The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees voted in favor of a proposal that would combine the positions of system chancellor and UNH president at its June meeting.
If the proposal — which still needs approval from the Legislature — goes through, the presidents of Keene State College and Plymouth State College would report to that newly designed role.
Catherine Provencher, the current chancellor, said the model is used in other states.
“It reduces another level of executive decision making to provide more flexibility and nimbleness and reduce costs at the same time,” she said.
The system includes the flagship UNH campus in Durham, as well as additional campuses in Manchester and Concord, Plymouth State University and Keene State College. Declining enrollment and decreased state funding has challenged the entire system, leading to millions of dollars in budget cuts in recent years.
Under the proposed plan, Provencher said the chancellor’s current responsibilities would be split between the new president’s office and other relevant departments at UNH.
UNH makes up 70% of the system’s enrollment and 80% of its costs, which Provencher said is largely because of its annual $200 million research budget. She said the proposed plan aims to combine the resources of the entire system to support the smaller schools.
“If we can streamline some of those business processes and have consistent processes across all three institutions, we can build some bench strength at Plymouth and Keene,” she said.
The Board voted in favor of the plan 20-5. Provencher said those who voted against the plan voiced concerns that Plymouth and Keene would lose their sense of identity in the new structure. But Provencher said she thought the move would help keep attention on the needs of all schools.
“Having one position responsible for the entire system…that position needs to be held accountable for the health of all of the institutions and held accountable by the board of trustees,” she said.
If state legislators vote in favor of the plan, it will go into effect on July 1, 2027.
