Understanding the acquisition proposal – the transition leadership answers your questions
In July of 2021, Sierra Nevada University and the University of Nevada Reno agreed to enter discussions regarding the transfer of the Sierra Nevada University campus to the University of Nevada-Reno Foundation and the University of Nevada, Reno’s assumption of the Sierra Nevada University operations. This received the unanimous consent of both SNU and UNR governing bodies. Through this acquisition, SNU and its community would gain the significant resources of UNR. In turn, UNR will gain the unique and proven programs, approaches, and location that gives SNU its inimitable culture and educational experience.
Above all, the preservation and integration of Sierra Nevada University’s intimate experience, small class sizes, exemplary teaching faculty, and inspiring location as curricular features are a top priority.
An institutional integration of this scale requires leadership and patience as we move through the lengthy regulatory process. Final approval authority rest with the U.S. Department of Education, Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities, and the Nevada Commission on Post-Secondary Education. With student needs at the center of this endeavor, the acquisition will preserve our campus in perpetuity and deliver a path to degree completion for incoming and continuing SNU students, preserving their choice to live and learn on the Incline Village campus and receive their degrees from SNU. However, the integration will provide new and exciting opportunities for students from both institutions once approval is granted by the regulatory bodies.
SNU supporters can rest assured that UNR intends to extend the legacy built over 50 years by the university’s generous donors, and to preserve what makes the SNU experience special, including continuing to make this campus available to the community, much as it has been in the past.
This is a lengthy process that is expected to be completed no earlier than July 1, 2022. We will provide relevant updates as they become available, so please join us in this journey by bookmarking this transition page and reading our Transition FAQ.
Sincerely,
Jill S. Heaton
Executive Vice President and Provost
Susan Johnson
Executive Vice President of Business and Finance
ExecutiveTransitionTeam@sierranevada.edu