Message from the President

Message from the President

Portrait orientation close-up indoor photograph classroom open space wooden floor ground level view of Plymouth State University President Donald Birx and Kenneth Stowe ’27 admiring PSU’s AI-equipped robot dog, “Atomic,” while Gil Borenstein ’27 works the controls. Photo by Matt Rudzinski ’22, ’24MBA.
President Donald Birx and Kenneth Stowe ’27 admire PSU’s AI-equipped robot dog, “Atomic,” while Gil Borenstein ’27 works the controls. Learn about our state-of-the-art Robotics Open Laboratory. Photo by Matt Rudzinski ’22, ’24MBA.
It’s no secret that Plymouth State University, and indeed, higher education overall, are in a transformational era. It’s an exciting time and I can assure you that PSU is stepping up.

This issue of Plymouth Magazine highlights many examples of our on-going progress, including our first in New Hampshire (and among the first in the nation) 96-credit three year applied bachelor’s degree programs. It also features many aspects of our “Green Mosaic,” as Professor Amy Villamagna has so aptly named it. The Cluster Learning Model provides entrée for students of all career interests—no matter their major—to take part in interdisciplinary learning and collaboration on environmental and sustainability topics.

Tomorrow’s PSU is being actively planned today, and we’re focusing our energies on eight tactics to guide our progress:

Retention – Retaining more students through graduation so they can reap the lifelong benefits of a Plymouth State education.

Undergraduate Admissions – Continuing to serve in-state students while branching out to be a school of choice all the way from the top of New England to the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.

Graduate Programs – Rebuilding with a focus on professional programs, and on combined undergraduate/graduate offerings that are cost-effective.

Summer and Winterim Offerings – Reinventing these less busy periods with attractive opportunities.

“Stackable” Modules – Developing skill-based, short duration options for students both inside and out of our typical resident population.

Evolution of Clusters – Continued administrative and pedagogical refinements.

Kaizen (“continuous improvement”) Shared Services – Efficiencies through common work platforms, such as Finance and IT, with other University System of NH institutions.

Ascent/Pathfinder – A specialized program providing additional academic, social, and financial support.

Our magnificent campus is an inspiring setting for scholarship and numerous improvements are in the works, including the Hyde Hall renovation that is providing a fitting home for our School of Business.

PSU is a dynamic enterprise and our motto, Ut Prosim (That I may serve), is our North Star. We invite you to join us as we move ahead in service to our students, state, communities, and partners. ■ President Donald L. Birx

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