“It’s been a really positive transition from Sierra Nevada College over to UNR, and having the focus be really on bringing community onto this campus and making sure that we’re utilizing it in a way that showcases its beauty,” said Elizabeth Thibodeau, director of strategic programming and operations for the UNR Lake Tahoe campus, during a sunny afternoon in July. She stated she believed the campus has a responsibility to the local Incline Village community.
Thibodeau has worked in Incline Village, about a 36 mile drive from Reno, for nearly two decades. She recalls how, historically, many long-time residents have never set foot on the property.
“It’s interesting, this campus hasn’t always been utilized by everybody, and it always surprised me, people that have lived here for a really long time that never came on campus,” she said.
Since the transition from Sierra Nevada College to UNR in 2022, the campus has hosted public lectures, summer programs, and academic initiatives like Upward Bound.
“This was their third year that they came here,” Thibodeau said, referring to the first-generation college prep program. The program is at risk of fiscal cuts by the federal government. “And this is the second year they spent a whole week in the dorms.”
Still, engaging the 20.4% Latino population in Incline Village remains a work in progress.
“Right now, we are in a very interesting phase … We’ve been trying to, more or less, get our feet under us and really know what it’s like to be a part of UNR,” Thibodeau explained. “We want to make sure we’re hitting our local population.”
Paul Bancroft, executive director of Sierra Community House, which helps serve immigrant and working-class communities across North Lake Tahoe and Truckee, agrees that partnerships with institutions like UNR could go a long way. They have a resource location in Incline Village as well.
“Campuses have to be safe, inviting, culturally relevant spaces for families to want to come and engage and be a part of it,” Bancroft said. “So having trusted organizations participate in a fair, or a kermes or something like that … It’s the most successful way to get people there.” (A kermes is usually a fundraiser to help a family in need after a tragedy.)
He noted that local, affordable education could be transformative too.
“If local students are able to attend classes there [at the UNR Lake Tahoe campus] and still live at home, they’re more likely to be able to go,” he said. “They’re more likely to continue to work if they need to work during the day and have flexibility.”
But visibility remains an issue.
“I wonder how many people are aware of the change from it being Sierra Nevada College to now being a UNR campus and what that means,” Bancroft said. “I think there’s opportunity for UNR to make it much more than feeling like a satellite campus … how is some ownership felt up here at the Lake Tahoe campus?”
Beyond education, Bancroft also sees economic potential in the University’s public status. “If we’re doing major projects, are we prioritizing local contractors and local employers to ensure that we’re creating and maintaining those jobs locally?”
Both leaders agree the next step for UNR’s Lake Tahoe campus is clear, consistent, authentic outreach rooted in partnership. Thibodeau shares a long-term vision of inclusivity.
“We have such a rich culture, and we’re on Washoe land … I want to make sure that we’re providing the resources to bring people here, instead of just saying it.”
Noticiero Móvil, a bilingual multimedia outlet run by the Reynolds School of Journalism, published this story on Sept. 15, 2025.