Chester College of New England: A History and Overview
Chester College of New England, formerly known as White Pines College, was a private, non-sectarian institution of higher education located in Chester, New Hampshire. Although it closed its doors in 2012, its history and academic programs remain a significant part of New Hampshire's educational landscape. This article explores the college's history, academic offerings, and campus life.
Historical Background
Founded in 1965 as White Pines College by Faith Preston, Ed.D., the institution initially operated as a two-year college. A significant transformation occurred in 2002 when the college, under the leadership of its third president, Dr. William Nevious, expanded into a four-year institution with a specific focus on the arts. This transition involved a name change to Chester College of New England. Dr. Nevious is credited with overseeing a period of growth and transformation during his presidency.
Leadership Transitions
After six years of service, Dr. Nevious stepped down as president on June 30, 2007. Former Manchester mayor Robert Baines was then appointed as interim president. The college faced financial difficulties, which ultimately led to the decision by Baines and the board of trustees to close the school in 2012. It's important to note that prior to the closure, faculty and staff held a vote of no confidence against Baines.
Academic Programs
Chester College of New England granted the Bachelor of Arts degree. The college offered Bachelor of Arts degrees in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Photography and Media Arts, Creative Writing, Professional Writing, Interdisciplinary Arts, and Communication Arts. The college also offered minor programs in creative writing, illustration, photojournalism, and writing.
The college's curriculum integrated liberal and creative art courses. The tranquil setting of the campus was a conducive background for nurturing the artistic and intellectual development of the students. The low student-to-faculty ratio helped to build a strong relationship between the teachers and students.
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Campus and Student Life
Location and Setting
Chester College of New England was located in the heart of Chester, New Hampshire, a rural town near Manchester. The tranquil setting of the campus was conducive to nurturing the artistic and intellectual development of the students.
Resources and Facilities
The Wadleigh Library held a perfect collection of books, periodicals, and media to support all curricular and research needs. There was a Student Success Center which offered full and part-time employment opportunities for the students. The campus also included five computer centers/labs, a college bookstore, a commuter lounge, and dining commons. All the computer centers had high-speed Internet access.
Student Body
Chester College of New England served 145 students, with 93% attending full-time. The college had a diverse student body, with minority enrollment comprising 33% of the student body, primarily Black and Hispanic students. This figure was equal to the state average of 33%. The enrollment here was very small, by design, so that students would receive individual instruction.
Visiting Artists and Writers Series
The college's Visiting Artists and Writers Series was a notable feature, welcoming artists and authors to lecture, sit in on classes, and host readings and gallery exhibits. Notable authors included Steve Almond, Nicholson Baker, Mary Gaitskill, Jennifer Haigh, Sharon Olds, George Saunders, and Michelle Tea.
Closure and Legacy
In 2012, Chester College of New England closed due to financial reasons. Following the closure, New England College and the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA) offered transfer options to Chester students. In 2015, the campus was sold and now operates as Busche Academy, a private coeducational boarding and day school which offers a college preparatory, multicultural education to students in grades 6-12 and postgraduates.
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New England College: A Contemporary Overview
While Chester College of New England is no longer in operation, it's relevant to discuss another New England institution: New England College (NEC). NEC, like Chester College, has a rich history and a commitment to providing a diverse and enriching educational experience.
Historical Context and Growth
New England College (NEC) is a private, nonprofit college founded in 1946 to serve the needs of servicepeople attending college on the GI Bill after World War II and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Academic visionary Boone Tillet identified an important opportunity to serve the educational needs of the numerous veterans returning home at the close of World War II. Their expanded vision of the world had awakened a keen interest in all they had encountered. With the growing demand for higher education and a new G.I. Tillet chose Henniker, New Hampshire, as the home for a new college dedicated to educating returning veterans. He recruited a fellow scholar, Charles Weber, from Hofstra University to serve as the College’s first dean, and he arrived in Henniker with a car full of books from his own library. A tireless entrepreneur, Tillet soon moved on to new ventures; the momentum he had created sustained the institution through its formative stage. After only three years, enrollment at New England College had more than quadrupled. Through the 1950s, the College grew steadily, adding new programs, new faculty, and acquiring additional buildings in Henniker. New England College continued to expand during the early 1970s, this time across the Atlantic Ocean. The acquisition of a second campus in Arundel, West Sussex, England, proved at that time to be an unconventional and innovative approach to education. By the 1980s, the College had increased its enrollment to more than 1,000 students and added steadily to its inventory of academic buildings. The advent of the 1990s saw an overall decline in enrollment at the nation’s small liberal arts colleges. New England College persevered during the lean financial years, but reluctantly closed its British Campus and focused its energies on its resources in Henniker. New leadership in the ‘90s led to an unprecedented growth in campus facilities with the construction of the Simon Center in 1993, and in student enrollment. The College greatly expanded its graduate degree offerings and centered its undergraduate programming on innovative delivery.
