LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Keith Whitfield announced his resignation from that post Monday evening, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned in a statement sent to the students.
Whitfield made the announcement at the university’s annual foundation dinner at the Bellagio Monday night. Whitfield is the first African American president in UNLV’s history, according to the school’s website.
Whitfield, who held the top post during the deadly shooting on UNLV’s campus in December 2023, began his tenure there in August 2020.
Whitfield said his departure was due to family reasons as he needed to tend to his mother and wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren.
“Now, I have to take my own advice and take care of some family issues. Family is a crucial part of our lives. More of my attention is needed to help my mother and make sure she has the best care possible. I also want to spend more time with one of my grandsons who currently has some health challenges of his own. These commitments will require more of my time and energy and prevent me from being your president,” he said in his statement.
The 8 News Now Investigators asked a UNLV spokesman for a comment on Whitfield’s future in the hours before the announcement, but that email was not returned. Monday afternoon, a spokesman for the Nevada System of Higher Education could not “confirm or deny” whether Whitfield was resigning. Subsequent emails after Whitfield’s announcement were not immediately answered.
“I know this news – and the timing of it in the middle of the semester and state legislative session – may come as a shock to some of you, but this is a decision I have been considering for a while now. Once my decision to leave was final, it did not seem fair to the university or any of you to draw out my departure. I have shared my decision with our senior leadership team at UNLV and believe they will rise to the occasion with no loss in the momentum we currently enjoy,” Whitfield said in his statement.
At UNLV’s State of the University address on Jan. 30, Whitfield boasted an enrollment of just under 33,000 students, an all-time high and six percent higher than the previous school year. He also set a goal of 40,000 by 2030. Whitfield said he expects UNLV to add new buildings on the Maryland Parkway campus to accommodate its goal of becoming a more prestigious research university.
Whitfield’s statement said in part:
“Since day one and every day since, I feel blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to lead our great university and be a part of the Rebel family. So much progress has been made because we took on challenges by working together. It is immensely rewarding to leave knowing that the foundation of UNLV has dramatically improved over the last five years. It has been an honor to serve as your president and be a part of this amazing community.
“I wish all of you the absolute best and thank you for your work, collaboration, and friendship. I always will be a Rebel!“
Whitfield’s four-year contract was renewed in March 2024. NSHE cited Whitfield’s handling of the Dec. 6 shootings on the campus. He created a Rebel Recovery Program to help guide UNLV’s response. The Board of Regents also lauded Whitfield’s commitment to student success and community engagement.
NSHE officials said graduation rates increased under Whitfield’s leadership and he focused on removing unnecessary roadblocks in student services, optimizing financial aid, and enhancing the enrollment process. NSHE also said he made “significant strides” in promoting campus diversity, contributing to economic and workforce development, and fostering interdisciplinary research.
The website Transparent Nevada indicates Whitfield earned $488,500 per year, with benefits that increase his compensation to a total of $564,766.
Whitfield said in his statement that the leadership transition is already in progress and Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Patricia Charlton is set to make an announcement on Tuesday.
The Nevada Board of Regents convenes for its quarterly meeting on March 6-7.
In the wake of President Trump’s executive order outlawing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives for any U.S. business or academic institution that receives federal funding, Whitfield defended his university’s hiring practices. Under questioning from the 8 News Now Investigators after Whitfield’s State of the University address, he said that job descriptions requiring faculty to “demonstrate support for diversity, equity and inclusiveness” and a document providing guidance on hiring diverse candidates – with a score sheet – do not properly articulate the university’s recruitment process.
UNLV later removed a scoresheet from its human resources webpage intended to provide guidance for evaluating the diversity statements of potential faculty hires, the 8 News Now Investigators learned.
Whitfield’s relationship with the Board of Regents has had a rocky history. Emails obtained by 8 News Now revealed a conflict between a board member and Whitfield centered around his response to antisemitic incidents on campus.
An email Whitfield sent to the Board of Regents wrote, “It is our/my duty to listen to all student and faculty voices. I think turning a blind [eye] might cause more conflict between groups involved in the conflict in Gaza. However, it is very unfortunate that our recent discussion with SJP was erroneously reported.”
The SJP stands for Students for the Justice of Palestine. They organized at least three protests at UNLV, and they’re rallying cry was for the university to disclose and divest from any investments with Israel.
Whitfield also sent a memo to the board, detailing how he met with the student activists and stated, “I made no commitment to this, but I did say, we would speak with the Investment Committee of the UNLV Foundation to better understand our investment strategies, and asset holdings.”
His memo drew a sharp rebuke from Board of Regents member Byron Brooks who told the board in response “I am bewildered why he would invite the propaganda recruiting wing of a foreign terrorist organization into his office, and commit to ‘continue working with their group.”
He has also met with campus Jewish student groups, and whenever protests occurred on campus, Whitfield responded with “UNLV soundly rejects antisemitism and islamophobia.”
