About CSN

The Institution in Brief

Founded in 1971, the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) is the largest and most ethnically diverse college in Nevada.  The College includes three main campuses in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, as well as multiple sites and centers throughout Southern Nevada.  CSN is a fully accredited institution offering hundreds of degrees and certificates in an array of academic programs with several offered fully online.  The College also offers a variety of clubs, activities, and organizations along with sports including baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, and volleyball.  At CSN, students are put first so they can graduate, complete, transfer, and prosper.

Mission, Vision, and Values

csn.edu/mission-statement

Mission

The College of Southern Nevada empowers our students and communities to achieve, succeed, and prosper.

Vision

The College of Southern Nevada is recognized as a leader among community colleges in fostering student success, shared governance, and performance excellence.

Values (I-LEAD)

• Integrity

We place fairness, honesty, transparency, and trust at the center of all decisions, policies, and operations.

• Lifelong Learning

We foster curious minds, continuous learning, and a broad-based education to enhance creative thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and principled leadership.

• Excellence

We achieve and surpass our goals through continuous performance improvement and commitment to — and quality in — teaching, learning, scholarship, service, and administration.

• Academic Freedom

We embrace freedom of thought and speech in support of teaching, learning, communication, shared governance, and responsible civic engagement.

• Diversity

We value the integration of different backgrounds and perspectives among students, faculty, staff, and community members as a way to collaborate and promote creativity, innovation, and growth.

Organization of the College

Board of Regents

nshe.nevada.edu/regents/

• Byron Brooks, Chair (District 3 - Clark County)
• Joseph C. Arrascada, Vice Chair (District 10 - Washoe County)
• Patrick J. Boylan (District 5 - Clark County)
• Susan Brager (District 7 - Clark County)
• Heather Brown (District 6 - Clark County)
• Amy J. Carvalho (District 12 - Clark County)
• Michelee Cruz-Crawford, Ed. D. (District 8 - Clark, Elko, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties)
• Carol Del Carlo (District 9 - Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Storey and Washoe Counties)
• Jeffrey S. Downs (District 11 - Humboldt, Pershing, and Washoe Counties)
• Stephanie Goodman (District 13 - Clark County)
• Donald Sylvantee McMichael Sr. (District 4 - Clark County)
• Laura E. Perkins (District 1 - Clark County)
• Lois Tarkanian, Ph.D. (District 2 - Clark County)

Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE)

nshe.nevada.edu/system-administration/

The Nevada System of Higher Education, comprised of two doctoral-granting universities, a state college, four comprehensive community colleges, and one environmental research institute, serves the educational and job training needs of Nevada.  NSHE provides educational opportunities to more than 107, 600 students and is governed by the Nevada Board of Regents.

• Dale Erquiaga, Acting Chancellor
• Crystal Abba, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff
• Andrew Clinger, Chief Financial Officer
• Patty Charlton, Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and Community Colleges
• James Martines, Vice Chancellor and Chief General Counsel

College of Southern Nevada

President Federico Zaragoza, B.A., M.A., ED.S., Ph.D.

• Chief Diversity Officer and Chief of Staff, Lawrence Weekly, B.A., M.P.A.
• Vice President, Academic Affairs, James McCoy, B.A., M.A., Ed.D.
• Interim Vice President, Finance and Administration, Rolando Mosqueda, J.D.
• Vice President, Student Affairs, Juan Avalos, B.S., M.A., Ph.D.
• Campus Vice President and Provost-Charleston, Sonya Pearson, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., J.D.
• Campus Vice President and Provost-Henderson, Vacant
• Campus Vice President and Provost-North Las Vegas, Clarissa Cota, B.A., J.D.
• Vice President Public Safety Services University of Nevada Las Vegas and Director University Police Services Southern Command, Adam Garcia, B.S., M.A.
• Chief Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness Officer, Margo Martin, B.A., M.A., Ed.D.
• Chief Information Officer, Office of Technology Services, Mugunth Vaithylingam, M.B.A.
• General Counsel, Debra Pieruschka, J.D.
• Interim Executive Director, Division of Workforce and Economic Development, Stavan Corbett
• Executive Director, CSN Foundation, Danita Simons, B.S.
• Executive Director, Office of Sponsored Projects, Frank Woodbeck, M.S.
• Executive Director, Marketing, Steve Goebel, B.F.A., M.S.

