MCC's Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Actively engage the MCC community in dialogues around racial equity and diversity to increase fluency using an anti-racist framework.

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Objective: Organize DEI dialogues and healing circles that actively engage the MCC community both internally and externally.  

Baseline: Determine current status of community engagement in DEI dialogues.  

Desired Outcomes:

• Engage in monthly (or as requested and needed) dialogues and healing circles with effectiveness "fluent" through surveys or interviews/focus groups. 

• Develop, implement, and assessment of dialogue/healing circle action plans to implement in classrooms and workplace.  
  
  
• Train faculty, staff, students, and community members on facilitating dialogues and implementing lessons learned in classrooms and workplace. 

Accomplishments: 

• Implemented over 60 (n=63) community healing circles (RHCs) with internal and external audiences, enhancing campus fluency, engagement, community dialogue on equity and belonging at MCC and beyond, extending the reach and impact of MCC’s equity framework and serving more than 500 college community members. This included healing circles offered to all students, faculty, and staff on a recurrent basis via division, department-focused and open circles, as well as to the broader community including to the Lowell City Council and employees; during the Day of Love, Acceptance and Belonging and the National Day of Racial Healing; in partnership with local Enterprise Bank, PAASA, student leader cohorts; IDS cohorts, among others. 

• Developed facilitator training program and related development activities to increase participation and support institutional capacity and continuity of healing circles and related activities, including with external consultant and partnering of senior and junior facilitators. 

• Improved existing healing circles design and collection data to assess effectiveness and evaluate performance more accurately. This included intentional alignment of circles and prompts with current climate-related issues, as well as recurrent review of existing survey data to assess impact. 

• Participated in the AAC&U Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Summer Institutes and refined the CTRHT existing action plan to continue alignment of strategic priorities and community involvement around the vibrancy framework. 

• Senior leadership (President, Provost and Executive Director) participated in the AAC&U CLASS conference presenting on the shared equity leadership approach to advancing equity-centered initiatives through strategic collaboration. 

• Enhanced designated prayer and meditation spaces on both campuses to better support the needs of the broader college community, particularly the diverse cultural, religious, and spiritual practices of our students and employees. 

Goal 2: Through equity audits, the use of Estela Bensimón’s 12 Equity-Minded Indicators, infuse equity-minded systems and practices that support student and employee success

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Objective A: Design assessment process for faculty and staff on equity audit reviews of department policies and practices.  

Baseline: Results of the HEIF grant-sponsored equity audit conducted among a consortium of MA community colleges.  

Desired Outcome:

• Regular assessment of college-wide structural and systemic policies to ensure they align with anti-racism policies and practices.  

Accomplishments: 

• Updated the MCC’s Equity and Accessibility Policy Review tool and initiated audits/ reviews to ensure Estela Bensimón’s Equity-Minded principles, systems, indicators, and practices are infused in a way that supports student and employee success. An ad-hoc committee will continue this work as part of the college formal governance via FSA.
  
  
• Developed and fully implemented the RISE metrics (Register, Integrate, Succeed, and Employment) that engages the college in discussion around students' early momentum and milestone completion. Data was discussed at multiple data summits which included faculty, staff, and administrators and sought actionable steps to improve outcomes.
  
• Developed and finalized a comprehensive strategic plan for the Liberal Arts Division, grounded in equity, student voice, and faculty engagement. The plan is organized around four strategic priorities and was shaped through extensive input from students, faculty, and other campus stakeholders. 

Objective B: Assist Human Resources Department in the supporting of ALANA/BIPOC hires. 

Baseline: Composition of the workforce and applicant pools.

Desired Outcomes:

• Hire, develop, and retain diverse talent to foster an inclusive workforce. 

• Establish metrics to increase the diverse composition of talent pools and representation at all levels of the organization.

Accomplishments: 

• Developed college-wide self-disclosure form to enhance demographic reporting in HR systems, improving accuracy, contributing toward institutional accountability, external reporting, informed decision making, equitable resource allocation, and policy development. 

• The racial and ethnic diversity of employees at the college has changed as follows: full-time faculty has increased from 28% in academic year 2018-2019 to 31% in academic year 2022-2023; part-time faculty has increased from 10% in academic year 2018-2019 to 12% in academic year 2023-2023; full-time staff has increased from 25% in academic year 2018-2019 to 32% in academic year 2022-2023; and part-time staff has increased from 29% in academic year 2018-2019 to 30% in academic year 2022-2023. 

