For Immediate Release
Contact: Matt Cookson, 603-862-0904 or Matt.cookson@usnh.edu
House Approves Bill to Change the Name of the College for Lifelong Learning to Granite State College
January 26, 2005 - Concord - The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a bill to change the name of the College for Lifelong Learning (CLL) to a new name that reflects its changing mission and focus. House Bill 99, which will change the name to Granite State College, passed the House on January 26, 2005 and will be taken up by the Senate later in this legislative session.
On January 4, 2005, The House Education Committee held a public hearing on the bill. The Committee heard from Andy Lietz, chair of the USNH Board of Trustees, Stephen Reno, chancellor of USNH, and Karol LaCroix, president of CLL. All three voiced their strong support for HB99, which was introduced by Representative Robert L'Heureaux.
"To me, the Granite in Granite State College conveys a sense of an institution that is rock solid as in our strong academic programs," said President LaCroix during her testimony. "It also suggests a sense of permanence and this would serve the institution well in this stage of its development. Granite State speaks to our statewide mission of providing access to public higher education throughout New Hampshire ."
The University System of New Hampshire staff is working with personnel at CLL to examine and evaluate ways to "re-commission" CLL to ensure that as many New Hampshire citizens seeking higher education will have access to quality, affordable, timely, and convenient programs.
"CLL has a 32-year history of being responsive to the needs of Mew Hampshire residents. We seek now to make it even more so, to strengthen its program offerings, to expand its reach through distance learning, and it have it facilitate the delivery of the best programs available within the entire university system," said Dr. Stephen Reno, Chancellor of USNH. "A name change will help that enormously."
About the University System of New Hampshire :
The mission of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) is to serve the higher educational needs of the people of New Hampshire . Through its sister institutions (University of New Hampshire , Plymouth State University , Keene State College, and College for Lifelong Learning), USNH presently serves almost 30,000 students.
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