Message from the President

The University captured the Little East Conference President’s Cup this year after our student athletes posted the highest cumulative grade point average among the LEC’s championship sports. Keep that in mind as you read about the perseverance and grit that define today’s Panther competitors; they are also bringing just as much energy, tenacity, and commitment to their studies. It’s truly a team effort involving coaches, faculty and staff, alumni, and community members from all walks of life.
Our athletics program provides vital mentoring, support and spirit, and leadership opportunities that are emblematic of our highly active and engaged community. PSU’s wonderful community and its ability to assist students were singled out by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) earlier this year.
Among its findings and recommendations, the Commission “applauds the innovative approach Plymouth State University has adopted through its Cluster Learning Model” and noted how much we’ve accomplished in recent years. Other highlighted areas of commendation included the inclusive planning process that produced our current Strategic Plan, the strength of our financial planning, and our widespread use of data to inform our actions.

- Implementation and evaluation of our Strategic Plan and aligning it with our “Eight Priority Areas” (more on that below)
- Establishment of a comprehensive process for evaluating the Cluster Learning Model and continuing to promote campus-wide understanding of it
- Furthering the integration of diversity policies and their effectiveness
- Achievement of our retention goals, particularly those for BIPOC students
The Eight Priority Areas constitute a framework that serve our campus in building a more sustainable future. Task forces of faculty, staff, and students, guided by our Campus Transformation Leadership Team, meet regularly to advance Retention; Undergraduate Admissions; Graduate Programs; Summer and Winterim Offerings; Skill-based Stackable Modules; The Cluster Model; Kaizen (continuous improvement) in shared services; and Pathfinder (the successor to our Ascent program).
Along with our work on these priorities, the University is joining a NECHE innovation initiative that is piloting undergraduate degrees of fewer that 120 credits. We are submitting experimental 96-credit undergraduate degree models to NECHE for review and look forward to feedback this fall on this new potential option for our students.
The higher education landscape, like so much in today’s world, is rapidly evolving, and Plymouth State University is fully engaged in transforming our campus and programs to meet the needs of today’s students and tomorrow’s marketplace. Together, we’re better, and we welcome your involvement as we move forward. ■ President Donald L. Birx