• The College continues to utilize expanded talent solutions to include targeted recruitment to job search engines focused specifically on underrepresented groups such as people of color, veterans, those with a prescribed disability status, women, LGBTQ+, and many more. 

• Established employee affinity groups (ERGs) for first generation, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and working mothers’ participants, to foster community, connection, morale, and sense of belonging among employees; strengthened their impact through year-round programming and engaged ERG leadership. 

• Facilitated events enhancing employee morale, belonging, inclusion, networking, professional development opportunities, including Professional Day, Employee Appreciation Day, Feast of Many Cultures, Holiday Party, etc. 

• Implemented monthly Wellness initiative challenges to promote wellness and mindfulness practices in order to contribute toward employee well-being. The number of times employees engaged with or participated in the programs, while offered during its first year, was approximately 216 times.  

• Actively promoted the Massachusetts SERV Volunteer program among MCC departments and employees, which resulted in robust participation in community-wide volunteer events.
  
  
• Increased participation in local / regional job fairs to develop partnerships with corporate education and training. 

Objective C: Assess campus culture on sense of belonging using both quantitative and qualitative methods.  

Baseline: Data from the recent ATD Institutional Capacity Tool Survey (completed December 2021) and CCSSE results from Spring 2022. 

Desired Outcome: Cultivate a culture of belonging among all groups at MCC. 

Accomplishments: 

• Developed and deployed a Student Climate/ sense of belonging Survey, rooted in work from the Pedagogy of Real Talk, reaching nearly 5,000 students; and used results to enhance onboarding and training of new employees; targeted dialogue and shared findings through campus-wide critical conversation in order to improve our student belonging and resilience metrics in accordance with the results.
  
• Administered CCSSE and CECE survey to gather student insights on engagement and sense of belonging. Results were shared with the campus community through campus-wide critical conversations. 

Goal 3: Use data to ensure equity-minded decision making and achieve organizational accountability. 

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Objective: Design a framework for equity-minded decision making, based on research practices.  

Baseline: 

• Established practices to include regular use of disaggregated data. 

• Established dashboards with disaggregated data around student completion. 

Desired Outcomes:

• Design and implement dashboards for divisions that measure their key equity goals.
  
  
• Establish a robust, sustainable practice of decision-making based on equity. 

Accomplishments: 

• Initiated “Power User” training related to equitable and measurable outcomes to increase data literacy amongst MCC community in order to engage in data-informed decision making. 

• Expanded equity-focused data dashboards and other reporting tools across campus units and shared with the campus community through targeted opportunities for training, including the Data Summit, Assessment Day, SLC and others; in order to improve informed decision making. 

• Community Education and Training began capturing gender, race and ethnicity data for noncredit students in FY24. The department continues to document gender, race and ethnicity data for most incoming students to enhance data trend and analysis. 

• All core college data dashboards include the ability to disaggregate data by age, first generation status, gender, and race. Created data digests to distribute for specific student populations, reflecting key indicators as needed. 

• During FY 2025 (July 1 to June 30, 2025) there has been a 355% increase in dashboard views from MCC stakeholders and a 40% increase in the number of unique users accessing Tableau. This increase has led to more regular and nuanced discussions around how student characteristics contribute to their success. 

• Library worked with IR to develop a library dashboard measuring disaggregated use of library resources and spaces by students including reference/chat, zoom space Bedford, study rooms Lowell, database usage, and borrowed items. 

• Pilot project using Blackboard gradebook data to identify and support students of color; outcomes included increased faculty awareness of student demographics and pursuit of deeper data analysis on diverse student needs.
  
  
• Faculty worked with data dashboards to inform equity-focused decision-making during spring 2025 Assessment Day 

Goal 1: Reduce disparities in access and affordability based on race, gender, and socio-economic status through programs that are essential to our community and provide clear and equitable paths to success for all students.

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Objective A: Expand flexible and affordable programs and schedule options to increase access and eliminate disparities.  

Baseline: 

• Identify and inventory existing online, hybrid programs. 