NEC offers 60 associate and bachelor’s degrees, as well as more than 20 master’s degrees and one doctoral degree program, all delivered by dedicated faculty focused on giving students opportunities to live what they learn.
Campus Environment and Diversity
New England College emphasizes experiential learning as an essential component in the development of an enduring academic community. The classic New England village of Henniker is home to New England College’s main campus. The covered bridge, white clapboard buildings, shops, inns, and restaurants might all be seen on a postcard. With the hills of southern New Hampshire as a backdrop and the Contoocook River running through its midst, the Henniker campus immediately draws visitors in to the picturesque setting and makes them feel genuinely welcomed. Our Henniker campus is nestled in the countryside of southern New Hampshire. We have all the modern conveniences, yet hiking, camping, mountain biking, boating, free snow sports, and the observation and study of nature and wildlife abound. Our Manchester campus is a short drive away in New Hampshire’s bustling Queen City. Students can walk to shops, restaurants, galleries, and cultural events and enjoy all that a thriving city offers. Both campuses are only about 15 minutes from the New Hampshire capital of Concord and about an hour from Boston. Students at New England College represent and experience great diversity. They discover a community that is internationally and culturally rich; a campus that is inclusive, informal, and friendly; and an educational experience that is challenging. New England College is the most diverse college campus in New Hampshire, with over 30% ethnic diversity among our students, and offers an active LGBTQ+ community.
Academic and Extracurricular Activities
In addition to the array of undergraduate and graduate academic programs that it offers, New England College features a wide range of co‐curricular activities that include both a high and low ropes course. The College supports intercollegiate men’s athletic teams-alpine skiing, baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and wrestling-and women’s athletic teams-alpine skiing, basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, volleyball, and wrestling. There are more than two dozen student organizations from which to choose, including Adventure Bound; the Carriage Theatre Ensemble; the International Student Association; and CiviCorps, our organization of citizen scholars and activists. Students publish a campus newspaper, The New Englander, and manage the College’s radio station, WNEC.
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Facilities and Resources at NEC
The most recent additions to the New England College campus include the John Lyons Center, named after NEC’s long-time business professor, and the Rosamond Page Putnam Center for the Performing Arts. The Lyons Center, situated where Larter Hall was located, represents a major expansion of academic program. In addition to ten state-of-the-art classrooms, Lyons offers small-group study areas, open study space, and a small café serving Starbucks coffee. The Lyons Center is adjacent to the former Henniker railroad station, completely renovated and rededicated as the Currier Alumni Center. David P. Currier, a former trustee of the College and a member of the Class of 1972, provided a major gift to create a welcoming gathering place for all alumni of the College. In 2019, the Alumni Center relocated to the newly acquired Contoocook House, and the Office of Academic Affairs now occupies the Currier Center. The Putnam Center provides a contemporary venue that advances the performing arts; fosters civic engagement; and promotes and strengthens New England College’s ties to the community, state, and region.
