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.

NECC President Lane Glenn, UML Chancellor Julie Chen, SSU President John Keenan

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.

NECC Board of Trustees Chair Jennifer Borislow, UML Chancellor Julie Chen, NECC President Lane Glenn, SSU President John Keenan, NECC Board of Trustees Secretary Jouel Gomez ’15

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.