• Identify and inventory existing courses and programs with open educational resources (OER) and low-cost options. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Increase flexible options to include mini-mesters, HyFlex and hybrid options, and additional OER/low or no cost courses and programs.  

• Set up system to track and assess retention and persistence in flexible options.  

• Identify and redesign three programs per year for increased access and affordability.  

*(Aligns with NUE Admissions/Enrollment/Transfer recommendations and aligns with NUE Curriculum Recommendations) 

Accomplishments: 

• Launched 23 new micro credentials and awarded 292; implemented CLEP and other credit-for-prior-learning assessments. 

• Expanded Open Educational Resources (OER) resulting in increased student persistence; developed 10 new OER courses and initiated 11 micro-credentials.  

• Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 34% increase (108 courses to 145) 

• Implemented flexible scheduling formats including HyFlex, mini-mesters, and hybrid offerings to align with equity goals and student needs. Ten faculty teach consistently using Hyflex methodology. 

• Developed and offered of 8-Week Accelerated Credit Course in Biotechnology.
  
  
• Academic Technology collaborated with IT to implement and train faculty in HyFlex classrooms, enhancing flexibility and access. 

Objective B: Strengthen pathways from high school to improve student understanding of college processes, resources, and opportunity leading to better representation within programs. 

Baseline: 

• Identify existing mentoring programs with concurrent high school instructors to determine best practices. 

• Identify and catalog areas where MCC can be more strategic to assist students’ knowledge of college, including use of MCC learning management system in course design and knowledge of college resources. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Develop college-wide mentoring program with concurrent enrollment high school instructors. 

• Improve alignment with high school pathways to strengthen students’ understanding of college to promote informed decision making about future study. 

*(Aligns with NUE Admissions/Enrollment/Transfer recommendations and aligns with NUE Curriculum Recommendations) 

Accomplishments: 

• Surveyed 40+ high school and 50+ early childhood partners to identify educational programmatical alignment and community needs (current and future). 

• Expanded Early College partners to include Martha’s Vineyard high school. 

• Held first Dual Enrollment Recognition Ceremony in May 2025 celebrating over 90 high school seniors and their families to recognize their accomplishment of earning 12+ credits with 16 students earning an associate's degree before high school graduation. 

• Worked with consultant to complete a gap analysis of concurrent enrollment programming and partnerships. Shared data with concurrent enrollment instructors and HS administrators. Also conducted impact surveys that were sent to HS principals, point persons, and concurrent enrollment instructors. Received responses from 18 point persons, 6 principals, and 107 instructors. Key feedback focused on: 1.) enhancing communication and providing regular professional development between MCC and the high school partners; 2.) expanding a culture of MCC concurrent enrollment at the schools by offering discipline-specific professional development, building academic communities within the departments, and sharing materials that explain the program; and 3.) streamlining program logistics, i.e., developing clear program materials that detail instructor certification requirements, the instructor certification applications process, all deadlines and responsibilities, and other program essentials. 

• Participated in Early College Leadership Summit– April 2025 presenting MCC/LHS partnership regarding work towards increasing Latinx enrollment within the Early College Lowell program identifying key barriers preventing Latinx student enrollment and targeted solutions. 

• Hosted the 2025 annual New England Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NEACEP) conference bringing together a community of educators, leaders, and innovators such as Dr. Amanda Sterk, author and Dr. Sarah Stashkiw of College UnMazed: Your Guide to Dual Enrollment.
  
  
• IR provided college stakeholders with comprehensive data around dual and concurrent enrollment matriculation and vertical transfer from MCC to Baccalaureate institutions though use of National Student Clearinghouse data to identify and improve student educational pathways. 

Objective C: Strengthen transfer to baccalaureate programs to improve racial equity in careers  

Baseline: Assess disaggregated transfer rates and career attainment in college programs  

Desired Outcomes: 

• Create processes to better assess program transfer rates based on disaggregated data. 

• Improve transfer to Bachelor programs and careers by three percent. 

Accomplishments: 

• Implemented a range of student-centered initiatives such as college fairs, campus swag days, and targeted outreach on transfer pathways, increasing awareness and access to four-year opportunities. 

• Secured new articulation agreements and developed collaborative programs with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), Fitchburg State University (FSU), Emmanuel College, and other partner institutions. These agreements expand equitable access to high-demand STEM and Health programs, with particular impact in nursing through new transfer options with FSU, WPI, and UML Online. 

