By ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org
DURHAM — Amid a proposal that would see the positions of University System of New Hampshire (USNH) chancellor and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) president merged into one role, UNH now offers a way to earn certain applied bachelor’s degrees with 90 credit requirements in three years, and save up to $10,000 in tuition costs.
The UNH College of Professional Studies (CPS) announced that it is now offering two new programs: the online Applied Bachelor of Science in Management and Applied Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology degrees. Both programs are currently open for enrollment, with a start date for classes beginning on Aug. 31. The CPS offers open-rolling admission and admits students five times per year.
“There are two programs; one is in the field of Management, and one is in Computer Information and Technology. They’re applied bachelor’s programs, meaning they are less than the traditional 120-minimum credit. We launched these two to really meet what we’re hearing from students and employers that we need affordable, accessible opportunities,” Tamara VonGeorge, associate vice provost for online learning at UNH said.
She also noted, “With our current undergraduate tuition rate, and the reduction from 120 to 90 credits, it’s a little over $10,000 (that students will save) … It’s a savings in tuition, but it’s also being able to achieve your career goals sooner by having that degree earned sooner.”
VonGeorge continued that the programs will be completely virtual (online), and the target audience is “working adults, military students, transfer students, or folks who are trying to earn a bachelor’s degree while they are engaging in other activities, primarily the workforce.”
The faculty also took the time to redesign the programs so that it wasn’t just “going in and reducing the number of credits. They really looked at what students need to know and be able to do,” she explained.
VonGeorge also noted that the students enrolled into these new programs will get reassurance that they’re receiving the same level of academic quality that students in traditional 120-credit courses receive. She said they went through the university’s accreditor — New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) — which reviewed the programs and determined they met all the foundational requirements.
“We have a student outcomes assessment in place where we are evaluating these programs to hold students to the same (standard as students in 120-credit courses), we expect the same level of outcome out of these students… Our faculty have aligned the curriculum with the program learning outcomes in the same way that they would for any degree program. We’re not doing this differently, we’re doing it through the same curricular processes and the same faculty oversight that we would in any degree program,” VonGeorge said.
VonGeorge added that experiential learning opportunities were built into the programs, which could provide internships for students looking to gain hands-on experience. She also noted the programs were built to be transfer-friendly, and that these programs “are a really good opportunity for students to build on what they already know (and) what they’ve already learned, and to be able to really focus on that area they want to learn.”
“It gives those students the opportunity to really dig deep in what it is they’re interested in learning about,” she said.
When asked about what the student response has been like so far, she said: “It’s still early; we’re still getting the word out. Our advisors are starting to hear from folks who are interested. I think it’s really an opportunity for people to explore, and think about, ‘Is this right for me? Or is a more traditional degree right?’
“We know this isn’t right for everyone, and so our advisors are ready to talk with prospective students, to help them think through what their career goals are, and what program best meets their needs. So, I think the conversations are starting. This is something new. I think there’s about 70 colleges around the country who are piloting these, so its still really helping people understand what it is and what it isn’t.”
On the topic of other potential steps UNH is taking to reduce costs for students, VonGeorge said in terms of CPS, they’re constantly thinking through how they can help students balance work and school, and “how do we help students maximize their prior learning, so we work closely with our community college system partners on transfer pathways, so that students can bring in an associate degree right in and maximize that credit.”
She said they also look closely at what kind of training certifications are happening in the workplace that are college-level learning opportunities, so that they can then give students credit for what they’ve already learned. She said they bring in students who have gone through things like police academies, fire services training and “lots of different industries.”
“We have a process where they can get college credit for that learning, so that’s another opportunity for students to get credit for what they already know, and not have to retake classes for things they learned in the workplace,” she said.
The Applied Bachelor of Science in Management (online) degree will help students prepare “for leadership opportunities across a variety of industries by helping them develop practical skills in leadership, project management, human resources, operations, organization, and strategic decision-making,” per the press release.
The press release noted that the Applied Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology (online) degree helps students “build technical expertise in information systems, which includes networking, cybersecurity, virtualization, cloud computing, data management, and emerging technologies, while learning to solve real-world business and technology challenges.”
