Cactus Garden with UNLV sign in background

University Statements and Compliance

The following reflects the university’s commitment and policy on the following issues.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas wishes to acknowledge and honor the Indigenous communities of this region, and recognize that the university is situated on the traditional homelands of the Nuwuvi, Southern Paiute People. We offer gratitude for the land itself, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to study, learn, work, and be in community with this land.

Full Land Acknowledgement Statement

UNLV is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Achieving Excellence Through Diversity.

UNLV is dedicated to intellectual inquiry in its full depth, breadth, abundance, and diversity. Integral to this overarching duty is the essential commitment to academic freedom and personal expression in their fullest manifestations. We embrace the articulation of unpopular and unsettling ideas as an integral part of intellectual inquiry. To the extent it is consistent with the full pursuit of intellectual inquiry, UNLV fosters a civil, respectful, and inclusive academic community defined by a concern for the common good, by developing relationships and a culture that promotes the rights, safety, dignity, and value of every individual. A civil university community, consisting of faculty, staff, students, and external constituents, is vital to the pursuit of excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activity — appreciating what distinguishes us from one another while celebrating that which binds us together.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran status — except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or employment qualifications or where marital or veteran status are statutorily defined eligibility criteria for federal or state benefit programs. Further, the university seeks to promote campus diversity by enrolling and employing a larger number of minorities and women where these groups have historically been and continue to be under-represented within the university in relation to availability. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at UNLV and preference may be given to substantially equally qualified candidates who can demonstrate evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

This affirmation is published in accordance with 41 CFR 60 and is in keeping with Title VII & Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Executive Order 11246; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988; Nevada Revised Statutes; Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008; and the Code and Policies of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

To ensure that equal educational and employment opportunity exists throughout the university, a results-oriented equal opportunity/affirmative action program has been implemented to overcome the effects of past discrimination and to eliminate any artificial barriers to educational or employment opportunities for all qualified individuals that may exist in any of our programs. The university aims to achieve, within all areas of the university community, a diverse student body, faculty, and staff capable of providing for excellence in the education of its students and for the enrichment of the university community.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas reaffirms its commitment to equality of educational and employment opportunity in its relationships with all members of the university community and its commitment to the elimination of any documented historical and continuing underutilization of women and minorities among the student body or employee complement. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is committed to this program and is aware that with its implementation, positive benefits will be received from the greater utilization and development of previously underutilized human resources.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), along with other research-intensive public universities in the United States, recognizes that a student body that is diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class background, and geography, among other dimensions of cultural difference, benefits and enriches the educational experiences of all students, faculty, and staff. Accordingly, UNLV strives to recruit students who will further enrich this diversity and to support their academic and personal success while they are a part of our campus community. The presence and achievement of racial and ethnic minority students at UNLV not only benefits these students individually, it enhances the educational and interpersonal experiences of everyone in our campus community. UNLV actively encourages applicants whose racial and ethnic backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education in Nevada, who are first-generation college students, and those with demonstrated financial need.

As an institution of higher learning, UNLV represents a rich diversity of human beings among its faculty, staff, and students and is committed to aspiring to maintain a campus environment that values that diversity. Accordingly, the university supports understanding and appreciation of all members of its community, regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, or political affiliation.

UNLV does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities, including admissions, on the basis of sex/gender pursuant to Title IX, or on the basis of any other legally protected category as is set forth in NSHE Handbook Title 4, Chapter 8, Section 13. Reports of discriminatory misconduct, questions regarding Title IX, and/or concerns about noncompliance with Title IX or any other anti-discrimination laws or policies should be directed to UNLV’s Title IX Coordinator Michelle Sposito. The Title IX Coordinator can be reached through the online reporting form, by email at titleixcoordinator@unlv.edu, by phone at 702-895-4055, by mail at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 451062, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-1062, or in person at Frank and Estella Beam Hall (BEH), Room 555.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas affirms that students and employees are entitled to an educational and employment environment free from unlawful harassment or personal discrimination and expressly prohibits unlawful harassment or personal discrimination of any individual among the university community engaged in educational or employment pursuits based on that individual's race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, or veteran status. Further, no student or employee shall be subject to retaliation for bringing a good faith complaint pertaining to unlawful harassment or personal discrimination or for protesting such behavior directed against another member of the university community.

For more information concerning ways in which our multicultural learning community may be nurtured and protected or complaint resolution procedures, contact the Committee for an Inclusive and Just University, the office of student conduct, the office of human resources, or the office of diversity initiatives.

Although the State of Nevada has passed laws legalizing medical marijuana, possession and/or use of medical or recreational marijuana remains prohibited anywhere on the UNLV campus, including all university housing and facilities, and at all university events and activities.

As an institution that receives federal grants, contracts and funds for financial aid, UNLV is bound by certain federal laws and, as a result, must establish and enforce policies prohibiting the manufacture, use, and distribution of controlled substances by our employees, students or others within our control. Marijuana — including medical marijuana — is, by definition, a controlled substance and therefore illegal under federal law. Such federal laws are not affected by Nevada’s passage of laws legalizing medical marijuana.

Possessing a medical marijuana card does not, in any manner, change or modify the fact that marijuana is a controlled substance and, therefore, illegal.

The University will continue to enforce its current policies, including the Code of Student Conduct, regarding controlled substances. Any student or employee who violates university policy prohibiting the manufacture, use or possession of illegal drugs on campus will be subject to referral for disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from school and termination of employment, and, if warranted, criminal action.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the following, as applicable:

Student Affairs: 702-895-3656
Human Resources: 702-895-5510

At UNLV, we respect the rights of copyright holders and seek to discourage and prevent copyright infringement on campus. In addition, the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires us to deal with unauthorized peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing on our campus networks.

More About DMCA Compliance

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is committed to making its website accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. We strive to meet or exceed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 A & AA) established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and use the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) specification. Our efforts are in alignment with NSHE’s Policy for Information and Communications Technology Accessibility.

In the event you find a page to be inaccessible, please report the issue to the Web & Digital Strategy team so we can remediate the inaccessible page.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas acknowledges it has signed and returned its U.S. Department of Education Certification Agreements as required to receive HEERF funds. UNLV has used and intends to use no less than 50 percent of total funds received to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.