• Developed and implemented the Joint Undergraduate Matriculation Program (JUMP) to provide MCC students with a seamless and equitable transfer pathway to the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML). While completing their courses at MCC, students enrolled in JUMP gain early access to UML campus resources—including library services, recreation facilities, and departmental collaboration—helping them acclimate academically and socially to the four-year environment. Initial program pathways include Business, Music, and Criminal and Social Justice, with future expansion planned to further strengthen equitable access to baccalaureate degrees.
  
  
• Sponsored transfer trips to a range of four-year institutions, including UML, UMass Boston, UMass Amherst, Merrimack College, William James College, Bentley University, and Salem State University through the SUCCESS Scholars Program. These visits provided first-generation and underrepresented students with direct engagement opportunities, helping to demystify the transfer process, build a sense of belonging at four-year campuses, and promote equitable advancement toward bachelor’s degree completion. 

Goal 2: Keep students on the path to their educational goals through culturally relevant and engaging curricular and co-curricular high impact practices, measured through increased persistence, retention, completion of milestone courses, and reduction of excess graduation credits.

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Objective A: Ensure all students in associate degree programs experience a common set of foundational experiences to create forward momentum in the first year of study, beginning with student on-boarding  

Baseline: 

• Assess enrollment in Academic Pathways with data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.   

• Assess current college wide orientation. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Increase student participation in and completion of college orientation.  

• Increase flexible options to include mini-mesters, HyFlex, and hybrid options and additional OER/low 100% of undecided students are assigned to a meta-major (pathway) and transition to a major within one year of enrollment.  

• Reduce average excess credits by 10% through implementation of first-year Personal Academic Plans.  

• Increase retention by 5%.  

• Increase graduation rates by 5%  

Accomplishments: 

• Developed Orientation Plus with accelerated FYE experiences; created cohort-specific IDS sections. 

• Developed comprehensive One-Stop student support centers at both campuses, while securing new additional staffing to enhance the model. Integrated food security initiatives and student-friendly service delivery to the One-Stop experience. 

• Enhanced student services experience with the "Art of the Warm Handoff" training. 

• Rebuilt the Banner financial aid system, improving flexibility in award adjustments. 

• Increased FAFSA completions by 20%; served over 3,000 students through expanded outreach. 

• Collaborated with faculty to integrate Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE) workshops into Quickstart First-Year Experience (FYE) classes each semester. These workshops introduced new students to essential skills such as time management, study strategies, and effective use of MCC resources, while also fostering teamwork and help-seeking behaviors, embedding these supports within the onboarding process and ensuring that all new students gain early exposure to strategies and resources that create momentum toward academic success, course completion, and long-term educational goals. 

• Through Academic Technology, student leaders including Blackboard Ambassadors, Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leaders, and Embedded Tutors were trained and embedded into courses to provide both academic and technical assistance. These peer mentors support new students in navigating Blackboard, HyFlex technology, and core coursework, helping to foster confidence, collaboration, and persistence in the first year. 

• To reduce barriers and increase momentum in the first year, MCC expanded the use of HyFlex, hybrid, and minimester course formats, ensuring students have multiple options to balance learning with personal responsibilities. Within the Business, Legal, and Public Service (BLP) division, nearly all courses are now offered in multiple modalities to meet diverse student needs.
  
  
• Academic Technology and the Library partnered to advance faculty adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER), lowering textbook costs and ensuring equitable access to course materials for all students, particularly those in foundational, first-year courses. 

Objective B: Decolonize the curriculum to promote equitable outcomes across all student populations.  

Baseline:  

• Inventory programs and courses currently taught with inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogies. 

• Assess existing Honors program to identify opportunities to improve recruitment of, access for, and support of racially minoritized students. 

(Aligns with NUE HIP and Co-Curriculum Recommendations) 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Expand courses taught using inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogies by 20% per year. 

• Increase programs using inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogies 20% per year (achieving 100% in 5 years). 

• Audit and revise Learning Outcomes (ISLO, PSLO) for racial justice, 20% of courses and programs per year (Aligns with NUE Curriculum Recommendations). 

