The Community College System of New Hampshire, which governs seven separately accredited institutions, has been the subject of much discussion by state policymakers, higher education leaders, and at least one task force seeking to determine how it would continue to meet the needs of the state, its regions, and its students. These questions were being posed in view of recent but long-term enrollment declines across all of its institutions, combined with bleak demographic projections suggesting that enrollment demand would continue to slump. CCSNH was therefore seeking an assessment of how it might adapt its structure to face these future challenges, and specifically whether it should become accredited as a single entity.
CCSNH is facing many of the same challenges as other higher education systems and institutions. Its enrollment has declined significantly over the past 10+ years, which creates budgetary challenges given the System’s heavy dependence on tuition revenue to cover its costs. The CCSNH institutions are also quite small, which makes it difficult to achieve economies of scale. Enrollment pressures are sure to continue as the state’s population ages and fewer students graduate from high school. At the same time, New Hampshire’s economy is strong, and the demand for educated workers is high. In this context, CCSNH’s leadership has acknowledged that reform is necessary, but stakeholders’ perspectives vary considerably, and even when there is agreement about the challenges ahead, there is not a common perspective on how best to address them.
State and System leaders are attracted by the idea of transforming the System by unifying its seven separate institutions as a singly accredited entity, but they also determined that further study was necessary. CCSNH tasked NCHEMS with conducting a comprehensive study of the challenges facing the system, identifying its options moving forward, and providing recommendations for structural change. Specifically, we were asked to identify whether single accreditation or some other type of reform was the most appropriate path forward.