UNLV has begun offering a mix of academic and continuing education classes in downtown Las Vegas in a move designed to make the university more easily accessible to the public.

University President Carol C. Harter and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will preside over the grand opening of the UNLV Downtown Center at 3 p.m. Sept. 14. The public is invited to attend the grand opening and open house. The event is scheduled to end at 6 p.m.

The center is located in the former 5th Street School building at 400 S. Las Vegas Boulevard.

"The opening of the UNLV Downtown Center is part of UNLV's ongoing effort to improve our service to the community," Harter said. "In the past we've reached out to the community by offering courses in Henderson, as well as offering classes at a variety of locations via our distance education technology. More recently, we became aware of a significant demand for courses to be offered in the downtown area and, thus, began searching for ways to accommodate that demand.

"The result is the UNLV Downtown Center, which, appropriately, is located in the same building where many longtime Las Vegans began their education as elementary school students," she said.

"Las Vegas city officials, particularly Mayor Goodman, have been instrumental in helping to bring the center to fruition, and we thank them for their diligent efforts," she said.

Harter also gave credit for making the UNLV Downtown Center a reality to Paul Aizley, dean of UNLV's College of Extended Studies, who spearheaded the project. Aizley's college now will oversee administration of the center.

A limited number of classes were offered at the center this summer, with expanded offerings scheduled for this fall.

Among the classes to be offered during the fall semester are credit-bearing classes in management, as well as courses leading to certificates in paralegal studies and banking skills. A variety of non-credit classes, including an acting workshop, a grant-writing seminar, and a class in alternative roads to wellness will be available at the center. A course in English as a second language also will be offered.

For complete information on courses available downtown, call 895-3394.

At the Downtown Center, UNLV will share space with a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department sub-station and the city office of business and development.

The 5th Street School, originally known as Las Vegas Grammar School, first opened its doors in 1936. Its construction had been financed with a $165,000 Depression-era Public Works Administration grant secured by Nevada's congressional delegation, which was composed of Sens. Patrick McCarran and Key Pittman and Rep. James Scrugham. The building was used as a school until the 1960s when it became an annex to the Clark County Courthouse.

For additional information on the UNLV Downtown Center, call 895-3394.