Published Monday, March 3, 2025 | 9:18 p.m.
Updated Monday, March 3, 2025 | 9:40 p.m.
UNLV President Keith Whitfield is stepping down from his post after nearly five years, he announced tonight at the conclusion of a UNLV Foundation dinner.
Whitfield, whose contract runs through August 2028, said “once my decision to leave was final, it did not seem fair to the university or any of you to draw out my departure.” Today was his last day.
A majority of the crowd at the Bellagio was surprised by the announcement, including one attendee shouting, “What?” The audience was completely silent for the remainder of his brief, three-minute delivery.
Whitfield said there are family issues he needs to tend to that “require more of my time and energy and prevent me from being your president.” He cited the health of his mother as needing his full attention, explaining that will be leaving later this week to be with her in Texas.
Whitfield said university leadership would be hearing from Patricia Charlton, the chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, on Tuesday with next steps.
“We have worked hard and accomplished much, including record enrollments and graduation rates; we’ve created new academic programs, built new buildings and acquired important properties; and we’ve improved campus security, developed successful athletic programs and started new student-success focused initiatives,” he said when addressing attendees.
The message was simultaneously shared with the campus community.
Whitfield became UNLV’s 11th president in August 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding the university’s 30,000 students through the challenges of distance learning and isolation.
He was the first Black president in school history. He received a four-year contract extension last March annually paying $565,600 — a $65,600 per year raise from his initial contract.
“President Whitfield’s leadership has propelled UNLV to new heights, solidifying its position as a premier institution of higher education,” Charlton said in a statement when Whitfield’s contract was extended. “His dedication to student success, community engagement, and innovation has positively impacted the entire university community and beyond.”
The next president will be the fifth since Neal Smatresk bolted in 2014 for the University of North Texas. Don Snyder was the acting president before Len Jessup was hired in early 2015.
Jessup in 2018 left three years into a five-year contract after a faction of members from the Board of Regents — including former Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Thom Reilly — pressured him to leave.
Marta Meana was acting president for two years until Whitfield was hired.
Whitfield’s tenure had many signature moments.
He helped the university community heal after its darkest day, when a gunman killed three professors and badly injured a fourth in an on-campus shooting Dec. 6, 2023. The shooting shut down the campus for hours with students and staff in hiding.
“Throughout those events and during my tenure, I was laser focused on doing whatever I thought was best for the university community to thrive,” he said. “During those times, I have always stressed that it is important we all take care of ourselves and each other.”
Whitfield had a hand in UNLV ditching its HeyReb! mascot in 2021 because of complaints about ties to slavery and the Confederacy. The school kept the “Rebels” nickname despite similar concerns.
He also delicately handled on-campus demonstrations in 2023 when Pro-Palestine rally-goers called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Whitfield toed the fine line between protecting free speech and quelling concerns that some demonstrations were a platform for antisemitic rhetoric.
“While the war in Gaza is far from us, its impact is felt here too,” Whitfield said at the time, noting UNLV was committed to hearing from individuals and groups “with different perspectives and positions.”
At the same time, Whitfield acknowledged the need to reject antisemitism “in all its forms” and vowed to “combat it whenever we see it.”
“I also recognize that Muslims face discrimination and are victims of violence in our country,” he said. “We reject any discrimination against those of the Muslim (faith) and will work to promote a campus free from hate.”
He has been a strong advocate for the university’s sports programs, working with Athletic Department officials to take advantage of a new era of Rebel football with the opening of Allegiant Stadium. The shared facility with the Raiders has brought record crowds to support the team and back-to-back seasons of 10 or more wins.
Recently, Whitfield has advocated for UNLV’s diverse student population in the threat of funding cuts from President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump wants universities to ditch DEI programs or risk losing federal funding.
“Never in my lifetime has our mission or the value of a college degree been questioned as it is now,” Whitfield said in a statement last month about Trump’s demands. “The skepticism has been growing for a while. A series of executive orders and other directives from the new administration have only amplified the debate.”
Whitfield was greeted by a long line of well-wisher at the foundation dinner following his announcement. About three dozen supporters — ranging from department heads to professors and donors — showed their appreciation. Many were shocked by the announcement.
David Cardenas, the dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, thanked Whitfield for bringing him to Las Vegas in 2024.
Randy Garcia, a member of the UNLV Foundation, was one the last to speak with Whitfield. “You’ll be missed. Thanks for what you do,” Garcia told Whitfield in echoing the feeling of others.