MANCHESTER, NH — New England College and the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) announce a merger of the two schools, by October 1, 2018. The merger process is expected to take approximately four months to complete.
Officials from both institutions will work closely during this transition period to develop the processes and procedures to benefit students, faculty, staff, alumni, supporters, and their communities. The transition process will address issues such as academic programs, accreditation, student services, enrollment operations, human resources, and finance.
Ultimately, the merger is expected to enhance the delivery of academic programs and streamline administrative services, said Kent Devereaux, NHIA President.
“Both our colleges are experiencing a record number of inquiries and applications this year and projected increases in our incoming classes for this fall; we are confident that this alliance will allow us to grow enrollment on both campuses even more in future years, and strengthen our ongoing operations as well as our balance sheet,” Devereaux said.
This new alliance will also offer students expanded opportunities through cross-registration, access to more online courses, new major/minor possibilities, he said.
“And it will allow us to make investments in new programs that will make each institution more attractive to students from across the nation as well as abroad. For example, at NHIA this year we’re launching two new BFA programs in Comic Arts and User Experience (UX) Design. I would hope that this new merger might allow us to add new programs in animation, game design, digital media, product design, and other growing fields in future years at our Manchester campus,” Devereaux said.
Following the merger, Devereaux said he will continue to serve as president of NHIA, while Dr. Michele Perkins will serve as president & CEO of the entire college. Further details on structure and operations will be announced over the next several months.
“We will work carefully together over the next several months to determine the best structure for merging the institutions and will be diligent in our efforts to keep our campus communities informed and involved,” said Perkins.
A proposed merger four years ago between NHIA and Southern NH University was not supported by NHIA alumni and following several community conversations, was determined to not be a good fit for NHIA at that time.
New England College is a private, non-profit, four-year, and graduate, higher education institution located in Henniker, NH and is dedicated to providing exceptional education for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report in the top tier of baccalaureate colleges in the north, New England College prepares students in a manner that is robust, thorough, and engaging.
The College offers 37 bachelor’s degree programs, 12 master’s degree programs, and one doctoral degree program, all delivered in the liberal arts tradition and with an emphasis on experiential learning. New England College enrolls approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The New Hampshire Institute of Art is the oldest and largest non-profit arts institution in New Hampshire, founded in 1898 and today offering undergraduate (BFA, Dual Degree BFA/MAT), graduate (MFA, MAT), and community education programs (Youth Arts, Pre-College, Community Education, Professional Development) in art, design, and writing serving over 2,000 students annually on two campuses in Manchester and Sharon/Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Both presidents say they believe a merger offers two outstanding higher education institutions, each committed to the liberal arts and real-world learning, the opportunity to explore the benefits of sharing academic programs in a cooperative format targeted at better serving students through expanded academic offerings.
