It was set up to be an informal “meet and greet” for Chancellor Marty Meehan on his first day on the job, which fell on a Monday of Fourth of July week. As hundreds of faculty and staff formed lines along two walls and out the door of the Trustees Room, one participant said it felt more like a wedding reception – with bagels rather than cake.
A good mix of both faculty and staff were there to shake hands, say a few words, and, for some, let the new Chancellor know what they are working on and why their work is important. The tone at the Cumnock Hall event was light and informal.
“The future of this region, I believe, is dependent on us providing the most highly educated, highly skilled students we can,” said Meehan. “We will do all of this together.”
Meehan has said that making himself accessible to faculty, staff and students is a top priority. The new chancellor held a similar reception the same afternoon in the O’Leary Mezzanine on UML South and hosted a lunch with students. He finished his day around 8 p.m., after greeting employees at a pre-game barbecue at LeLacheur Park, followed by a hockey meeting at the Tsongas Arena.
While it may have been Meehan’s first official day on the job, it was not his first day working for UMass Lowell. As Chancellor-select, he worked with the UMass trustees, the Arena and Civic Stadium Commission and the City of Lowell to ensure that UMass Lowell continues to play Division 1 hockey in the Tsongas Arena. He has also held numerous meeting with deans, senior administrators, alumni, faculty, students and union leaders. One leader, Prof. Robert Parkin, said he was originally opposed to Meehan becoming chancellor. “The man who convinced me I was wrong was Marty Meehan,” he said at the Cumnock Hall reception.
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