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As you begin to head out for Spring Break, I want to thank you. Thank you for your action, your voice, your care. The dialogue on campus and the voices at the State House in Concord are symbolic of your passionate commitment for the success of Plymouth State now and in the future. A vibrant campus depends on you.

 

We all know that PSU is facing the same challenges many colleges and universities across the country are facing. We must continue to meet those challenges with creativity, collective wisdom, and compassion, for PSU now and for generations to come.

 

It is also vital that we do not spread disinformation. As I shared with a group of students who sent a well-written and thoughtful open letter to me recently, there was never a plan to eliminate the humanities. There still is not. The humanities are vital to the functioning of a vibrant university learning community and key elements in the success of clusters. There is a need to think about how we do this in light of resource limitations and how we do what we do well. This on-going dialogue will help shape the form these areas of study should take in the future.

 

Three weeks ago, the faculty asked if we could work together to come up with a plan to present to the USNH Board of Trustees. We wholeheartedly agreed and our first meeting is later today. This meeting is a starting point. We like to say that “up here, we look further.” That is exactly what is happening right now.

 

The question we all must ask ourselves is whether traditional majors are always the right approach, particularly, in light of tight resources and future job market outlook. I can assure you that any plan’s goal to reconstruct certain programs, including those in the humanities, will be to create them in such a way that they increase engagement and connections across the university, translate effectively into careers, and ultimately stay sustainable in the long run.

 

Over the past several years, our dedicated, creative, and caring faculty have come up with some clever approaches, including the Clusters majors. These and ideas like micro-credentials, co-op opportunities, and shared access to course elements across the system, can enhance our education and do it cost effectively. We are fighting hard to support a robust humanities and talented faculty. But we are also fighting to keep the institution fiscally responsive and responsible despite pressures beyond our control. Your voices and thoughts are the strongest force in the struggle against those pressures. We want you and all future students to have excellent academic experiences in the humanities and social sciences. But it well may look different than it does today.

 

Collectively, I believe we can turn constraints into opportunities. We aren’t looking at this as cutting ourselves to success but focusing our resources in a way that maximizes opportunities and strengths while leveraging the system. We can't do everything, but together we can do more than any other educational institution in the state.

 

You have my and Provost Bowditch’s pledge that we will maintain clear and constant communications throughout the community as these meetings progress.

 

In the meantime, I want to share a few additional clarifications that arose during the various conversations these past couple of weeks:

 

This is a special, innovative, transparent, and unique place where we talk about issues openly and always have. Much has changed over the last decade, and we have handled it well together even though it has never been easy. And so we will in the future.

 

Again, thank you for being a vital member of the ������Ƶapp community. I wish you a happy, relaxing, and fun-filled Spring Break.

 

Sincerely,

 

Donald L. Birx

President