I was able to catch up with Chancellor (and NECHE Commissioner) Todd Leach over lunch at his office in Concord where we had a free-ranging conversation. Chancellor Leach has presided over the four public state universities in New Hampshire for seven years, after a term as President of one of those four, Granite State College.…Continue readingPit Stop #8: New Hampshire University System
I suspect my visit to Thomas More College of Liberal Arts will be among the most surprising stops on my road trip. I admit that I knew nothing about the college when I came to New England, and though I learned a bit more about Thomas More in my first months on the job, I…Continue readingPit Stop #7: Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
My last stop of the second day took me to Durham, New Hampshire, home of the state’s flagship, The University of New Hampshire. By the time I arrived on campus, the cloudy day had turned sunny and beautiful, and as I walked the campus for about an hour, I was thrilled to encounter lots of…Continue readingPit Stop #6: University of New Hampshire
The middle stop on Day 2 of the NECHE road trip was in Nashua, New Hampshire, home of Rivier University, a four year Catholic institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs. Rivier was founded in 1933 and named after the Blessed Anne-Marie Rivier, Foundress of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Her mission, which very much lives on…Continue readingPit Stop #5: Rivier University
Founded in 1945 as a school to train and educate returning veterans, Manchester Community College today enrolls more than 3,500 students, making it the second largest of the seven New Hampshire Community Colleges. An additional 2,000 students enroll in MCC’s Running Start program enabling high school students to take college courses for dual high school…Continue readingPit Stop #4: Manchester Community College
Less than ten miles down the road from SNHU on our NECHE Road Trip, we pulled into beautiful Saint Anselm College. St. A’s, as it is fondly known to locals, is a Benedictine liberal arts college of about 2,000 students. Founded in 1889, it is the third oldest Catholic college in New England and sits on…Continue readingPit Stop #3: Saint Anselm College
OK, so who among you hasn’t seen at least one TV advertisement for Southern New Hampshire University? That would be no one. But I also expect that almost no one knows the nearly 100-year history of this mega-university, including me (until yesterday). Upon its founding in 1932, SNHU (affectionately pronounced “snoo”) was named The New Hampshire Accounting…Continue readingPit Stop #2: Southern New Hampshire University
As you may have deduced by my use of the plural pronoun “we,” I am one of two. And my #2 is my co-pilot (backseat driver) and wife Betty Londergan. I decided she was an essential part of this road trip not just because being away from her and home for two weeks would be lonely; Betty is also a big talent and I knew this project could use her…Continue readingWho’s behind the wheel?
Before we kicked off NECHE on the Road, I had planned to visit a nearby institutional neighbor, The Boston Architectural College (BAC). Its President, Mahesh Daas, and I share some history, as we were both doctoral students at the University of Pennsylvania, though at different times–a decade apart, in fact. As you will easily be…Continue readingPit Stop#1 : Boston Architectural College
As the new president of this venerable organization, I decided the best way I could fully understand the challenges and unique strengths of the schools we serve was to go out and see the institutions for myself, talk to their leaders, and even visit with some of their students. It’s a chance for me to learn about…Continue readingAbout NECHE on the Road