Dear University Community, 

This Friday, we’ll gather as a UNLV family to remember and reflect on that tragic day one year ago that will go down as the darkest point in our university’s history. 

But as we assemble to solemnly memorialize our colleagues, teachers, and mentors lost on Dec. 6, 2023 – professors Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez, and Naoko Takemaru – and the many lives forever impacted, we’ll also commemorate the resilience and strength that exists within our university community. 

I hope you’ll consider joining us at 11 a.m. at the Alumni Amphitheatre as we will welcome faculty, students, and recent alumni to share their stories of perseverance, and as our talented students and faculty from the College of Fine Arts showcase the healing power of the arts. The event will be live streamed by Clark County Television (CCTV-4). More information on the live stream will be available later this week on the UNLV Strong website. 

I also recognize that Dec. 6 will stir a range of emotions for all of us and some individuals may find it difficult to work that day, particularly on campus. I encourage supervisors, to the extent possible, to approve any sick leave requests submitted. And though class schedules are limited on that Friday – which is the last day before finals – I encourage instructors to allow maximum flexibility for students on Dec. 6 by making attendance optional or by hosting study sessions in preparation for final exams.

Safety and Security Enhancements 
In previous updates, I’ve shared some of the safety and security enhancements completed and/or planned for Beam Hall and other buildings and public spaces on our Maryland and Shadow Lane campuses. 

Guided by feedback from the Committee on Campus Security and Safety and in coordination with Facilities Management, OIT, University Police Services, Risk Management, and Planning and Construction, we’re now entering the next phase of work in buildings, classrooms, and public spaces. Among the work planned:

• Wall-mounted automatic locking buttons will be added to approximately 300 classrooms, lecture halls, performance spaces, and laboratories by the start of the Fall 2025 semester. This will allow users to quickly secure spaces from inside the room while enabling first responders to enter from the exterior with proximity access cards.
   
• A total of 50 new security cameras will be added this spring to five buildings as part of a phased approach to enhance current central video surveillance of public-facing lobbies, entryways and exits, and elevator lobbies. Buildings included in this round are the Carol Harter Classroom Building Complex, Grant Hall, Beam Hall, and Buildings A and D on the Shadow Lane Campus.
   
• License plate recognition technology is being installed this spring to all vehicular entrances to the Maryland and Shadow Lane campuses, including parking garages. This will help with University Police Services’ layered approach to physical security, threat detection, and incident response.
   
• A total of seven new outdoor RebelSAFE Emergency Phones will be added to the UNLV Maryland Parkway and Shadow Lane campuses. These stations are equipped with 360-degree surveillance cameras, lighting, public address speakers, and the ability to quickly connect with UPD dispatch. The new phones are expected to be in place by July 1.
   
• Upgraded wall-mounted telephones with enhanced emergency messaging capabilities will be added to more than 320 classrooms, labs, and performance and work spaces. The installation timeline is contingent on funding. We are also evaluating a project to program 911 speed-dial functionality. 

Additionally, given the timeline for installing these security measures, we have decided to extend the contract for private security "yellow jacket" personnel into this summer. And later today, I'll be receiving the final report from the Committee on Campus Security and Safety, which members of my leadership team and I will review in earnest. These projects, along with others completed and planned as part of our funding priorities for the upcoming Nevada Legislative Session, are part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring UNLV continues to be a safe, secure, and welcoming place for students, employees, and visitors.

Additional Rebel Recovery Updates

• Last week, six pieces of faculty and student-created art were installed on the columns leading up to the entrance of Beam Hall. The art, which honors the victims of the Dec. 6 tragedy, was chosen by the Faculty Senate’s Dec. 6 Memorial Committee following an open call for nominations earlier this fall. These beautiful and moving memorial pieces serve as a wonderful tribute to our colleagues and indicate how we, as a community, can through our sadness find strength.
   
• On Dec. 3 at 2 p.m., the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and School of Social Work will host “Finding Calm: The Power of Mindfulness in Everyday Life,” to highlight how mindfulness practices can help people cope with stress. The Resiliency & Justice Center also offers regular online sessions on mindfulness and meditation. All of these events, and others, can be found on the UNLV Strong calendar.
   
• As part of a new memorial and awareness initiative through University Police Services, Southern Command, all UPD officers will wear “UNLV Strong” memorial patches throughout December to honor the memories of our UNLV faculty members who died on Dec. 6, 2023. The patches will also serve as a tribute to the strength and resilience of the university community. 

As we approach the one-year mark, I’m again reminded that the road to recovery is different for all of us. For some, the approaching date may bring on new feelings and emotions – and that’s okay. For those who may need someone to talk to, I encourage you to participate in mindfulness sessions, reach out to a peer or colleague, or use available mental health and wellness support services.

Our Rebel Recovery isn’t a singular event but a collection of activities and actions – from large-scale operational enhancements and wellness sessions to one-on-one conversations, gestures of goodwill, and simple acts of kindness that few may ever see. 

Like you, I continue to think about that day and the impact it has had on us as individuals and on our campus community. I remain hopeful that we will continue to heal and become stronger as we move forward with purpose, in collaboration with one another, and with focus on the health and wellbeing of every member of our UNLV family.

Warm Regards, 

Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D.
UNLV President