Keene State College

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From the College

The public liberal arts college of New Hampshire, Keene State College (KSC) is a vibrant educational community that provides an extensive range of opportunities, awarding associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Students come to Keene State College for its small size and friendly atmosphere, the choice of forty major programs, a location in the heart of New England, and a private feeling at a public price.

A member of the University System of New Hampshire, Keene State College is a coeducational, residential college with an enrollment of approximately 4,300 full-time, undergraduate students and 1,000 part-time and graduate students. Founded in 1909, the College enrolled 27 students in its first year. From its original 20 acres, the campus has expanded to 170 acres and more than seventy-six buildings that feature a remarkable blend of traditional and contemporary architecture.

The superb physical facilities on campus include living accommodations ranging from traditional older residence halls to apartments and suites. The College has three buildings that are registered as National Historic Landmarks and numerous recently completed facilities, including an expansive Recreation Center, the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, and a new Media Arts Center housing the departments of communication, journalism, film studies, and graphic design. KSC’s most ambitious building project ever–a Science Center–opened in 2004, and the $20-million Zorn Dining Commons was completed in 2005. The College’s newest residence hall, Pondside III, was awarded LEED “silver” certification in 2008 and hosts several living/learning student communities.

Keene State is affiliated with CoPLAC (the Council for Public Liberal Arts Colleges) and Campus Compact: The Project for Public and Community Service. Valuing service to the community, the College strives to prepare the next generation for service and leadership in the state, the region, and the nation. In 2006, the College received a prestigious Carnegie Foundation Award for community engagement. In 2007, Keene State received a Carter Partnership Award for community service.

Keene, New Hampshire, which is located at the geographic center of New England–only 84 miles from Boston and 200 miles from New York City–is a thriving, prosperous city of 23,000. The Keene State campus is bordered by Main Street on one side and the Ashuelot River on another. The campus is only four blocks from the historic downtown district, which offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and theaters. The surrounding New England landscape includes Mount Monadnock (the most-climbed mountain in the world), which is only 18 miles to the southeast of Keene. Opportunities for camping, hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, and swimming are all within a short drive of the campus.

Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts, Music, and Science degrees are granted in American studies, applied computer science, architecture, art, biology, chemistry, chemistry-physics, communication, computer mathematics, economics, education, English, engineering (transfer programs), environmental studies, film studies, French, general science, geography, geology, graphic design, health science, history, journalism, management, mathematics, mathematics-physics, music, physical education, psychology, safety studies, social science, sociology, Spanish, technology studies, and theater and dance. An individualized B.A. or B.S. major is available for students who wish to design their own interdisciplinary program. Music education and music performance students are awarded the Bachelor of Music degree. Minors in thirty-seven areas, including Holocaust studies and women’s studies, make it possible for students to supplement and strengthen their program. A strong cooperative education program provides work/credit opportunities in many majors.

Two-year degree programs offered are the Associate in Arts in general studies and Associate in Science in applied computer science, chemical dependency, general studies, and technology studies.

The College also offers a master’s degree in education and post-master’s certification programs.

Education in the liberal arts and sciences and in several professional fields is provided through associate and baccalaureate degree programs. The College implemented three major curricular initiatives in 2007: the move from a 3-credit to a 4-credit curriculum, a new Integrative Studies Program (ISP) to replace the general education requirements, and an honors program for incoming freshmen. These new programs are designed to enhance the breadth and balance of scholarship and learning at the school. All entering freshmen enroll in ISP courses on thinking and writing and quantitative literacy. The College’s areas of emphasis include teacher education, science and technology, safety studies, psychology, management, communication, and the fine and performing arts.

All baccalaureate programs have ISP requirements, which broaden, deepen, and integrate the student’s understanding of the most significant aspects of humanity’s heritage. These studies also enhance the capacity for aesthetic enjoyment, critical thinking, creativity, abstract and logical reasoning, and oral and written communication.

A total of at least 120 credit hours is required to graduate, including courses in English composition, arts and humanities, social sciences, and science/mathematics.

The academic year at Keene State consists of fall and spring semesters, plus two optional summer sessions.

Students are encouraged to study for a semester or a year in national and international exchange programs. The National Student Exchange is a domestic alternative to study abroad, with programs at 175 colleges and universities in the U.S., Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Keene State has eleven Direct Exchange Programs with institutions in Ecuador, England, France, Ireland, and Russia and more than sixty consortium programs in such popular destinations as China, Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Scotland, and Spain.

The Wallace E. Mason Library houses more than 300,000 paper volumes; has active subscriptions to more than 1,200 periodicals, newspapers, and annual publications; and has a microform collection of more than 550,000 items. Students also have access to the 100,000 volumes that are available nearby at Keene Public Library. Mason Library has direct online access to thousands of other libraries and also subscribes to EBSCOhost, FirstSearch, and JSTOR for access to additional online resources. Mason Library houses the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies, with resources for scholars and teachers; it also houses the Curriculum Materials Library, which is used by student and classroom teachers across the state.

The library is also home to the Orang Asli Archive, with materials from the indigenous peoples of peninsular Malaysia.

Keene State’s new Science Center prepares graduates for professional life in business, industry, and the public sector and trains science teachers on all levels. The $23-million, state-of-the-art building is a center for interactive learning and research in science and mathematics.

Other academic resources include the Media Arts Center, the BodyWorks Fitness Center, the Film Studies Center, the Language Learning Center, and the Writing and Math Centers.

The Redfern Arts Center on Brickyard Pond, which serves as a major regional performing arts center, houses classrooms and performance spaces for the art, dance, music, and theater programs. The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery hosts exhibits by KSC students and faculty members as well as regional, national, and international artists.

Computer equipment, both wired and wireless, is available in all academic areas. A network connects student rooms and the offices of full-time faculty members and administrative personnel to the online library catalog, e-mail, and the Web.

Tuition for the 2008–09 academic year was $6600 for New Hampshire residents and $14,450 for out-of-state students. Room and board cost $7796, and mandatory fees totaled $2178. Books and supplies cost about $600 per year.

Financial assistance is available in three basic forms: grants and scholarships, loans, and part-time employment. Grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid. Educational loans must be repaid, but such loans are made on a long-term, low-interest basis. Additional aid consists of part-time, on-campus employment. At Keene State, aid can be based on merit or need or a combination of both. Matriculated students are eligible to apply for assistance if they are enrolled in at least 6 credits per semester. Currently, approximately 70 percent of Keene State students receive some sort of financial aid. Interested students should write to Student Financial Services for more information.

The resident faculty numbers 425 men and women (185 full-time and 240 part-time), who value personal attention to students and a commitment to academic advising. They are also active in their academic fields–writing books and articles, serving as consultants, presenting papers and seminars, participating in exhibits, and performing in concerts. The full-time student-faculty ratio is 18:1.

The 27-member Student Assembly is the official student government organization of Keene State College. Its members are elected by the student body, with representatives for each academic class, off-campus students, and adult learners. A student body president and vice president are elected by the entire student body, while the chair of the Student Assembly, the secretary, and the treasurer are elected by Student Assembly members. Members of the Student Assembly serve on student committees and College Senate committees. The Student Assembly allocates student activity fee money and recognizes and sets policies for official student organizations.

The following requirements apply to all undergraduate programs. Applicants should provide an application accompanied by the application fee, an official high school transcript and evidence of high school graduation or a satisfactory high school equivalency certificate, scores on the SAT (applicants are responsible for making arrangements to take the test and for having the results forwarded to Keene State College), and a satisfactory evaluation from a high school guidance counselor, principal, or teacher. Applicants who have been out of high school for several years do not need to submit the evaluation; questions regarding this requirement should be addressed to the Director of Admissions.

Applicants should have completed college-preparatory course work, ensuring competence in English grammar and composition, college-level reading speed and comprehension, and a distribution of courses in the humanities (English literature, a modern language, history, and philosophy), the social sciences (political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, and geography), the sciences (three years required, one of which must be a lab), and mathematics (algebra I, algebra II, and geometry).

A personal interview is not required, although all applicants are encouraged to visit the campus. Visits are arranged through the Admissions Office.

To receive an application form and additional information, students should contact: