There is no secret deal concerning UNLVNow

To the editor:

I was very disappointed to see an article in the March 29 Review-Journal in which an anonymous source claimed there was some sort of secret deal between UNLV and MGM related to our UNLVNow project and proposed mega-events center.

This claim is unfounded and ludicrous. In the past 50 years, UNLV has grown into a thriving research university of more than 28,000 students, due in large measure to strong partnerships with our community. We have received philanthropic support that has created outstanding programs, and we are proud that we supply virtually all sectors of our economy with well-prepared students who have become leaders in our community.

In short, we have listened to our friends, and as we move towards national prominence, we plan to continue to listen and support our many community partners to do what is right for UNLV and for Nevada. That’s exactly what we’re doing with the development of an on-campus mega-events center, a project that will benefit UNLV, our supporters in the resort industry and the entire community.

NEAL J. SMATRESK

LAS VEGAS

The writer is president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Stand and deliver

To the editor:

The 14 recruits in the recent city of Las Vegas firefighter class who have been blocked from graduating due to “possible cheating” have been heavily criticized in the Review-Journal by columnists and in letters to the editor.

I have no direct knowledge of this case, but I do believe they deserve the benefit of the doubt until some details of the “investigations” are released. Let me offer one scenario under which the 14 recruits might not be at fault in any way:

It’s very possibly that their instructor, striving to do a good job, used past exam questions for instruction purposes. The group prepared for the final test by taking a practice exam. The instructor through discussions properly obtained the practice exam questions from previous test takers over the past several years. He builds up a database of typical exam questions to better serve his students — not illegal or even immoral.

I personally studied for the professional engineer’s exam the same way more than 30 years ago. I bought a book of typical past exam questions and studied them until I could answer every one.

Now imagine, that since a class of 14 is relatively small, the person preparing the test, who is different from the class instructor, decides it’s too much trouble to write all new original questions for such a small class. Instead, he goes to some older exams, selects and reuses some questions, with minor superficial changes. Well what do you know, a few of them are almost exactly the same as those studied by the 14. Since they studied those questions together, of course their answers are similar.

Did they “cheat”? Of course not. They did nothing wrong. Perhaps either the test preparer or the class instructor didn’t follow sound procedure. If this scenario were true, would so many people still be demanding their permanent ban from firefighter jobs, repayment of salaries, and even their scalps?

Maybe they should just be re-tested, with new questions and proper monitoring.

JOHN M. McGRAIL

LAS VEGAS