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July 7, 2021

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

I hope this message finds you well and that you were able over the Fourth of July Holiday to reach out to your family and friends to enjoy time together. The fall semester will be here before we know it. Please continue to look out for one another as we prepare for the upcoming academic year.

I have exciting news to share. Recently, the Board of Trustees of Sierra ÁùºÏ±¦µä University (SNU) approved an agreement allowing Sierra ÁùºÏ±¦µä University to become part of our University. It is the first critical step in a deliberate process that requires further approvals by the ÁùºÏ±¦µä System of Higher Education Board of Regents and several key regulatory bodies. Under the agreement, the Sierra ÁùºÏ±¦µä University Incline campus would become part of the University and SNU programs and operations would be gradually merged with those of our institution.

I could not be more excited at the prospect of having Sierra ÁùºÏ±¦µä University join the Wolf Pack Family. This is a very important first step in what will be several more to come to ensure that this process will be done thoughtfully and carefully. Sierra ÁùºÏ±¦µä University’s emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking, professional preparedness, liberal arts and sustainability meld perfectly with many of the core institutional themes that are at the heart of what we offer our students as well.

SNU students will continue their studies on the SNU campus for the 2021-22 academic year and will experience very little change. SNU faculty will deliver 2021-22 academic year courses as scheduled, and athletic and extracurricular programs will continue unchanged. In consultation with, and subject to approval by, the U.S. Department of Education and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, a thoughtful integration is planned. All SNU students would be offered paths to either SNU or UNR degrees.

This is a tremendous moment to develop a multi-campus approach in solving the environmental challenges associated with Lake Tahoe’s air- and watershed, incorporating important issues such as sustainability more directly into the curriculum and developing exciting new ways to engage our students through the learning environment that is Lake Tahoe. The agreement will broaden our students’ possibilities in studying or doing research at Lake Tahoe. And, we see this as a highly innovative bridge in building meaningful relationships and engagement with the communities we serve.

The NSHE Board of Regents are scheduled to consider the agreement on July 23. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, as well as the United States Department of Education will then review the integration details to ensure student and academic program continuity. As this process continues, will keep you all informed with regular updates.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President