Feature Stories - September 2007

Nevada State College

Developing Campus of the Future

by Jennifer Rachel Baumer

It has been an historic summer for Nevada State College and all of Nevada. The Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education approved an interlocal agreement in July between Nevada State College (NSC) and the city of Henderson, which conveys 500-plus acres of federal land to the Nevada System of Higher Education and the college for educational and recreational purposes. “Not only is this historic for NSC, this is historic for higher education throughout Nevada,” said Dr. Fred Maryanski, president of NSC.

The land conveyed to the college, which focuses primarily on educating nurses and teachers, is located in the southern-most part of Henderson, in the foothills to the west of I-515. While most of the land sits vacant right now, the vision for the campus-community is taking shape quickly. Consisting of more acreage than the campuses of either the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or the University of Nevada, Reno, NSC’s master-plan features an integrated campus and town center area. In addition to the land’s official conveyance to the college, NSC has teamed with the city of Henderson and the Nevada System of Higher Education to pass an innovative piece of legislation at this past session of the Nevada Legislature. The new bill permits the Nevada System of Higher Education, NSC and the city of Henderson to create tax incentives and public financing mechanisms by establishing a new taxing area specific to the 509-acre development.