06/06/2024
By Julie Chen

I’m pleased to share with you that UMass Lowell has recently received official word from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) that the university’s accreditation has been continued and that the next comprehensive evaluation will be scheduled for Fall 2033 (in 10 years).

This is an outcome that speaks both to the outstanding education and services this university provides, but also to the immense amount of work completed during the last three years demonstrating and summarizing the vast positive impact UMass Lowell has on so many.

I want to say thank you to Julie Nash, Paula Haines, Ingrid Hess, and Shaima Ragab for their leadership throughout this process, as well as every university member and partner who contributed to the NECHE self-study and the site visit. The NECHE accreditors noted in particular the self-study, Strategic Plan, and our:

  • Commitment to supporting underrepresented students, promoting inclusivity, and providing equitable educational experiences;
  • Strategically built partnerships with community colleges;
  • Handling of FY24 budget challenges;
  • Support toward R1; and
  • Comprehensive addressing of student needs, including an increase in counseling and mental health services, and tutoring support.

The official letter stated: “With its ‘unified’ executive and leadership teams, supportive board, caring and productive faculty and staff, and engaged students, University of Massachusetts Lowell is well positioned to continue to ‘build on its founding tradition of innovation, entrepreneurship and partnerships with industry and the community to address challenges facing the region and the world’ for many years to come.”

As is standard, NECHE has asked for a five-year interim report in Fall of 2028. Among the areas where NECHE has recommended additional focus for improvement and/or greater progress include:

  1. Developing a comprehensive approach to assessment
  2. Improving gender diversity, particularly in STEM disciplines
  3. Evaluating the effectiveness of the English Language program for international students
  4. Clarifying plans for future programming at the Haverhill campus
  5. Developing and implementing a plan to address deferred maintenance

These are complicated topics that are not a surprise to us, as many of our UMass Lowell faculty and staff have already been working on these areas. All of these require complex and creative solutions that take time to generate measurable outcomes. I’m grateful to all of the talented members of our UMass Lowell community working hard every day towards the success of our students and our university.

There are few other measures of our commitment to our mission — and certainly none as comprehensive — as NECHE’s continued accreditation. Congratulations to us all as we continue to build a community dedicated to improving the lives of the people we touch.