At the helm of UNLV less than a year, university president Len Jessup delivered an emotional and upbeat state of the university speech Thursday.
Heidi Kyser, staff writer for Desert Companion, Nevada Public Radio’s city magazine, attended the speech and talked about the highlights with KNPR's State of Nevada.
According to Kyser, Jessup spent time in his speech on his push to have the university become a top tier school.
Being a Tier One school increases funding and improves attendance, but it is also improves the school's image.
"It's, for lack of a better word, a good marketing tool," Kyser said.
In the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, UNLV did not move up. But beyond that, the university has its own set of standards it is trying to hit.
Kyser said that Jessup highlighted the $75 million in new donations the school has been able to generate in the past year.
Jessup didn't link the money to the Top Tier Initiative, but it was implied, Kyser said. She said Jessup has been able to show to the community that the school has a good plan for improvements and has the full funding of the Legislature.
Jessup also talked about the big improvements going on on campus like renovation at the Thomas & Mack Center and the events center that is being added to the stadium.
He also praised the work of UNLV students, faculty and researchers who have done remarkable work in the past year, like the team that found an ancient jawbone in Africa.
Overall, Kyser said Jessup showed just how passionate he is about his job.
"He came off as an extremely compelling public speaker," she noted, "It would be hard not to really sympathized with him and believe in him after hearing this."
She said Jessup even became choked with emotion when he expressed gratitude for the position and the crowd responded with a standing ovation.
"It's hard to argue that he is not a cheerleader for the university," Kyser observed.
Heidi Kyser, staff writer, Desert Companion magazine
