Northern Essex President Lane Glenn, UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, and Salem State University President John Keenan discuss strategies for seeing students through the transfer process and onto degree completion and career attainment. 

Haverhill, MA (January 21, 2026) – The spring 2026 semester at Northern Essex Community College began with examining a critical component of student success: creating seamless transfer pathways for students following completion of their associate degrees. NECC President Lane Glenn invited Chancellor Julie Chen of UMass Lowell and President John Keenan of Salem State University, NECC’s two primary transfer destinations, to a panel discussion at this year’s Spring Convocation held on NECC’s Haverhill Campus.

Community colleges play a vital role in creating accessible pathways to education that provide a gateway to high-demand careers, upward mobility, and continued lifelong learning. In Massachusetts, this often requires students to attain a bachelor’s degree. Between the fall of 2020 and the summer of 2025, 235 Northern Essex graduates transferred to Salem State, and 1,121 to UMass Lowell. Glenn noted that while many of those students find success, there are many more who don’t initiate the transfer process at all:

“Nationwide, about 75% of community college students, including ours, show up on campus with the intent to complete associate degrees and/or transfer to a four-year institution and complete a bachelor’s degree. Only about a third of them transfer, and only about half of those finish the bachelor’s degree.”

MassTransfer initiatives like A2B Pathways, the Commonwealth Commitment, and Reverse Transfers are key tools in assisting students in the transfer process. But, at Tuesday’s Convocation, leaders from all three institutions acknowledged the need for more personal, flexible solutions to best serve the NECC student.
Chen said that at UML, they continue to improve the transfer process and remove potential barriers, such as the length of time it takes to get transfer credits approved and how many credits are accepted.

Chen said UMass Lowell continues to strengthen the transfer experience by reducing barriers and improving processes, including streamlining the approval of transfer credits and maximizing the number of credits students can apply toward their degrees.

“Equally important is what happens after transfer students arrive,” Chen said. “When students transfer from Northern Essex to UMass Lowell, we want them to feel welcomed, supported, and connected from day one.

“Through efforts such as the Transfer Alliance Program, incoming UML transfer students are paired with experienced transfer students who serve as mentors, helping them navigate academics, campus resources, and university life. Transfer-focused programming and advising are designed to foster community and provide ongoing support throughout students’ time at UMass Lowell—recognizing that transfer students enter with different needs and pathways than first-year students.”

“The data on our campus is clear. Students who show up on our campus with an associate degree are our most successful,” said Keenan, emphasizing how that success transfers directly into the local economy.

“Much like [NECC] students, Salem State students stay here on the North Shore. I can’t go into any business in Salem or in Essex County without meeting one of my graduates. We’re doing the work and keeping the economy thriving in the Commonwealth.”

In 2023, Salem State created the Transfer Connections Partnership with NECC and North Shore Community College. It gives students the option to apply for joint admission at SSU when they enroll at NECC and complete their degree. It also offers a transfer scholarship worth up to $3,000 and provides students with a dedicated transfer coach.

NECC has a similar agreement with UML. NECC students who opt into joint admissions on their application will also be conditionally accepted to UML. Upon completion of their associate degree, joint admissions students will have priority registration at UML, they will get priority for Merit Scholarships, and they will be exempt from UMass’s Core Curriculum.

Additionally, students who graduate in the top 10% of their class at NECC will be eligible for the Community College Advantage Scholarship. This awards transfer students up to $2500 per semester to complete their bachelor’s degree within the following two years at any of the four UMass undergraduate campuses.

For current Northern Essex students, work is underway to better highlight transfer opportunities from the moment they enroll. Part of that work includes the creation of a transfer toolkit with information about top transfer destinations and joint admission agreements for faculty and staff to help guide students.

“We’re not just sending our students out into the world and hoping for the best. We’re building those networks of support as they leave Northern Essex,” said Glenn, underscoring that discussions like Tuesday’s will need to continue to ensure a clear, efficient, and equitable transfer process for NECC students.

For more information about transfer opportunities, visit the webpage.

Haverhill, MA (January 12, 2026) – The Northern Essex Community College Athletic Department is proud to announce the inductees for the sixth class of the Northern Essex Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 5th, in the Hartleb Technology Center and will feature Nathan Proulx ’03 (Men’s Basketball), Shana Blaney ’09 (Track & Field), Olivia Mullins ’19, and the 2016 national runner-up baseball team.

Meet the NECC Hall of Fame Class of 2026:

Nathan Proulx, a 2003 graduate from Lowell, MA, starred as a two-time all-region selection and 1,000-point scorer under head coach Darren Stratton. His on-court consistency, leadership, and all-around skill made him a force on the basketball court, while also having a presence throughout the campus with his involvement. During both seasons, he was among the nation’s leaders in both free throw and shooting percentage.

After his two years on the court in the Knights uniform, Proulx transferred to UMass-Boston, where he continued his playing career for the Beacons. There, he completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. He currently teaches both physical and special education and serves as a mentor in the Boston Public Schools.

Shana Blaney, a 2009 graduate from Salisbury, MA, earned her accolades competing on the Knights track team under coach Dawn Caputo while also being a member of both the volleyball and basketball teams during her time at NECC. She currently still holds both the school record in the shot put and discus.

She earned both NJCAA and USTFCAA All-American honors in both throwing events at the national competition in 2006 and 2009. In 2006, she placed 5th in the discus and 8th in the shot put and improved upon both in 2009, placing 4th in the discus and 3rd in the shot put.

Following her graduation from NECC, she went on to Marywood University, where she competed as a member of the swimming and diving team and earned her bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education. She currently manages her family business, David’s Fish Market in Salisbury.

Olivia Mullins, a 2019 graduate from Plaistow, NH, competed in a pair of NJCAA national competitions in both cross country under coach Suzanne Dunn and track and field coach Nelson Desilvestre, where she set a pair of school records in both the 1,500- and 3,000-meter events.

She earned USTFCAA All-American honors in track and field at the 2019 national meet by placing 6th in the 1,500 and 5th in the 5,000 events. She also competed in the cross-country national meet in both 2017 and 2018, placing among the top 50 competitors.

After her graduation from NECC, she went on to Fitchburg State University, where she was a top distance runner for the Falcons in cross country and both indoor and outdoor track and field before earning her bachelor’s degree in educational studies.

The 2016 baseball team was the sixth baseball team all-time to qualify for the NJCAA World Series and the only team to date that advanced to the national championship game before falling to Tyler (TX) Junior College 4-3.

Before that loss, NECC went on a magical World Series run under coach Jeff Mejia with wins against Montgomery County, Niagara County, and Rowan Gloucester, and concluded the season with an overall record of 24-16 with a team batting average of .328

The team featured three All-Americans and 11 players who went on to play at the four-year level, including four who earned scholarships to play at the Division I level. Among the transfers to play at the Division I level were national player of the year Colby Maiola and Gold Glove catcher Keith Linane.

Team members included: Brahiam Ortega, Jordan Roper, Traverse Briana, Keith Linnane, Dave Brindamour, John Sirois, Evan Glew, Christian Balbuena, Colby Maiola, James Foley, Nicholas Bruno, Robert Barry, Mark Sicard, Argeny Villa, Matthew Marquez, John Sanchez, Gianni Esposito, Ellido Reyes, Xavier Nunez, and Anthony Dally.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are on sale now and can be purchased through the NECC Knights website for $35 and will be available through February 27th.

For questions about the NECC Athletic Hall of Fame, please contact Director of Athletics, Dan Blair dblair@necc.mass.edu.