UNLV's Dream of Delivering a World Class Legal Education In Serious Jeopardy

Expected state budget cuts could put UNLV's Boyd School of Law into a free-fall, causing the law school to drop out of national rankings, lose vital community legal aid programs and leave students paying much more for a lot less education according to a recent InBusiness article. "The combination of higher tuition and decreased state funding could turn the now well-regarded Boyd School into a "diploma mill," informed sources said."

Law school tuition could double, increasing from $10,300 this academic year, to $20,000 in 2011, under the Governor's proposed 14.12 percent budget cut for the next biennium (2009-2011). According to the Las Vegas Sun, the law school's night program and other offerings are in serious jeopardy.

University-wide 500 fewer classes will be offered at UNLV this academic year. Nearly 100 employees recently learned they were losing their jobs, many due to the 4.5 percent budget cut in the State's current biennium. The proposed 14.12 percent budget cut, which is designed to balance the State budget, would cost $60 million in biennial cuts for UNLV ($30 million per year).

The University has launched a budget update website. In a recent memo, distributed to the press by the chancellor of Nevada’s public college system, UNLV Executive Vice President and Provost Neal Smatresk wrote: “UNLV remains committed to offering its students a world class education, but its ability to deliver the dream is in serious jeopardy.” [JH]