In July 2019, New England College announced the Institute of Art and Design at New England College, as the New Hampshire Institute of Art merged into NEC and was rebranded. Today, New England College continues to provide an enriching educational experience for both undergraduate and graduate students alike, in a dynamic and supportive learning environment. A New England College education is grounded in particular 21st century outcomes as articulated by the LEAP Campaign promoted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. New England College is also a member of the New Hampshire College and University Council (NHCUC). Under its Student Exchange Program, students may enroll at other NHCUC institutions to take individual courses or enroll as full‐time students for one or two semesters. This cross‐registration is on a space‐available basis. Courses taken at NHCUC institutions by a matriculating student are considered equivalent to courses taken at New England College, and are included in computing the NEC grade point average. NHCUC member institutions include Antioch University of New England, Colby‐Sawyer College, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce University, Granite State College, Hellenic American University, Keene State College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Plymouth State University, Rivier College, Saint Anselm College, Southern New Hampshire University, and the University of New Hampshire. Students remain degree candidates and continue to pay normal New England College tuition, but must make their own room and board arrangements and pay any extra fees (e.g. student activities) directly to the NHCUC institution. The heart of NEC’s main campus is the Simon Center. The Simon Center is the focal point for many of the College’s co‐curricular activities and larger public presentations. The CEI building is outfitted with the latest in educational technology. The second floor is home to the College’s Education Department for undergraduate through doctoral programming. H. The H. Raymond Danforth Library allows students to conduct academic research or relax with a good book. The Library’s staff is dedicated to providing the New England College community with the professional expertise and personalized attention they need to fulfill their research and information needs. A full complement of print and electronic resources is available through the Library. More than 100,000 volumes and 150 print periodical subscriptions can be found in the Library’s two floors of open stacks. Access to more than 15,000 periodical titles and full‐text databases and a number of reference sources is provided through the Library web page. Further resources provided on the Library’s webpage include subject‐specific Internet resources as well as assignment‐specific topics designed by the librarians to aid students, faculty and staff with their research needs. The Pathways Tutoring Center, located on the second floor of the Library, provides a variety of academic services including professional and peer tutoring programs. Tutors are available for individual, group, and drop‐in tutoring six days a week. They focus on core academic needs, such as math and writing, as well as support for specific academic courses. Professional and peer tutors also work with faculty members to assist students with study skills, study halls, time management, test reviews, and goal setting. The Library is home to a 30‐seat computer lab, several comfortable reading rooms, quiet study space, and an instruction area. New England College is a member of the New Hampshire College and University Council (NHCUC), which supports an active interlibrary loan program with the participating institutions. The consortium allows New England College students with a current ID to check out materials from any of its members, including the public libraries of Amherst, Bedford, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Salem and Windham, New Hampshire. Technology means reliable connectivity on today’s college campus, and the Office of Technology at New England College understands and supports this goal. Not only does the Office of Technology maintain all campus technology for teaching and learning, but it also ensures mobile accessibility, wireless connectivity for presentations, and a superior residence hall networking experience. All students at New England College have free access to the full Office 365 suite, including word processing, spreadsheets, and a host of other collaborative software and tools. Students also have one full terabyte of storage at their disposal during their time on campus. Both Windows and Apple Macintosh computers are readily available, and printers are located in the Danforth Library, the Spaulding Hall Writing Center, and the Pathways Center of the Simon Center. The latter is open 24/7. Graphic Design students even have the full Adobe Suite available free of charge. Our online students access their courses through Blackboard course management software, where our faculty use the latest design software to deliver a highly interactive and engaging system. Built in 1805 as a resort hotel, the Administration Building maintains its historic charm while serving as the location for many of the College’s administrative offices. This complex is completely outfitted with laboratories and classrooms. Two of the Science Building’s laboratories underwent extensive renovations in 2011 and now feature new equipment, instruments, and space for student research and experiments. Bridges Gymnasium is the home of the College’s intercollegiate men’s and women’s basketball teams. It also functions as a center for recreational sports and extracurricular activities such as Tae Kwon Do and dance. The fitness center, located in the lower level of Bridges Gymnasium, is open to all members of the New England College community. It is designed to provide the community with a facility dedicated to the pursuit of physical conditioning. In addition, the fitness center serves as a venue for the practical training of our students studying the field of kinesiology. The Lee Clement Ice Arena is home to the men’s and women’s ice hockey programs and serves the College’s hockey and figure skating clubs. The Field House is an all‐purpose facility that serves the College’s varsity and recreational sports teams. With more than 26 acres of athletic fields, New England College offers an extensive facility for intercollegiate and recreational programs. One of the cornerstones of the College’s athletic facilities is the $1.5 million dollar Don Melander Turf Field. New England College has more than three miles of woodland trails for snowshoeing, cross‐country skiing, and short hikes. We also have a state‐of‐the‐art high and low ropes course used for classes in outdoor leadership and education as well as co‐curricular programs that promote team building, leadership development, and communication skills. The Mainstage Theatre makes its new home in the Rosamond Page Putnam Center for the Performing Arts. The Putnam Center offers an ideal venue for the ambitious schedule of dramatic performances held throughout the calendar year. The Art Studio offers both students and faculty a quiet setting for creative expression in the visual arts. The Chester Gallery is committed to promoting and exhibiting contemporary and historically significant art to enhance the curriculum and encourage cultural inquiry and dialogue. The Gallery produces rotating exhibitions and programming in support of the mission and values of the College and provides cultural access for the community and the region. The 1,500 square feet of light‐filled exhibition area is ideal for drawings, prints, paintings, photography, sculpture, and multimedia works. The Gallery’s permanent collection includes more than 550 works in a variety of media and a gift of 150 original Andy Warhol photographs through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program. This impressive Colonial‐styled structure is the home of New England College’s president. The Greenhouse was constructed by NEC students and completed in 1973. Emma B.