VonGeorge added, “I think this is a conversation that higher education is going to continue to have. Students are thinking about stackable credentials and, ‘How do I learn what I need to know now?’ and knowing that the jobs are going to change. What you’re learning now, you have to keep learning. The workplace is evolving so rapidly that you can’t go to school and then think, ‘Okay, I’m done learning.’ This is a lifelong process.”
On June 26, the University System of New Hampshire’s (USNH) Board of Trustees voted to approve consolidating the positions of both the USNH chancellor and UNH president into one role. This also would mean that the presidents of Keene State College (KSC) and Plymouth State University (PSU) would report to the consolidated position, though the two colleges will retain their independence. All three universities — UNH, KSC, and PSU — are institutions that make up USNH.
The decision will now be in the hands of lawmakers during the next legislative cycle, and would require a change to a law that governs the state’s public universities. If approved, the changes could be effective as soon as July 2027, according to Lisa Thorne, director of communications for USNH.
The motion which the USNH Board voted on reads: “Approval of USNH Future Leadership Recommendation moved, that, subject to statutory authorization from the State of New Hampshire, the UNH President shall assume the dual role of USNH Chancellor and UNH President on July 1, 2027; and further, that staff are directed to work with elected officials to recommend such changes to the System’s authorizing statute as are needed to allow for the permanent merging of the roles of UNH President and USNH Chancellor; and further, that the Executive Compensation and Performance Committee is hereby authorized to approve in the name of the Board any changes to the employment agreements of the UNH President and USNH Chancellor needed in order to reflect any State-approved role change.”
Thorne explained that Catherine Provencher, chancellor of USNH, is set to retire on June 30, 2028, and that the Board of Trustees tasked Provencher and the university presidents with conducting research (and) returning with a recommendation on what the model should be for the university system.
“The idea is that they’re collapsing two roles into one; the chancellor of the UNSH system and the UNH president would become one role. The vote was to move forward with some planning for that, but the bigger part of the vote was to empower the leadership of UNSH to work with the legislature, because the statute needs to be changed for that to move forward,” Thorne said.
Thorne continued that it’s part of an ongoing efforts to streamline decision-making, and that the consolidation of roles can help lower expenses. She explained they have shared services — which includes things like human resources, administrative functions, and legal counsel across all the institutions under USNH — will also be provided by UNH starting in 2028.
Thorne also said that there’s a great deal of competition for what has become fewer and fewer students graduating from high school, noting that the pool of students continues to decrease. According to a report in 2025 from the New Hampshire Department of Education, there were 162,660 students enrolled in New Hampshire public and public charter schools at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. During the 2005-2006 school year, there were more than 205,000 students enrolled in New Hampshire public and public charter schools.
“There are fewer and fewer students graduating; everybody’s competing for these students, and more so, competing for the future workforce of our states… But, how do you compete? You continue having an outstanding experience for students, they get great jobs, they enjoy their experiences here and feel equipped when they leave. UNH, Plymouth State (and) Keene State are all working to do that,” Thorne said.
UNH President Elizabeth S. Chilton could not be reached for comment.
In the recommendation that Chancellor Provencher made to the USNH Board of Trustees for the June meeting, she said: “In merging the roles of the USNH Chancellor and the UNH President, UNH would be charged with leading shared services for the system. This is not to say that all functions would be led by UNH. Because the system’s three institutions are and will continue to be three separately accredited institutions, unless decided otherwise in the future, there are certain functions that must be led and maintained at the home campus, particularly academic affairs and student-facing support.
“Thus, this move should not affect the day-today life of our students, faculty, and staff since it will be focused on ‘back-office’ functions. Ideally, the impact on our employees and students will be greater alignment, efficiency, and effectiveness in administrative and support services. If we decide to merge the Chancellor role and, by extension, the system office functions, we would save costs on leasing space, better utilize campus space in Durham, and integrate functions into existing offices at UNH. There would need to be a thorough analysis of staff roles and responsibilities, updating of position descriptions, and evaluating areas of redundancy and gaps.”
Plymouth State University President Donald L. Birx, PhD, who is also currently serving as interim president of Keene State College (the USNH Board voted on Oct. 15, 2025 to appoint him to the role) could not be reached for comment.