University to Expand Access to Degrees, Courses in City’s Downtown
01/07/2013
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell announced today that it will open a satellite campus in downtown Haverhill.
Starting with the Fall 2013 semester, the new campus will bring UMass Lowell’s strengths in educating working professionals, adult learners and traditional students to Haverhill. More than 2,000 of UMass Lowell’s 16,000 students hail from Haverhill and nearby communities, and many graduates of Northern Essex Community College go on to earn four-year degrees at UMass Lowell.
“The university is excited to be initiating this project. We hope this will be the beginning of a long-term partnership with Haverhill that will bring economic vitality to the city along with UMass Lowell’s high-quality academic programs,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. “Our graduates stay in the region as highly educated members of the workforce, innovative entrepreneurs and leaders in industry and the public sector.”
UMass Lowell annually delivers a positive economic impact on the region of $490 million, according to the UMass Donahue Institute.
“UMass Lowell’s presence in Haverhill will offer tremendous opportunities to the city’s residents and its business community,” said (http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Profile/bsd1) state Rep. Brian Dempsey, a UMass Lowell alumnus and House Ways and Means chairman.
Of UMass Lowell’s 75,000 alumni, 46,000 are Massachusetts residents. Eighty-five percent of graduates stay in Massachusetts for five years after graduation and 65 percent stay longer. UMass Lowell graduates earn some of the highest mid-career and starting salaries among their counterparts from all public institutions in New England, according to PayScale.com, and the Chronicle of Higher Education has singled out UMass Lowell as having the fastest-growing graduation rate of all New England public institutions.
UMass Lowell, which has graduated record numbers of students at each of the last five (http://www.uml.edu/News/press-releases/2012/commencement-day-2012.aspx) Commencement ceremonies, has seen enrollment grow by 46 percent in the last five years. The student body numbers more than 16,000 for the first time in the university’s history and represents more than 53 countries around the world. Average SAT scores for first-year students have climbed 57 points over six years and 80 percent of UMass Lowell freshmen continue on to their sophomore year.
The Haverhill satellite campus will be overseen by the university’s award-winning Division of Online and Continuing Education and will offer students the option of traditional classroom learning and hybrid programs that combine online and in-person instruction for what is known as “blended learning.” UMass Lowell is a leader in developing new models of education, such as blended learning, and has been recognized with every major award presented by the Sloan Consortium, an international organization that works to improve the quality, scale and breadth of online education. The division offers more than 35 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and three dozen graduate certificates. UMass Lowell offers 88 degrees in total.
Through the Haverhill campus, students will have access to academics from single courses to full degrees, as well as advising and other academic support services. Full details on which programs will be offered in Haverhill are still being determined but options include graduate courses in health management, undergraduate and graduate studies in management and entrepreneurship, and courses designed to assist registered nurses complete bachelor’s degrees. UMass Lowell works closely with the state’s community colleges, including Northern Essex, to help graduates make a smooth transition to the university, where they can complete a bachelor’s degree in only two years.
“Having UMass Lowell located in downtown Haverhill will be a wonderful benefit for NECC graduates, who will no longer need to commute to Lowell to pursue their bachelor’s degrees. It will allow Northern Essex to grow its already very strong relationship with the university.” said Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn.
“UMass Lowell’s Haverhill campus is an example of how the University of Massachusetts system can employ the satellite model to bring access to a UMass education directly into communities,” said (http://www.massachusetts.edu/po/caretbio.html) UMass President Robert L. Caret. “This initiative clearly advances our mission of service to the Commonwealth and its citizens. Chancellor Meehan is committed to providing access and opportunity, and I commend him for moving forward on this important project.”
The university plans to select a location for the satellite campus in the first quarter of 2013. To start, it will consist of approximately 10,000 square feet downtown that offers proximity to highways, public transportation and train service, including the commuter rail and Amtrak’s Downeaster. Funding for the campus’ location has been made available through the FY 2013 state budget.
UMass Lowell is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the publication’s Best Colleges 2013 puts UMass Lowell at No. 170 on its Best National Universities list, an increase of seven places over last year. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching last year upgraded UMass Lowell’s classification to Doctoral Research/High in recognition of the quality of the university’s research and graduate programs. The foundation, along with the 2012 President’s Higher Education Honor Roll with Distinction, also recognized UMass Lowell for its commitment to community outreach and service.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 16,000 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health and environment, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu