A Look at Spending on DEI and Social Issue Programming in New Hampshire’s Public Colleges

CONCORD, NH- New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities have faced increasing scrutiny over their spending priorities in recent years. While some academic programs have seen cuts and operational budgets tightened, programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and related social programming, have continued to receive consistent or increasing financial support. A review of publicly available data from the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) — including the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Plymouth State University (PSU), and Keene State College (KSC) — reveals how these initiatives have been funded from FY2023 through FY2024.

University of New Hampshire (UNH)

UNH’s institutional DEI investment includes a central office with at least 3 full-time administrators (Chief Diversity Officer plus staff) and a multicultural student center with 3 professional staff, alongside a civil rights compliance office with 5 staff – altogether, roughly 8–10 dedicated DEI employees funded by UNH (not counting faculty on diversity committees or student employees).

DEI Administration and Staff

UNH, the flagship university, has an established Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (often referred to as the Office of Community, Equity and Diversity, or OCED). This office is led by Dr. Nadine Petty, who serves as Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President for Community, Equity and Diversity and in 2023 her base salary was about $195,291​. As CDO and Associate VP, Petty sits on UNH’s executive leadership and oversees diversity initiatives across campus. Her office includes at least two additional full-time staff: an assistant director and an administrative coordinator. For example, the OCED’s administrative coordinator role (held by Amanda Harvey) had a base salary of about $57,283 as of mid-2024 (comparable data for 2023 was not published, but the position existed by 2023). These positions support programming, training, and campus-wide DEI strategic planning.

Beyond the central OCED, UNH supports a multicultural student center known as The Aulbani J. Beauregard Center for Equity, Justice, and Freedom (formerly the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs). The Beauregard Center functions as an intersectional student support and community space. It is staffed by professional personnel and reports to the OCED. The center’s Director, Yashwant Vyas, had a 2023 base salary of $86,500 (listed as “Dir Multicultural Student Aff” in HR records). Vyas is assisted by at least two Assistant Directors (for education/outreach and for programming/engagement)​. These assistant director positions were filled around 2022–2023, with base salaries in the range of ~$60,000–65,000 (e.g., one assistant director is classified as an Educational Program Coordinator II with a $65,000 salary in FY2024​.

Facilities for DEI:

Unlike some campuses that have free-standing diversity centers, UNH’s DEI functions are housed within existing campus buildings. The OCED administrative offices are in Thompson Hall (the main administration building), and the Beauregard Center occupies a suite in the Memorial Union Building.

The student-facing multicultural center is a designated space within the broader student union. This space was renovated and dedicated to DEI programming but was not a new standalone construction. (The MUB itself is a general facility built in 1957 and expanded in 2007, primarily serving all student organizations – thus it’s not exclusively a DEI building). DEI offices utilize portions of existing facilities.

Keene State College (KSC)

Keene State’s institutionally funded DEI spending centers on one senior administrator (AVP for Diversity) with a salary around $140k​, plus a small staff of coordinators in student affairs. The creation of a dedicated center and the cabinet-level position for diversity reflect a firm commitment of financial resources by 2023.

DEI Administration and Staff

Keene State College’s DEI efforts are led by the Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), which provides institutional leadership on diversity initiatives and inclusive policy/practice development​. The head of this office is Dr. Dottie Morris, who serves as Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity (also referred to as the chief diversity officer for KSC). Dr. Morris is a member of the President’s Cabinet at Keene State, ensuring that DEI priorities are represented at the highest level of campus decision-making. Her base salary in 2023 was approximately $139,766. As the sole administrator at the AVP level for diversity, Dr. Morris consults on a wide range of issues including curriculum, hiring, campus climate, and bias incident response.

​KSC’s structure is smaller than UNH’s, so the JEDI office has a leaner staff. Dr. Morris’s office works closely with Student Affairs to support student-facing diversity programs. In 2022, KSC created an Office of Student Diversity, Belonging, and Equity (OSDBE) to focus on student support and programming under the JEDI framework. This office runs events (like cultural workshops and “Crafternoon” art sessions) and provides mentorship and advocacy for students from DEI groups. The OSDBE is staffed by at least one professional coordinator – for example, an LGBTQ+ Student Support Coordinator (Ian Kaplan) serves as a point of contact for student diversity and belonging initiatives. Mr. Kaplan’s position is institutionally funded, but his salary was not separately listed in the 2023 HR data available. Other DEI-related roles at KSC include faculty or staff who coordinate specific inclusion programs (often as part of other jobs).

