Are Nevadans proud of UNLV? Apparently so, according to new information gathered by UNLV's Cannon Center for Survey Research.

Of 984 randomly selected, statewide participants in a recent telephone survey performed by the Cannon Center, 77.7 percent said they were proud of UNLV. Seventy-three percent reported they have an overall favorable opinion of the institution, and 63 percent are satisfied with the direction in which UNLV is moving.

"These are very encouraging figures," President Carol C. Harter commented. "We have not done many surveys of this sort, and while we feel we have made substantial progress in recent years, it is wonderful to learn that so many people around the state are supportive."

The survey was designed to gather some benchmark data to help evaluate the success of UNLV's future marketing and communication efforts, according to Earnest Phillips, director of marketing and public relations.

"On a number of the questions the 'Don't know' response was selected by as many as 25 percent of respondents," Phillips said. "This is valuable information for us, because it indicates areas in which we need to concentrate our efforts. If we factor out those responses, our positive replies represent a significantly higher percentage overall."

Some 74 percent of respondents agreed that UNLV has improved over the past several years. A majority said they believe the quality of teaching (63 percent) and research (57 percent) is high.

In a finding that reflects well on the University and Community College System of Nevada, 60 percent said they would recommend Nevada schools to high school seniors as their first choice in picking a college.

UNLV also ranked high on questions concerning the university's impact on the quality of life in Nevada. More than 66 percent said the university contributes significantly to the state's quality of life; 58 percent rated UNLV's contribution to the state's economy as high.

Sixty-eight percent of all respondents said high school graduates who had received the Millennium Scholarship should attend a Nevada college, even if they had been accepted to a prestigious university outside Nevada but were not offered a scholarship.