This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Keene State College and university system leaders officially met for the first time Tuesday with a community group formed to support the institution through its financial difficulties.
The college is in the midst of budget cuts imposed by the state that triggered staff layoffs and buyouts. In response, 18 people with connections to Keene State recently launched an effort to support the college and its liberal arts programs.
Mayor Jay Kahn convened the meeting after hearing concerns about Keene State’s future, and wanted to get officials and the community group together to talk. He said he was reassured by officials from the college and university system saying they’re committed to keeping Keene State an independent institution.
The meeting featured a presentation from college officials and a question-and-answer portion, according to a news release from the community group. It “marked a positive first step in an ongoing dialogue about Keene State College’s importance to the state and local economy and its role as a premier educational institution in New Hampshire,” the release said.
Keene State spokesperson Sarah Kossayda said the university system’s board of trustees supports the system’s three higher-education institutions — Keene State College, Plymouth State University and the University of New Hampshire — maintaining their own accreditations and finances.
The college contributes significantly to the city’s economy and is a major employer in the region. In fall 2024, it employed roughly 600 faculty and staff, according to data on its website.
Kahn described the meeting’s tone as “very positive” and said he felt that the meeting attendees want to align their interest with the college and university system’s respective leadership.
Debbie Bowie, a member of the community group, felt similarly.
“I think what they’ve given us is confidence that we can make it through this,” she said. “We as a community need to come together to encourage students to come to Keene.”
Attending the meeting were Donald Birx, the president of Plymouth State University who is also serving as Keene State’s interim president; USNH Chancellor Cathy Provencher; USNH Board of Trustees Chairman Mike Pilot; Keene State’s Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, Nathalie Houder; and Keene State Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kirsti Sandy.
In October, Keene State President Melinda Treadwell left to take the top job at SUNY Geneseo, and Birx was named interim president.
“The college leaders need to continue the processes that they undertook over the last six weeks,” said Kahn, who served for decades as Keene State’s vice president of finance and planning. “We don’t want to interfere with that process. The outcomes of that process [are of] interest in our community, and moving forward, [the question is] ‘How do we align our community support efforts to assist the direction the college plans to take?’”
While the community group members felt administrators heard their concerns, some of their questions were not answered, Bowie said.
“We wanted to hear about the future planning, they didn’t really have answers on that,” she said. “I think there will be some sort of plan for where the college will be in the future. They did say the liberal arts is a key foundation.”
The college is undergoing efforts to trim a $4 million deficit created by the N.H. Legislature’s cuts that eliminated roughly $18 million from the University System of New Hampshire’s budget in 2025. In November, 25 staff positions at Keene State — including eight vacant roles — were terminated, according to a Nov. 18 statement from Birx. Twelve faculty also stepped down voluntarily to take separation packages, a USNH spokesperson said in a Nov. 20 email.
Kahn said the parties will meet again to continue discussions.
“The support and commitment of the people of Keene and the Monadnock region are among the most distinctive competitive advantages for KSC,” Pilot said in the news release. “It’s exciting to have these voices at the table.”