Vice President, Academic Affairs, James McCoy, B.A., M.A., Ed.D.

• Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs, Dan Corsi, B.S., M.A., Ed.S., Ed.D.
• Dean, School of Advanced and Applied Technologies, Michael Spangler, Ph.D., Ph.D.
• Dean, School of Arts and Letters, Richard Kracvhak, B.M., M.M., Ph.D.
• Dean, School of Business, Hospitality, and Public Services, Marcus Johnson, Ph.D.
• Dean, School of Education, Behavioral, and Social Sciences, Charles Okeke, Ph.D.
• Dean, Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences, Janice Glasper, B.A., M.Ed., Ph.D.
• Dean, School of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, Douglas Sims, Ph.D.

Interim Vice President, Finance and Administration, Rolando Mosqueda, J.D.

• Senior Associate Vice President, Controller, Melody Deng-Lee, M.B.A.
• Senior Associate Vice President, Budget Services, Pamela Levins, B.S., M.Ed.
• Associate Vice President, Procurement and Auxiliary Services, Rolando Mosqueda, J.D.
• Interim Chief HR Officer, Human Resources, India Barton, A.A., B.S., M.H.R.M.

Vice President, Student Affairs, Juan Avalos, B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

• Associate Vice President, Advising, Counseling, and First Year Experience, Flecia Thomas, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
• Associate Vice President, Enrollment Services, Vacant
• Associate Vice President, Financial Services and Veteran Affairs, Tyler Heu, B.S., M.S.
• Associate Vice President, Student Services, Vacant

Campus Vice President and Provost-Charleston, Sonya Pearson, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., J.D.

• Campus Associate Vice President-Charleston, Khrys FuQua’, M.B.A., Ph.D.

Campus Vice President and Provost-Henderson, Vacant

• Administrator-in-Charge, Henderson Campus, Rebecca Gates, B.A., M.S., Ph.D.

Campus Vice President and Provost-North Las Vegas, Clarissa Cota, B.A., J.D.

• Interim Campus Associate Vice President-North Las Vegas, Daniel Alvarado, B.S., M.A., Ed.D.

Chief Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness Officer, Margo Martin, B.A., M.A., Ed.D.

• Executive Director, Institutional Research, Vacant
• Director, Institutional Assessment and Accreditation Liaison Officer, Sharon Peterson, Ph.D.

Interim Chief HR Officer, Human Resources, India Barton, B.S, M.H.R.M.

• Associate Vice President, Organizational Development and Effectiveness, Ayesha Kidd, M.Ed.
• Associate Vice President, Human Resources, India Barton, B.S., M.H.R.M.

Chief Information Officer, Office of Technology Services, Mugunth Vaithylingam, M.B.A.

• Senior Associate Vice President, Facilities Management, Vacant
• Associate Vice President, Facilities, Vacant

Accreditation

The College of Southern Nevada is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds standards for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the NWCCU applies to the institution as a whole. Regional accreditation provides the public with reasonable assurance regarding the quality of courses, programs, and opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding an institution’s accredited status by the NWCCU should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052 (425) 558-4224
www.nwccu.org

Assessment of Student Learning

CSN uses an integrated assessment planning, reporting, and funding allocation process in a continuous cycle to assure student learning is occurring and program curricula are evidence-based and effective. To assure that programs at CSN are effective and that students completing programs of study at CSN are adequately demonstrating competence in knowledge and skills, the faculty and staff follow ongoing assessment processes outlined in faculty senate policy and managed through the Office of Assessment.

Periodically during their courses of study, CSN students may be asked to participate in tasks where they demonstrate the breadth and depth of their ability, indicate levels of satisfaction with services provided, and appraise their learning experience. Students nearing completion of their programs of study at CSN should expect to participate in a wide range of activities and measures to assess learning achieved in their degree and certificate programs. Meaningful evidence of students learning, and related student affairs program goals is analyzed and used for program improvement, to determine student success, and contribute to institutional effectiveness. Alumni may be asked to communicate their views about CSN programs in the context of their life experiences and careers since graduation. Employers may also be asked to indicate the attributes needed and expected from CSN graduates, to evaluate how effective CSN programs have been in preparing students to meet workforce needs.

