Relocating to Las Vegas | University of Southern Nevada

The University of Southern Nevada started as the Nevada College of Pharmacy, a private, non-profit institution.

The Nevada College of Pharmacy began as an idea from one person, Dr. Harry Rosenberg. Dr. Rosenberg’s idea was that pharmacy education should be and could be better, more effective, and capable of producing highly competent graduates, who would be sought-after by employers regardless of the job market. His belief in this idea was so strong that he moved from California in August 1999, and with $15,000, one-third of which was his own, rented a 900 square foot office in the Painter’s Union Building on Whitney Mesa Avenue in Henderson to begin the planning and development of what was to become one of the most innovative, creative, and cost-effective Colleges of Pharmacy in the nation.

It was a bold and courageous move. There hadn’t been a new college of pharmacy started in over 50 years that was stand-alone; that is, not part of an already existing institution. Many doubted that it would even be possible, and with good reason. There were many obstacles to initiating such a project - financing, obtaining IRS non-profit status, incorporating, finding adequate facilities, accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, obtaining licensure from the Nevada Commission on Post-Secondary Education, and many others. To assist in this endeavor, however, Dr. Rosenberg enlisted the support of the Nevada pharmacy community, contacting leaders in pharmacy organizations, chain pharmacy managers, hospital pharmacy directors, pharmacists leading home health companies, and the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy. These individuals volunteered to become the nucleus of what would evolve to become the Nevada College of Pharmacy Board of Trustees, and many are still valued members of the Board today. With the help, support, and advice of these caring leaders in the pharmacist community, the Nevada College of Pharmacy began to take shape.

A curriculum was developed that emphasized a student-centered, active learning environment where students were participating in experiential education from the very beginning of the program. Rather than semesters or quarters, the curriculum was organized into blocks that allowed students to take one course at a time. Students would be in class from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. allowing them ample time to concentrate and focus on achieving the desired outcomes. It would also provide opportunities for students to be active participants in the learning process by facilitating the incorporation of a variety of learning activities other than the traditional lecture format. Moreover, the early pharmacy practice experiences were designed to enhance and support the didactic curriculum by allowing students to actually see, feel, and understand what was presented in the classroom in an actual pharmacy setting. Additionally, by restructuring the curriculum in the block format, Dr. Rosenberg realized that the curriculum could be accomplished in three years, rather than the traditional four, making the Nevada College of Pharmacy one of the most affordable private Colleges of Pharmacy in the nation.

The inaugural class of the University of Southern Nevada College of Pharmacy was recruited and interviewed during the fall of 2000 for matriculation in January 2001. These 35 students, who are now alumni, began in classrooms rented on a daily basis from the Painter’s Union Training program and a core faculty consisting of Dr. Harry Rosenberg, Dr. Renee Coffman, and Dr. Charles Lacy, supplemented by several visiting faculty began teaching. Angi Angulo was hired for her technology expertise and she installed a wireless local area network for the students to use with their laptop computers.

Almost immediately, a second class of 80 students was recruited that would begin in the fall of 2001. The College began a rapid phase of growth, hiring new faculty and staff, renting an additional 900 square feet of office space that would serve as a temporary library, and renting additional classroom space from the Painter’s Union in their Union Hall.

A new facility with 30,000 square feet located on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Russell Road was rented in January 2002 to accommodate the rapidly growing College community. The Nevada College of Pharmacy called this space “home” until November of 2003, when it moved into its permanent location, a 100,000 square foot building at 11 Sunset Way in Henderson. Ironically, this facility is only one block away from the College’s original 900 square foot home in the Painter’s Union Building. Today, the College of Pharmacy is providing continuing education programs for Nevada pharmacists, is actively involved in the pharmacy community, and is looking forward to even more growth and diversification in the future.

The institution changed its name from the Nevada College of Pharmacy to the University of Southern Nevada (USN) in 2004 to reflect its growth and planning for additional degree programs.