Last January, just after President Trump\u2019s second inauguration, I shared the perspective below, \u201cWhatever Happens in Washington, We Have More Work to Do,\u201d explaining that, whatever threats we might face, here in the Merrimack Valley we are practical, resourceful and resilient, and we would continue to operate by our most important principles, for our students and the communities we serve.<\/p>\n
The year since has turned out to be one of the most tumultuous twelve months for American higher education most of us have ever seen, especially for elite, private institutions and large, flagship universities, which have experienced billions of dollars in reductions from federal grants; sudden, major shifts in research priorities; and a plethora of policy changes and legal actions striking at institutional autonomy, admissions and hiring practices, curriculum and classroom teaching and, of course, DEI.<\/p>\n
Community colleges like NECC, though, have not been immune from the federal government\u2019s whiplash policy and funding decisions, and we have had to work closely with each other, state agencies, and national advocacy organizations to safeguard our students, our missions, and our resources.<\/p>\n
Here are just a few examples of what has changed, and what hasn\u2019t, since January 20, 2025:<\/p>\n
We are a long way from being out of the woods. Many perils still lie ahead, but if asked what we are going to do to serve our students through them all, my answer remains the same: More.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s working.<\/p>\n
In recent days, I have been asked by a number of concerned faculty, staff and students, and leaders in our community, what Northern Essex Community College is going to do to serve our students, many of whom are Latino, immigrants, low-income, and first generation, now that the new administration in Washington is aggressively attacking higher education and seeking to dismantle any signs of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campuses.<\/p>\n
My response: More.<\/p>\n
That is not some kind of defiant, political stance.<\/p>\n
Rather, it is simply an acknowledgement that the college\u2019s fundamental mission since our founding in 1961 has been to effectively educate all <\/em>of the residents of northeast Massachusetts, and our work is far from done.<\/p>\n In our nation\u2019s capital, the second Trump administration launched with a culture war, blaming DEI for everything from the Los Angeles wildfires<\/a> to the recent horrific crash of a jetliner and helicopter<\/a> over the Potomac River; vowing to end \u201cradical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing<\/a>;\u201d firing huge portions of the federal workforce; and seeking to eliminate funding meant to serve the most marginalized and vulnerable among us, including many students on college campuses.<\/p>\n Without doubt, American higher education is under threat and in crisis.<\/p>\n Here in the Merrimack Valley, the seeds of America\u2019s industrial revolution are buried deep in our character and our culture. We are practical and resourceful. We have rolled up our sleeves and weathered other crises in recent years, like the Columbia Gas Explosions<\/a> and the COVID-19 Pandemic and, by living our mission and our core values, and by leveraging our unique strengths, we will weather this one, too.<\/p>\n At NECC, we will:<\/p>\n Follow the law.<\/strong><\/p>\n We are a public college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that was formed through laws, with a mission to educate students to become informed, responsible citizens. This is not just lip service. We demonstrate this value through opportunities like our Civic Scholars Program<\/a> and being recognized as one of America\u2019s \u201cMost Engaged Campuses<\/a>\u201d for student voting.<\/p>\n We recognize that our democracy relies on respect for our laws, and that any institution or individual that violates them is violating one of our nation\u2019s greatest strengths.<\/p>\n Advocate for our students and communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n Enshrined in our laws is the freedom of speech, the right to assemble, to protest, and to petition the government to right wrongs. While it is not the task of colleges or their presidents to take a stand on every issue of the day, it is the responsibility of college faculty to seek the truth within their subjects and to state it as they see it<\/a>, and the obligation of college leaders to ensure the safety, protect the rights, and advocate for the needs of their students.<\/p>\n Here at NECC, we have risen to the defense of our students and communities<\/a> before when they have been unjustly attacked, and we have helped pass laws, like the recent Tuition Equity Bill<\/a>, to expand opportunities for everyone we serve, and we will continue to support or lead efforts that protect our students\u2019 safety and rights, and aid their success.<\/p>\n Welcome and serve immigrants.<\/strong><\/p>\n Geography is destiny in countless ways.<\/p>\n The geography of NECC includes campuses in two Massachusetts Gateway Cities with proud industrial histories: Haverhill and the \u201cImmigrant City\u201d of Lawrence which, for more than 150 years, has been celebrated as home to generation after generation of Irish, Germans, Italians, Lebanese, Polish, and now Dominicans and others from across the Caribbean and Central and South America. <\/p>\n The accents may have changed, but the dreams, the challenges, the perseverance, and the will to succeed and to thrive is as powerful as ever.<\/p>\n At NECC, we know that we are a nation of immigrants, and that despite the overheated rhetoric about migrants invading the country, committing crimes, and taking jobs, the proportion of foreign-born residents in America is about the same today as it was in 1890: 14%. <\/p>\n About a third of immigrants to the United States have at least a bachelor\u2019s degree, making them as educated as native-born Americans. They commit fewer crimes<\/a>, are stabilizing our population at a time when birth rates are declining, and improve the country\u2019s economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recognizing the need for more educated and skilled workers for tomorrow\u2019s Bay State workforce, in the months ahead NECC will be building on the recommendations in a recent report from the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Tapping Untapped Talent: <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n How Foreign-Educated Immigrants Can Strengthen the Massachusetts Economy<\/a><\/em>, by expanding our award-winning PIES Latinos de NECC<\/a> program to help even more skilled immigrants validate their credentials and build on their education to reach their professional potential\u2014right here in the Merrimack Valley.<\/p>\n Welcome and serve everyone.<\/strong><\/p>\n As the first federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in all of New England, Northern Essex Community College serves the largest proportion of Latino students of any higher education institution in the northeast, and we will continue to provide services our Latino students need to succeed whether the U.S. Department of Education and the HSI designation continue to exist or not (NECC, after all, has been around longer than either of them).<\/p>\n We also serve thousands of other students representing a wide array of races, ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, and other personal characteristics, and each and every one of them deserves our full attention, which is why our strategic plan is called \u201cSuccess for All<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n At NECC, our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion is a practical one. <\/p>\n We are less focused on some of the traditional higher ed trappings of DEI (like prescribed language guides, land acknowledgements, and \u201cdecolonizing\u201d the curriculum) and instead prioritize policies and initiatives that matter most to our students and truly create more equitable outcomes, like:<\/p>\n\n
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