CSN faculty and staff must ensure that students gain the requisite learning from their programs of study at CSN, and that these programs continue to meet high standards of excellence.

Inquiries regarding the assessment of student learning at CSN should be directed to:

CSN Foundation

The CSN Foundation raises funds to support CSN students, faculty, staff, and programs. Scholarships and grants allow for new ideas and learning to grow. Your gift changes lives and provides a foundation for growth in Nevada.

Your philanthropic support is tax deductible and helps CSN change lives and build bright futures. To learn more about the CSN Foundation, please call 702-651-7535 or visit our web page at www.csnfoundation.org.

Campuses

For campus locations and maps visit csn.edu/csn-locations.

Charleston Campus

The Charleston Campus is located at 6375 West Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas and houses the President’s Office, Executive Administration, the CSN Foundation, Human Resources, and the CSN Cross Country Program. Services supported at Charleston include the Veterans’ Education and Transition Center, SNAP E&T Program, Coyote Cupboard Food Pantry, Dental Faculty Practice, Mojave Mental Health Services, and the Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences.  This campus is also home to Early College programs such as the CSN High School-West, and Nevada Public Radio station KNPR. New solar panel arrays on many of the buildings showcase CSN’s commitment to green initiatives.  For more information, visit www.csn.edu/charleston-map.  If you are interested in scheduling space on the Charleston Campus, please visit the CSN Events Office at www.csn.edu/eventrequest. Study rooms at each Student Union will be coordinated through Student Government staff.

Henderson Campus

The Henderson Campus is located at 700 College Drive in Henderson. Students can take general education courses and specialized classes in fields such as aviation, welding, and several advanced and applied technology labs. Henderson Campus is home to the Morse Stadium and Lied Baseball Complex and is used by CSN’s national championship baseball team. The campus is also home to the softball field for the women’s softball team. New solar panels showcase one of CSN’s green initiatives.

The Betty Engelstad Health & Sciences Building is the newest building at the CSN Henderson Campus.  The 73,283-square-foot building is home to medical laboratory science, practical nursing, medical assisting, related biological science labs, a new library, general classrooms, offices, and the NSU Simulation Center.  The building has allowed CSN to expand critical workforce demand in our region for highly skilled medical professionals.

The Henderson Student Union building provides a space for students to study, relax, and collaborate with each other.  Student government offices and private study rooms are located in the Union, along with food service and lounge areas.  If you are interested in scheduling a meeting or event in the Student Union, please coordinate with the CSN Events Office at www.csn.edu/eventrequest.

The Water Street Center is an extension site of the Henderson Campus located at 311 Water Street, Henderson, Nevada, 89105, in Downtown Henderson.  Students can take general education courses and non-credit classes through the Division of Workforce and Economic Development.  The center also houses the Southern Desert Regional Police Academy (SDRPA) which provides law enforcement training in partnership with the City of Las Vegas, UPD, and the College of Southern Nevada.

North Las Vegas Campus

The North Las Vegas Campus is located at 3200 East Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas. The centralized student services area makes easy access to critical support areas. Significant programs supported at North Las Vegas include Transportation Technology, Cisco Systems, Culinary Arts (producing gold and silver medal winners in numerous national competitions), Automotive Service Education, the Planetarium, Early Childhood Education Lab, Film and Photography, CSN Athletic Recreation Center and seven (7) CSN sports programs, Music and Art programs, the Art Gallery, and the Nicholas Horn Performing Arts Center, hosting hundreds of college and community events each year. New solar panels showcase one of CSN’s green initiatives. The Tyrone Thompson Student Union (SU) is open! If you are interested in scheduling space at the North Las Vegas Campus, please coordinate with the CSN Events Office:  csn.edu/eventrequest. Study rooms at each SU will be coordinated through Student Government staff.  They can be contacted at North Las Vegas Campus Student Government Front Desk at (702) 651-4942.

Green Valley High Tech Center

The Leslie and Joan Dunn Center at 1560 West Warm Springs Road is located next to Green Valley High School. The center provides core general education classes as well as EMT Training classes and is supported by a computer lab, smart classroom, and specialized labs. The center also provides support to the local community through the Division of Workforce and Education non-credit classes.

