Federico Zaragoza, President of the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), has shared an update with the CSN community after his first 100 days in office. Zaragoza expressed gratitude for the support he has received from students, faculty, staff, and community partners, and outlined several key developments and goals for the institution.
Zaragoza highlighted a notable increase in student enrollment, stating, "Our census data is in! We showed a 5 percent increase in our Fall 2025 enrollment compared to Fall 2024! Even more significant, current enrollment projects an improvement of 7 percentage points in the first to third semester retention rate for our first-time full-time students. Our Pell-eligible students showed an increase of 5 percent; part-time students increased by 4.9 percent; and full-time (12+ units) are running about 5.5 percent higher than last year!"
He attributed these gains to strategic enrollment initiatives and emphasized the need to further invest in student services, course availability, and infrastructure. Zaragoza said, "We want to enrich our student onboarding experience, first-year experience courses and skill attainment, and overall student engagement. Those are not easy to address immediately, but our students deserve our best."
Addressing financial matters, Zaragoza noted that CSN has kept costs low for students but will be considering tuition and fee increases. He explained, "A tuition and fee increase will be considered by the Board of Regents in the coming months. To effect this change for students, we engaged with student leaders for feedback and transparency — they listened, we listened. The students understand the value and importance of making these needed increases. We will continue to listen and learn from them as we move forward."
The plan includes raising registration fees by 2 percent annually over three years and introducing a new Academic Success Initiative Fee for tutoring, advising, and academic support services. There is also a proposal to increase the Distance Education Fee to support online instruction costs.
CSN recently opened the Westside Education Training Center in collaboration with the City of Las Vegas and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to serve residents of Las Vegas’s Historic Westside. The college is also enhancing its partnership with the Clark County School District through expanded dual credit opportunities.
Zaragoza reported ongoing collaborations with industry leaders and workforce organizations, such as Workforce Connections, and noted his recent appointment as a board member for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA). He stated, "This is just the beginning!"
On legislative advocacy, Zaragoza said CSN’s priorities include funding formula changes, safety and security, staffing levels, infrastructure improvements, campus expansion, dual credit programs, prison education programs, and health professions. He noted that while funding formula changes did not occur during the last legislative session, CSN will continue to seek funding equity for community colleges in Nevada.
Regarding budget planning, Zaragoza said, "The Executive Budget Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting soon and has been charged with assessing ways to reduce spending and enhance cost savings. We will research ways to increase revenue through new funding sources and partnerships."
He also referenced recent approval of CSN’s Strategic Bridge Plan (2025-2027) and reaffirmed a commitment to transparency, accountability, collaboration, and shared governance.
Reflecting on a recent accreditation visit from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Zaragoza said it reaffirmed CSN’s academic excellence and commitment to student success. He emphasized urgency in addressing recommendations related to shared governance and decision-making.
Zaragoza concluded his message by stating, "Let’s continue making those connections so that we can build a strong, educated, marketable workforce to support the great state of Nevada. Join me in shaping our culture and the future of CSN as a forward-thinking, inclusive, and welcoming place for our students, faculty, staff, and our communities."