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Spring Semester Brings Optimism to Campus

Due to the safety efforts and vigilance of the entire UMass Lowell community, the university has increased its population for the spring semester and is looking forward to a full reopening in fall 2021.

Spring Semester Brings Optimism

Numbers You Can Count On

  • Residential students this spring
  • The number of in-person or hybrid classes this semester
  • Testing positivity rate from Aug.-Dec. 2020
Masked male and female student outside Photo by Ed Brennen

More Students

Enrollment for spring is up compared to this time last year and we’ve increased our residential student population by 50 percent over fall. We have more than doubled the in-person or hybrid offerings this spring, enabling more traditional classroom experiences. As a result, we’ve ramped up our COVID-19 surveillance testing program to enable every student and employee working, learning or living on campus to get tested weekly.
Sign about social distancing on door Photo by Ed Brennen

Low Positivity

In total, we ended up with a 0.47 percent positivity rate out of more than 19,000 tests from August through December — a fraction of Greater Lowell’s numbers. Through coordination from our Emergency Operations Center, our community stepped up, wore masks, socially distanced and followed the other public health recommendations designed to keep each other safe.
Man kicking soccer ball on rec field Photo by Ed Brennen

More Activities

As the weather gets warmer, we hope to further increase campus activities — including spring and previously postponed fall sports — while adhering to state and federal public health guidelines. Our Student Affairs and University Events Division is planning ways for us to safely engage and gather in person. We’re always looking for ways to implement as much pre-pandemic normalcy as possible.
Hand holding 2021 crystal ball

What Comes after COVID?

It’s not a stretch to say COVID-19 has changed everything, from the way we work and learn, to how we access health care or cast ballots. We asked our resident experts at UML to weigh in on what we can expect in a post-pandemic world. They shared their perspective on a range of topics, from shopping to health care, from concert-going to the housing market. See what they have to say.