Mesquite Center

The Mesquite Center located at 140 North Yucca Street includes a computer lab, Phlebotomy lab, certified nursing assistant lab, two (2) smart classrooms, one (1) video conferencing classroom, and one (1) CoyoteFlex classroom. General Education classes are provided, as well as a variety of customized training options. JumpStart dual credit classes are also offered to local high school students.

Moapa Valley Center

The Moapa Valley Center is located at 2400 North St. Joseph Street, at Moapa Valley High School. The center provides General Education classes, online course support, a computer lab, and a video conferencing classroom.  Additionally, dual credit classes for high school students are offered through the JumpStart Program.

The Nellis Center

The U.S. Air Force contracts with the College of Southern Nevada to provide classes on base that satisfy requirements for the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree. It services active-duty personnel, reservists, family members, retirees, DOD personnel, and some civilians to maximize space utilization.

Sahara West Center

The Sahara West Center is located on the Northwest corner of Sahara and Valley View and is the primary location of CSN’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development (DWED). DWED provides programs in Adult Basic Education, dual college enrollment courses, and English as a Second Language. DWED is designed to work with area employers to provide customized training in support of emerging and incumbent workers to meet the training and professional development needs of employers aligned with in-demand occupations for the Southern Nevada region.  DWED also provides CSN Continuing Education courses in Healthcare and American Heart Association (AHA) Training Center classes, which provide continuing education for medical professionals along with entry-level occupational programs such as Home Care Aide, Dialysis, and Health Unit Coordinator classes.  For more information, visit www.csn.edu/workforce-development.

Summerlin High Tech Center

The Bob and Sandy Miller High Tech Center is located at 333 South Pavilion Center Drive next to Palo Verde High School. The site delivers traditional, dual credit, personal enrichment fee-based, and non-credit courses. Additionally, the Summerlin Center provides PC and Mac labs, several smart classrooms, a computer interactive learning center, faculty offices, testing services, and the Nevada Promise Scholarship office. For more information, please visit www.csn.edu/locations/summerlin-center. 

Western High Tech Center

The William and Dorothy Raggio High Tech Center is located at 4601 West Bonanza Road, next to Western High School. It is home to the HVAC Center of Excellence, and the CSN Call Center. The site also provides general and transfer courses, workforce training, Clark County School District program classes, and community events.  The site is supported by smart classrooms, offices, and student services.  For more information, visit www.csn.edu/locations/western-center.

CSN Emergency Notification System (ENS)

The ENS is intended to provide members of the campus community with immediate information in the event of a major crisis or emergency (e.g. fire on campus, natural disaster, or criminal activity).

This system instantly delivers to you, important emergency alerts, notifications, and updates to any device(s) you select (e.g. email account, cell phone, etc.). ENS is your personal connection to real-time updates including instructions in case of an emergency.

Once you have logged into this application, you will be able to provide emergency contact information that the College can use to contact you in the event of an emergency. Access to this system is available only to currently enrolled students as well as currently employed faculty and staff. Once you have enrolled, your notification will be activated within 24 hours.

To sign up for ENS alerts, go to www.e2campus.net/my/csn/index.htm. It only takes a few minutes to activate your ENS account. Please note your CSN email account must be activated prior to ENS activation since those are the login credentials you will use to sign up.

Green Efforts

CSN’s recognition of its role in the community and its commitment to be responsible stewards of the environment is an important aspect of the college’s core values. Efforts began in 2007-2008 with a grant from the Student Government. The faculty Senate Environmental Strategies Committee began the initial efforts to incorporate recycling into the daily life of students, faculty, and staff at CSN.

CSN has increased activities and initiatives designed to reduce the college’s carbon footprint and to establish itself as a leader in sustainable practices. These activities include:

Print Wise Print Management System

In an effort to save natural and fiscal resources, CSN has implemented the Print Wise System to manage computer lab and classroom printing. The system encourages students to “print wise,” by raising awareness of the costs associated with unnecessary printing and reducing the waste of toner and paper products. This policy saved an estimated 1.2 million pages from being printed in the open computer labs in the fall 2011 semester alone. Overall, student printing has been reduced by 40-60% each semester.

$10 Printing Credit

Students receive a $10 credit towards printing each semester (spring, summer, and fall). To use this credit, students will log into PrintWise using their CSN credentials at any computer located in the Library or computer labs to release their print jobs. Students will also be able to see the amount of money available on their printing accounts in PrintWise. If students exceed their $10 credit, they may add more funds through PrintWise on a CSN Library or computer lab computer, or they can add funds at the Cashier’s office. For more information visit at.csn.edu/printwise.

