While the college was overcrowded by 1970 despite building projects, the student body began to shrink by 1972. The college stayed roughly the same size throughout the 1970s. Financially, the school began to suffer by 1972 and by 1975 was in serious financial distress. In 1975, Frank DiPietro stepped down as college president, and former New Hampshire governor Walter Peterson took over. Under Peterson, over the next five years, the college returned to financial solvency. In the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the focus was maintenance of the student body rather than growth. By the early '80s, the college was ready for expansion. In 1985, the Emily Flint Campus Center began to be built and opened in the fall of 1986. This would house the post office (moved from Degregorio building), Student Activities (moved from the Manor), conference centers, cafeteria (moved from Edgewood), snack bar (which moved from Degregorio Building), and book store (also from the Degregorio building), among other uses. The former cafeteria became residence halls on one side and a workout room on the other side. The Degregorio building became the registrar's and bursar's office. A cable television system was installed in 1986 but dismantled in 2004 and replaced with the town's cable system. In 1987, trailers were added to house students.