After over five and a half months of work and public input, the New Hampshire Public Higher Education Task Force has released its report with recommendations on how to bolster the state’s higher education landscape at a time of decreasing enrollment.
The task force, which was made up of members representing both the University System of N.H. (USNH) and the Community College System of N.H. (CCSNH), as well as business and government representatives, provided a list of both short-term and long-term initiatives to implement in the April 2 report.
The short-term recommendations included asking the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) to accredit CCSNH as a single statewide college with separate school locations and co-location of USNH and CCSNH offices.
Additionally, the group recommended automatic acceptance into a CCSNH school for students with a predetermined GPA upon graduating from high school, among other proposals.
However, the members stopped short of recommending a complete merger between the systems.
In Governor Chris Sununu’s 2021 biennial budget address, he stated his desire to combine the systems in an effort to save the state money and allow students more flexibility in the higher education options within the state, according to a Feb. 11, 2021 Seacostonline article.
Additionally, Sununu stated in the April 2 press release regarding the report that he was pleased with the recommendations made.
“The recommendations made will serve New Hampshire’s economy, students, and communities well for continued success,” he said.
In terms of long-term recommendations, the task force proposed a study of how the systems would operate under one governing board and one chancellor and to analyze the potential for space utilization and shared facilities on campuses.
The members also proposed eliminating institutional competition when it comes to two institutions offering the same program if it is not needed at both.
According to the press release, Sununu will now review the findings and work with the state legislature to pass the initiatives, “… in a timely fashion.”
The current N.H. legislative session will last until June 28. Additionally, Sununu will not be seeking reelection in the fall, meaning the timeframe to pass the proposals will be narrow.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