Mobile Print

Effective Fall 2021, students will have the ability to print from their iOS, or Android devices to printers located in high traffic student areas such as the Library, computer labs, and the Student Unions. Be on the lookout for signage in these areas indicating the printers available to students.

Instructions to print from an Android device: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTgRHmURvos

Instructions to print from an iOS device: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t1VmtqrVDY

Recycling

The Facilities Management Department has continued promoting the recycling program on our campuses and satellite locations by incorporating designated containers for recyclables and trash.  To the extent possible, the theory of reduce, reuse, and recycle is applied throughout our sites thanks to our community partners and the effective execution of our Custodial Services.

In July 2021, we partnered with a new recycling company, Republic Services, to continue using mixed-use dumpsters on our properties. With their help, we are keeping an average of 3200 pounds of recyclable product out of the trash weekly!  Currently, efforts are being made to educate students, faculty, and staff on reducing single-use plastics and the proper recycling practices for plastics, cans, glass, paper, and cardboard, which is lowering our waste disposal expense.

We also partner with Opportunity Village for the destruction of sensitive materials to be shredded when placed into secure bins, which they certify once the items have been shredded and properly disposed of into compost.

Our newest community partner, M & H Pallets, LLC, will help with the reuse of wooden pallets to keep as much post-consumer wood waste out of the trash as possible. Please join CSN in reusing, recycling, and reducing waste and single-use plastics whenever possible.

Thank you!

Solar Panels/Alternative Energy

We are pleased to announce that CSN has been maintaining our solar panels working in collaboration with Nevada Energy’s Solar Generations Program. Solar panels can be seen housed at all three of our campuses: Charleston, North Las Vegas, and Henderson. Currently, we have the following kilowatts at each campus location:

• Charleston - 159 kilowatts
• Henderson - 84 kilowatts
• North Las Vegas - 208 kilowatts

With the construction of these solar panels, we have received $1,250,000 in solar panel rebates from Nevada Energy. This money has helped contribute to the funding of the construction of these panels, and in some instances, paid for the installation in its entirety. In addition, we have a solar panel on our Planetarium sign at the North Las Vegas campus. All these solar panels have significantly helped to reduce our electrical bills year after year.

Use of Green Cleaning Products

The cleaning products the College utilizes are Green Seal and/or Green Guard certified.  Custodial Services uses the most effective materials to maintain a sanitary environment for students, faculty, and staff, utilizing reusable mops, microfiber rags, and microfiber dust mops. Automatic dispensing units for cleaning solutions are located in each custodial closet, dispensing the recommended ratio of product to water. The College uses paper towels with 40% recycled and post-consumer recycled fiber content, toilet seat covers that are Green Sealed certified, and toilet paper with 100% recycled fibers and a minimum of 25% post-consumer fibers and EPA compliant.  The trash and recycling bags are biodegradable and Green Sealed certified as well.

Water Conservation

Facilities Management is pleased to announce we have converted grassy areas to drought-resistant landscaping. Currently, the only grassy areas that remain at the North Las Vegas campus are in relation to the Early Childhood Education program and the South entrance.  At the Charleston campus the Veterinary Technician examination area for large animals, the Palm Court area, and the Early Childhood Education program are utilizing water-conscious grassy areas.  The Henderson campus has a grassy knoll area at the new Student Union which has been created with smart irrigation technology, and the women’s softball field installed artificial turf to reduce grass maintenance.

Our automated irrigation systems are being upgraded and are monitored with smart technology.  This incorporates a website that reports to our Grounds Project Manager when repairs are needed to avoid water being wasted by breaks and leaks.  It also sends notifications as to how much water is required in specific areas.  This reporting method adjusts for any precipitation that may have occurred in a 24-hour cycle to prevent over-watering.  Areas with old and failing emitters are being replaced with underground drip tubing irrigation at each campus and each of our satellite locations.

Hydration stations have been installed at each campus to dispense filtered water into a user’s personal vessel, eliminating the use of disposable cups.  All new construction has incorporated efficient low flow plumbing for restrooms and sinks.  These recent improvements confirm that CSN values water conservation in the valley.