Manchester Campus
The heart of the Manchester campus since 1916, French Hall is home to a variety of spaces. The basement houses the jewelry, letterpress, and silkscreen studios as well as a student lounge. The first floor is home to Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, studio space, and the Undergraduate Studies office. This building was originally the home of Hesser College, a business school in Manchester. On the first floor, you will find a conference room, Career Services, the nurse, Counseling, Student Affairs, Residence Life office, Community Education office, and Security. The Roger Williams Gallery features a broad range of student and professional artwork in diverse mediums and dimensions and serves as an educational experience for students and the community. Lowell Hall is the first green technology building on campus. In the basement, you will find the Information Technology Department and studio space. The first floor provides space for Creative Writing faculty, the RA/RD Office, studios, and classrooms. The second floor is home to Design, Illustration, and Art History faculty; the Academic Technology Office, computer lab, and studio space. Live in a piece of local history at The Hampshire, a converted Victorian home on Walnut Street, just steps from French Hall. This co-ed, traditional residence hall comes with an added bo…
History Studies at New England College
History is the exploration of the thoughts, aspirations, and achievements of every human life. As historians, our role is to sift the accumulated records of history through research. At New England College, history students apprentice as researchers, analysts, and communicators. Young historians have numerous opportunities to study abroad as part of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History program at NEC. As they grow in the profession, our journeyman students often choose to apply their skills in the area of public history. Studying history can help build the tangible skills required for successful citizens of the world. The ability to find and retrieve information is only the beginning. History students can also develop their language skills and improve their ability to analyze, synthesize, and convey information effectively. They also have the added joy of exploring the cumulative thoughts and actions of millions of people of all races, creeds, and nationalities that, taken together, constitute the story of humankind. A Bachelor of Arts in History degree can help individuals gain a more thorough understanding of modern society by studying key historical events. Earning a history degree can help students develop a skill set that applies to a wide swath of career paths.
NEC History Faculty
Dr. W. M. John D. Craig Gallagher came to NEC after teaching in the Global History program at Boston College (BC). Having earned an honors distinction as an undergraduate in his native Scotland, Craig first moved to the United States in 2009, where he discovered his love for the history of Early America, including the colonial, revolutionary, and early Republic eras. As a PhD student at BC, he further developed his research interests in the histories of capitalism and religion, and combined them in his dissertation (and now book-in-progress) on the role that Scottish religious refugees in the late 1600s played in reforming the imperial institutions of the British Empire in the decades prior to the American Revolution. In addition to his research and teaching background, Craig was also previously a content editor for Adam Matthew Digital as part of their project to digitize primary sources related to the American colonial era to make them available online to students and faculty alike. He is also currently an examiner for the AP US History exam, a member of the board of incorporators for the Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH, and with his wife, a long-term volunteer puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Dr. Kyrie Kowalik came to NEC in the fall of 2019. She began as an adjunct professor and has transitioned into a full-time role teaching Political Science. Before coming to NEC, Kyrie acted as an adjunct professor for the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where she also acted as the Emerging Scholars Program Coordinator. In this role, she worked to guide students through year-long research projects with faculty mentors. She also had the opportunity to act as the International Studies Association program chair assistant for the 2019 annual conference, where she assisted in organizing a conference program of over 3,000 attendees. Her research has been published in Peace Review and the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. She has also presented her research at numerous conferences, including the annual conferences for the International Studies Association, the American Political Science Association, and the New England Political Science Association. Before beginning her career in academia, Kyrie acted as the Grants Analyst for FIRST, a K-12 STEM nonprofit in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she distributed grants to participating teams. She also spent some time working for Habitat for Humanity, Nonprofit Vote, and the International OCD Foundation. On occasion, she also acted as a ballot inspector for the City of Manchester. When she is not teaching at NEC, Kyrie spends her time teaching dance at Miss Kelsey’s Dance Studio, where she has taught since 2014.
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