2012. U.S. News & World Report. September 13, 2011. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges. Retrieved September 25, 2011. 
11. ^ "The Washington Monthly National University Rankings". The Washington Monthly. 2011. http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2011/national_university_rank.php. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 
12. ^ "Best Part-Time MBA | Graduate Programs | College of Business | University of Nevada, Reno". Business.unr.edu. http://www.business.unr.edu/grad/part-time-program/index.html. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
13. ^ Straka, Thomas (2009 November). "Ten things you didn't know about: Land-grant universities". Nevada Silver & Blue. http://www.unr.edu/silverandblue/archive/2009/fall/NSB_Fall_2009_WEB_36.pdf. Retrieved 2 August 2011. 
14. ^ "Sustainability Committee Information". University of Nevada-Reno. http://www.unr.edu/sustainability/committee/index.html. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
15. ^ "Campus Sustainability: Food". University of Nevada- Reno. http://environment.unr.edu/sustainability/campus-life/food.html. Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
16. ^ "Campus Sustainability: Energy". University of Nevada- Reno. http://environment.unr.edu/sustainability/energy/index.html. Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
17. ^ "Nevada News | University of Nevada, Reno". Unr.edu. 2009-10-07. http://www.unr.edu/nevadanews/templates/details.aspx?articleid=5202&zoneid=13. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
18. ^ "College Sustainability Report Card 2010". Sustainable Endowments Institute. http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2010/schools/university-of-nevada-reno. Retrieved 2009-10-14. 
19. ^ "Nevada Sagebrush nominated for Pacemaker award". Reynolds School of Journalism. University of Nevada, Reno. http://journalism.unr.edu/latestnews/app-news/0/185/nevada-sagebrush-nominated-for-pacemaker-award/. Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
20. ^ "Psi Phi chapter installs at University of Nevada - Reno - Alpha Kappa Psi". Akpsi.org. http://www.akpsi.org/news/25818/Psi-Phi-chapter-installs-at-University-of-Nevada---Reno.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
21. ^ Chase, Rebecca (2008-02-19). "ATO found guilty of hazing". The Nevada Sagebrush. http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2008/02/19/ato-found-guilty-of-hazing/. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
22. ^ "Campus on the Hill: A walking tour of the University of Nevada". Delamare.unr.edu. http://www.delamare.unr.edu/CampusOnAHill/. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website
• Official website for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension