New England College


New England College is a private liberal arts college in Henniker, New Hampshire. It enrolls approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The college is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

History

Founded in 1946, New England College was established to serve the needs of servicemen and women attending college on the G.I. Bill after World War II. In 1970, the college purchased the Tortington Park School for Girls in Arundel, in the English county of West Sussex. For a time, the school functioned as an extension campus for NEC students wishing to study abroad; at one point, the college even changed its logo to incorporate the flags of both countries. However, the Arundel campus closed in 1998. For many years, the Theatre Department sent a group of students over to the British campus during the January term and spring term to prepare three shows for touring in England, Scotland, Wales, and sometimes elsewhere in Europe. This was a model program that combined study abroad with practical theatre experience.

Campus

NEC is located in the small town of Henniker, New Hampshire, approximately west of Concord, the state's capital; northwest of Manchester; and northwest of Boston. The Contoocook River runs through the center of town and alongside the NEC campus. A covered bridge joins the main campus with roughly of athletic fields.
The campus, which has no distinct borders separating it from the town of Henniker, features 30 buildings, many of which feature white clapboard-style siding or brick mid-century architecture. The campus is known throughout New England for promoting environmental education initiatives. Pats Peak ski resort lies just outside the village center, and many students participate in outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting, hiking in the White Mountains, and rock-climbing.

Academics

New England College offers 9 associate degree programs, 37 bachelor's degree programs, 12 master's degree programs, and one doctoral degree program. The programs are divided into four divisions: the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Management, and the School of Natural & Social Sciences. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, and all programs offered by New England College are included in this regional accreditation. Additionally, the school's Teacher Education Program are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Currently, the school employs 40 full-time faculty members and holds a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
The college's business degree programs have received "Candidate for Accreditation" Status by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, which is one of three non-profit business school accrediting agencies recognized by CHEA.
Experiential learning—learning by doing—serves as the foundation for NEC's approach to higher education. This approach builds upon what students learn in the classroom. Internships and fieldwork place students side by side with professionals in their chosen fields, giving students real-world application of classroom experiences. NEC also challenges students to reach their full potential through informed discourse and the pursuit of excellence in a framework of academic freedom that reflects the College's values.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks New England College #142-#187 in "Regional Universities - North, Tier 2." New England College ranks tied for 173 on the U.S. News & World Report list for "Best Online Bachelor's Programs" and ranks tied for 86 on the U.S. News & World Report list for Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans.

Student life

The college is home to 27 student organizations, including various student government committees and Kappa Delta Phi NAS. There were originally five chapters of Greek life: two sororities and three fraternities, but those dissolved beginning in the late 2000s. Students also publish an award-winning campus newspaper called The New Englander and operate a campus-based radio station, WNEC-FM.
New England College opened a state-of-the-art esports arena in January 2019. Esports is a growing event that teaches the same skills and talents as other sports: leadership, communication, perseverance, and determination. This club sport at NEC is closely connected to several academic programs, such as Game and Digital Media Design and programs focusing on art, writing, marketing, graphic or website design, science, and strategy.

Diversity

NEC has been publicly recognized by Time magazine as one of the top 25 colleges in the nation which have diversified their student body the most since 1990. The college strengthened its diversity efforts by establishing an Office of Diversity and Inclusion, whose mission is to "provide intentional programs and services which enhance self-awareness, academic success, cross-cultural engagement, as well as encourage individual and collective advocacy." The ODI assists in creating an inclusive campus environment that fosters respect for each person, equity, appreciation for all cultures and promotes diverse ideas within the New England College community. The ODI holds annual events that observe minority communities such as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American & LGBTQ students."

Notable speakers and series

During the 2016 United States presidential primary election, New England College hosted town hall meetings for many invited candidates such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz, and Senator Bernie Sanders.
Every year the President's Speaker Series brings to campus prominent leaders and innovators from business, nonprofits, public policy, and issue-areas for students and members of the NEC and Henniker communities. Among these speakers are former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, author and business leader Larry Weber, former CEO of Priceline Jeff Boyd, New Hampshire state senator Sylvia Larsen, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, and New Hampshire’-based inventor and engineer Dean Kamen.

Athletics

New England College's Pilgrims compete in 19 intercollegiate NCAA Division III athletic sports, including soccer, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, softball, baseball, basketball, cross-country, wrestling, volleyball, rugby, and alpine skiing. The Pilgrims compete in the New England Collegiate Conference. They were previously members of the North Atlantic Conference from 2011 to 2018 and the Commonwealth Coast Conference from 1989 to 2011.

Club sports

Accomplishments

Baseball

Men's
Women's
Men's
Women's
Men's
Men's
Women's
Men's
Men's
Notable alumni include: