Page 22

Loading...
Tips: Click on articles from page
Page 22 6,637 viewsPrint | Download

Merging community and four-year colleges is the right thing to do, and now is the time

CAREER PATHWAYS

Public higher education in New Hampshire and nationwide is facing great challenges. Student enrollment is declining, and current demographic trends suggest the problem will only worsen in the years ahead. Costs are rising, and institutions of all sizes and disciplines are working to control them by implementing operational changes to improve efficiencies.

The pandemic has dramatically heightened the problem, increasing financial pressures as institutions stand up to support state and community health needs while continuing to safely educate students on campus and online.

That’s why I was very pleased to learn that Governor Sununu’s budget proposal will unite our state’s public colleges and universities under one organization called the New Hampshire College and University System. For years, our 11 public institutions have operated as two systems, the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) and the University System of New Hampshire (USNH). CCSNH supports seven community colleges throughout our state, while USNH comprises the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College and Granite State College.

Together, CCSNH and USNH serve nearly 60,000 students, but in many ways, they are 11 institutions operating independently and often competing for these students. It is time to shake up this outdated model and build a stronger, more streamlined approach. The future of New Hampshire’s workforce development and overall economy depend on it.

Though the announcement’s timing surprised some, this discussion has been ongoing for 20 years. More recently, a joint USNH-CCSNH committee has been exploring ways to improve coordination between the two systems.

Currently, USNH and CCSNH are each operating without official chancellors. Financial pressures continue to mount for all institutions as pandemic uncertainty reigns. Every college or university is grappling with finances, and we must come together to maximize savings wherever we can. This is the right thing to do, and the pandemic has accelerated the need. And now is the time.

While I am a UNH alumnus and a former chairman of the board of USNH, as governor I was a strong supporter of the community colleges. I have always been struck by the importance of the diversity of missions and capabilities across our 11 institutions, and I am convinced that merging our two systems will better enable us to preserve those elements and serve all regions of our state.

Most important, uniting USNH and CCSNH will greatly benefit those directly served: the students. Public higher education’s mission is to assure the availability of appropriate and affordable higher education to all New Hampshire people. One system will bolster that, reducing costs to relieve financial pressures faced by students, parents, and the colleges and universities.

One fully integrated system will make it easier for students to create their own pathways toward a high-quality education, from technical certificates to advanced graduate degrees to programs for lifelong learning and professional growth. Allowing students to take courses toward their degree from any of our 11 public institutions gives them flexibility on where and when they study and prepare for their careers. It puts the decision-making process of where to enroll and how to select a degree program squarely in the hands of students.

Developing seamless pathways between CCSNH and USNH programs has already begun. For example, all USNH institutions are successfully partnering with CCSNH on co-locating classrooms or collaborating on degree pathways in nursing and other fields. Merging each system will allow for more of this kind of sensible collaboration.

Colleges and universities are businesses too, and successful organizations constantly ask themselves, “What do our customers want and need?” The answers evolve over time, and our system of higher education is evolving to meet its customer’s needs today and into the future.

John Lynch of Hopkinton served as governor from 2005 to 2013 and served twice as a member of the System of New Hampshire board of trustees, including as chair.

See also