Facilities for DEI:

In late 2022, Keene State opened a new campus Cultural Center dedicated to DEI programming and student belonging. It was an existing building (historically known as the Blake House, a former academic office building) that was repurposed and renovated to serve as KSC’s Cultural Center. The Center officially launched in Fall 2022 – KSC hosted an open house on September 9, 2022 to mark its opening​. During that event, students, faculty, and staff were invited to help “co-create a dynamic center,” indicating the space was being introduced as a new hub for diversity and social justice activities​.

By locating the OSDBE in this standalone Cultural Center, KSC signaled an investment in a visible, dedicated space for diversity and inclusion. The Cultural Center provides meeting space, lounge/study areas, and offices for the diversity staff. “Keene State College’s new Cultural Center, a place of activity, renewal, and connection,” the OSDBE announces on its website​, underscoring that it is intended as a gathering place for the entire KSC community to engage with diversity. The renovation costs were not broken out separately in public budget documents, and as an existing college-owned property its assessed value isn’t itemized in KSC’s financial reports.

Plymouth State University (PSU)

Plymouth State’s University (PSU) DEI spending profile by 2023 consists of a Chief Diversity Officer and an assistant director, plus operating funds for the new center’s programming. This was a new investment starting in 2022, so PSU’s DEI budget went from essentially zero dedicated staff to two staff and a center within that year. The overall scale is smaller than UNH’s, but for PSU it was a significant addition. The university leveraged an existing Main Street facility for its Diversity & Social Justice Center (IDEA Center), avoiding major construction costs while still providing a dedicated DEI venue​

DEI Administration and Staff: 

Plymouth State University, the smallest of the three, significantly ramped up its DEI efforts in 2021–2022. PSU established, for the first time, a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) role and an accompanying diversity center in 2022. Alberto Ramos was hired as PSU’s inaugural CDO and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in early 2022. He assumed the role on March 1, 2022, joining the President’s Cabinet and taking charge of building PSU’s DEI infrastructure. Ramos came with prior experience in the Minnesota state university system and was tasked with not only leading programs but also developing policies and training across campus​. His position is fully institutionally funded; his base salary in 2023 was approximately $98,430. As CDO, he oversees PSU’s new diversity office (branded as the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Center).

Supporting Alberto Ramos is at least one additional professional staff member: Paige Paradise, the Assistant Director of the IDEA Center. Ms. Paradise’s role focuses on student programming, education, and administrative support for the center​. (Her position is akin to a program coordinator; although her name appears in PSU publications, her salary first appears in FY2024 HR records at about $44,886​, indicating she was likely hired during 2023 as the center got underway.)

PSU’s DEI staffing states they collaborate with other departments and student groups. For instance, the IDEA Center works with Admissions on diversity scholarships and with Student Life on supporting affinity student organizations​. Two months ago they were ready to change the langue to get around President Trump's Executive Orders surrounding DEI.

Facilities for DEI: 

Alongside hiring a CDO, Plymouth State in 2022 opened a new Diversity, Equity and Social Justice Center on campus. According to a March 2022 university announcement, “Welcoming Alberto Ramos as our first Chief Diversity Officer and the opening of our new Center for Diversity, Equity and Social Justice mark significant steps forward…” . The center is referred to interchangeably as the IDEA Center in current usage. PSU strategically situated this center in a highly accessible spot: “PSU’s new Center for Diversity, Equity and Social Justice is situated in a prominent location on Main Street, Plymouth, easily accessible to members of the campus and community-at-large.”.

PSU repurposed an existing space for the diversity center, completing interior renovations by early 2022 (the effort was “the result of nearly two years of planning,” according to news reports). No separate capital appropriation was identified solely for this center; its costs were part of PSU’s overall facilities budget. University officials did note that the center would be a “hub where students of all backgrounds and the community can gather, learn, discuss issues, and more”​. By the 2022–23 academic year, the IDEA Center was fully functional, hosting events and offering resources such as a Diversity Fellows/Scholars program and support for affinity clubs​

plymouth.edu. The center’s establishment represents PSU’s commitment of physical space to DEI, achieved by reallocating existing campus real estate rather than new construction.

Conclusion

Despite budget constraints and academic program cuts, New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities have continued to fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives with dedicated staffing and facilities across the University System of New Hampshire. At UNH, DEI spending supports three administrative offices and roughly 8–10 full-time staff, including a Chief Diversity Officer earning nearly $200,000 annually, with operations based in existing campus buildings. Keene State College employs a cabinet-level diversity officer with a $140,000 salary and operates a repurposed Cultural Center dedicated to DEI programming. Plymouth State University, the smallest of the three, launched its first DEI office in 2022, hiring a Chief Diversity Officer and assistant director with combined salaries around $140,000 and establishing a new Diversity Center in a Main Street facility. Across the system, these programs continue to grow, even as public scrutiny of university spending intensifies.