• Develop five new interdisciplinary or capstone learning experiences addressing complex societal programs that are available to all students (Aligns with NUE Curriculum Recommendations, NUE HIP and Co-Curriculum Recommendations). 

• Audit access, success, and completion of honors courses since MCC instituted the removal of GPA requirement to access the courses (Aligns with NUE HIP and Co-Curriculum Recommendations). 

• Reach equitable representation in academic program enrollment reflective of community demographics. 

• SoTL offered a workshop on Anonymous Grading, highlighting how it minimizes implicit bias and supports equitable grading practices. 

Accomplishments: 

• Advanced efforts to decolonize the curriculum with the support and expertise of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning faculty through the Spring 2025 SoTL Get Inspired Conference and the Fall 2025 Action Research Project, focused on faculty. 

• New faculty completed the Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning ACUE training/ course. 

• Launched the Academic and Student Affairs Programming Group to develop engagement activities for students that increase a sense of belonging. Activities include heritage month events/ celebrations, workshops, and other learning opportunities related to students’ majors and interests. 

• Developed a master calendar of events for faculty and staff to encourage students to attend and increase engagement on campus. 

• Facilitated monthly Asian American cultural competency workshops, engaging over 330 participants—including MCC faculty, staff, administrators, and student employees—to enhance cultural awareness, understanding, and knowledge across the institution. 

• Facilitated Safe Zone training for faculty, staff, and students, reaching over 30 attendees. 

• Continued the development of a Pedagogy of Real Talk Staff Academy, focused on fostering a college-wide culture of equity-mindedness and expansive excellence. Staff and faculty have successfully presented at nationwide conferences, including at NASPA, League for Innovation, and AAC&U; as well as at college-wide events such as the MCC Data Summit, Professional Day, and Day of Love, Acceptance and Belonging. 

• With support from the AANAPISI grant, created 20 culturally relevant curriculum units that have been embedded across multiple academic programs. These units were intentionally designed to foster student engagement, reflect diverse perspectives, and advance inclusive teaching practices that promote equitable learning outcomes for all student populations. 

• Designed and developed a new undergraduate course, Introduction to Asian American Studies (3 credits), scheduled for launch in Fall 2025. The course employs culturally responsive pedagogy and interdisciplinary approaches to examine Asian American histories and contemporary issues, including immigration, identity, labor, race and racism, activism, and media representation. The course centers community engagement, critical inquiry, and inclusive classroom practices. 

• Library created interactive displays including whiteboard questionnaires, world maps, displays of books, films and media as well as a curated collection of games for student use, including wall chess coming Fall 2025. Interactive presence at campus events such as Fall Fest etc. 

• Subscribed to Padlet, Kahoot!, and Canva to make instruction and displays more engaging.
  
  
• Designed mobile-friendly, accessible content and tools (e.g., captioned videos, transcripts, alt-text), and led training on accessibility best practices. 

Objective C: Remove barriers in developmental education for incoming students. (Aligns with DHE dashboard - Student Success & Completion - First Year Progress and NUE, and NECHE 5 Year Letter)  

Baseline: Evaluate and assess ATD Data. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Increase student completion of college-level English and math within the first 30 credits. 

• Increase student completion of first year English and Math by 5%. 

(Aligns with DHE dashboard - Student Success & Completion - First Year Progress and NUE, and NECHE 5 Year Letter)  

Accomplishments: 

• Development of the English AI student placement tool, resume builder, and interview prep tools to reduce barriers in developmental education, improve career readiness, and support transitions to employment. 

• Strengthened the English placement process through the implementation of the “Double Check” model, providing students with an additional opportunity to review and confirm their placement to better support accurate course alignment. 

• Expanded Math co-requisite programming, with enrollments in math co-requisite doubling from 69 students in fall 2024 to 142 students in spring 2025, while ramp-up enrollment dropped by 25% during the same period. Enrollments for Fall 2025 have surpassed spring 2025. 

• The first summer co-requisite (MAT 177/MAT 007) was established, a math co-requisite brochure was created and shared across several divisions including the Math Department, admissions, advising, ACE, and with our ATD coaches.
  
  
• Calculus I co-requisite course passed curriculum committee and will be offered in fall 2025. 

Objective D: Improve access to and completion of a credential or degree through recognition of existing knowledge and prior learning assessment leading to award of credit.  

