Save Plymouth State University
I am a new resident of Madison, retired from a 33 year career as a biology professor at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. While exploring new connections and volunteer opportunities, I visited Plymouth State University and met with a biology professor there.
I already was aware of the wide known facts about USNH: how expensive it is, that many New Hampshire graduating high school seniors cannot afford it and that New Hampshire ranks last in the nation in per-student funding for public higher ed system-wide
What I did not know is that New Hampshire cut USNH/PSU state funding by $35 million over the past two years (17.6%). That these cuts were pushed by the legislature and are higher than those proposed by the Governor’s budget. I also was not aware of the dire consequences to PSU.
Seventeen PSU faculty used a voluntary buyout (Separation Incentive Program) devised by the provost to prevent forced retrenchment for tenured faculty —17! Department structure was eliminated and the departments of English, Art and Design, Music and Theatre, Communications were integrated into a new school — School of Integrated Liberal Arts (SILA).
Two Senate bills, SB 604 and SB 407, introduced in the second year of this legislative session referred to interim study, effectively killing them for this legislative term — restoring this funding will require new legislation in the 2027 session. In November, we must elect representatives that will restore funding to USNH/PSU and prevent its catastrophic failure.