Baseline: Assess disaggregated data for students receiving credit from existing knowledge and prior learning assessment.  

Desired Outcomes: 

• Develop a database identifying MCC courses that students have and can receive college credit from non-traditional sources. 

• Increase credit for prior learning (CPL) options for adult students to reduce the cost and time of credential or degree completion. 

• Increase offering of stackable credentials and noncredit to credit articulations to improve navigation of academic to career pathways. 

(Aligns with NUE Curriculum Recommendations)  

Accomplishments: 

• Expanded the curriculum with the creation of two new noncredit certificates in FY24: Medical Office Administrator and Cannabis Retail, and with the launch of over 30 new certificate programs and courses in FY25 through Community Education and Training. These additions span professional skill development, healthcare, technology, project management, digital literacy, creative arts, wellness, and youth programming. Collectively, these offerings increase opportunities for students to earn industry-relevant credentials, build on prior learning, and stay on track toward degree completion while reducing excess credits.
  
  
• Building on the success of the Computer Science AI microcredential, the College introduced an applied Generative AI course, providing students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge technologies. In addition, new microcredentials were created in Business and Criminal and Social Justice, offering flexible, stackable learning opportunities that strengthen career readiness and provide clear pathways to further study or employment. 

Objective E: Revise all gatekeeper courses to include High Impact Practices and assessment to ensure learning.  

Baseline: 

• Audit academic programs to identify gatekeeper courses.   

• Identify High Impact Practices, especially those modeled for students of color.  

Desired Outcomes: Ensure all academic programs provide equitable access to identified gatekeeper courses: 20% per year (achieving 100% of programs in 5 years). 

Accomplishments: 

• Promoted use of the Quality Matters Rubric to guide course design and review, ensuring high-quality, equity-minded online instruction. 
  
  
• Developed AI tools: English Self-placement Guide, OCIL Resume Builder/Interview prep, and Decolonized Curriculum Builder to support equity by improving access and reducing barriers. 

Objective F: Ensure all students in associate degree programs experience work-based experiential learning opportunities that count toward degree completion. (Aligns with NUE HIP Recommendations)  

Baseline: 

• Assess and evaluate data from Learn & Earn. 

• Identify and inventory existing internship experiences. 

• Assess disaggregated data of students who complete internships within existing academic pathways. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Create a common core preparation experience to ensure students are prepared for work-based experiential learning opportunities. 

• Ensure each academic pathway includes relevant and significant experiential learning that includes salaried positions while a student completes their credential. 

Accomplishments: 

• Created MCC’s first Career Ambassador role and the Workforce Learning Lab; received $23K in Perkins funds to support career-integrated learning. 
  
• Completed a cross-campus inventory of career services and launched partnerships to support Learn & Earn initiatives.  

Objective G: Implement new or expand existing student engagement programs to support students through program completion. 

Baseline: Audit engagement programs to determine access for targeted student populations. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Provide 10 co-curricular programs per year aimed at engaging targeted student populations.   

• Create anti-racist, civic engagement opportunities for students across general education and degree programs. 

(Aligns with NUE HIP & Co-Curriculum Recommendations)  

Accomplishments: 

• Secured an AmeriCorps*VISTA position to enhance capacity for fostering service and civic engagement opportunities; ensuring that low-income students can access meaningful, financially accessible experiences that promote personal growth and community impact.’ 

Goal 3: Reduce barriers to completion to enable all students to achieve their educational goals through a community of support.

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Objective A: Expand proactive advising, coaching, and mentoring to provide more equitable support across student populations. 

Baseline: 

• Establish mentoring and engagement programs for students of color. 

• Assess participation and success of students of color in the Equity in Transfer grant program. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Engage 550 students of color in Success Scholars Program.   

• Create visible networks of faculty and staff who are first-generation and/ or people of color, such as campus-wide affinity groups or multicultural centers  

(Aligns with NUE Recommendation Holistic Student Support)  

Accomplishments: 

• SUCCESS Scholars Program engaged 600 students through coaching and mentoring in FY23-24 reaching their goal and desired outcome. Successes kept the gains from the previous year, increasing the number of students served by 9.28%. 

• Integrated some software systems already used in advising and other areas of the college to provide a more holistic approach to the student experience and their retention, including the ability to access all tutoring and emerging student leaders’ appointments from the same integrated system. This level of integration allowed for the compilation and distribution of weekly student reports that included appointment summaries, no-show rates, appointment overviews, attendance heat maps (by day and hour across all three locations), and tutoring satisfaction surveys. These insights allowed for identification of trends, improve operations, and proactively address service gaps. 

• Designed and implemented a satisfaction survey to assess student self-efficacy after each tutoring session. Participation for the AY 2023-2024 was 190 students with a pre-tutoring score averaging 3.3 which increased to 4.3 after the tutoring session. This represents the difference between "Somewhat Confident" to "Very Confident" on the scale, showing a positive relationship between agreement with "learning a new skill, strategy, or method" and an increase in self-efficacy between pre- and post- tutoring scores. Student self-efficacy improved while learning a new skill. 

• A new Nursing student onboarding program was developed entitled Pre-Nursing Program Academic Success Workshop. Sixty new students participated in this 3-day workshop that included extensive strategies for success in collaboration with college support services and study and time management skills, team building, as well as resource demonstrations from across the college. 

• Revised curriculum for Medical Billing and Coding, making the program more accessible by removing pre-admissions requirements and making the program “open door,” full-time or part-time optional, and available fully online. 

Objective B: Increase College’s awareness of students’ essential needs and provide students with better visibility and access to both College and community resources. 

Baseline:  

• Identify student needs and service gaps. 

• Review services provided by college and community. 

Desired Outcomes: Strengthen restorative and educational approaches to meet students’ essential needs. (Aligns with NUE Recommendation Holistic Student Support)  

Accomplishments: 

• Delivered targeted trainings and presentations across classrooms, divisions, and departments on a broad range of topics related to wellness and accessibility, designed to build awareness, obtain additional information on need areas, and equip faculty, staff, and students with the knowledge and tools necessary to support diverse needs within the campus community. 

• Maintained two campus food pantries, each regularly stocked with a diverse selection of nutritious items, alongside multiple strategically placed grab-and-go snack stations. These initiatives were designed to ensure equitable access to free, healthy food options for both students and employees, thereby supporting overall well-being, reducing food insecurity, and fostering a more inclusive and supportive campus environment. 

• Utilized results from the Healthy Minds survey and JED student focus group to make data-informed decisions that guided the development of additional supports and services on campus. This included educational speakers, panels, tabling, and resource events to increase opportunities for student connection, inclusion, sense of belonging, and reduce stigma related to mental health, serving approximately 120 students, 22 tabling events with community partners, 38 class and department visits, and IDS summer sections. Additionally, 12 wellness-focused events were offered such as Stressbusters, the Wellness Fair, CPR training, and Speed Friending, engaging approximately 750 students. 

• Initiated "Let's Talk" sessions as a low-barrier alternative to traditional counseling, aimed at increasing student engagement and supporting those considering counseling but not yet ready to commit. The approach proved effective, with many students selecting "Let's Talk" as their initial appointment reason. A substantial number of these students subsequently scheduled formal counseling sessions, highlighting the program's role in facilitating access to mental health services. 

• College personnel participated and presented in panel discussions at multiple professional conferences, including the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI), Postsecondary Disability Training Institute (PTI), Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), Teaching, Learning and Student Development (TLSD) Conference, and the LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education Institute. These provided opportunities to share institutional best practices, contribute to national conversations on mental health, accessibility, and equity in higher education, and strengthen professional networks to inform and enhance campus initiatives. 

• Launched the Graduate Ready to Achieve Degree (GRAD) Last Mile Fund, a targeted financial assistance initiative designed to support students facing hardships that threaten timely degree completion. Funded by the Boston Foundation (Frieze Family) and implemented in December 2024, this program has already provided $25,635 in direct aid to 13 students, averaging nearly $2,000 per recipient. By addressing urgent financial and basic needs, the initiative has strengthened persistence, equity, and student success while ensuring students maintain visibility and access to critical institutional and community support. With anticipated continued donor investment, the College expects to distribute an additional $50,000 by the end of Spring 2026, further advancing our commitment to equitable student completion.
  
  
• The library added ‘charging towers’ and cords available for student use to charge devices in library locations without easy access to power outlets. 

Goal 1: Partner with regional organizations to create new credit and noncredit credentials to meet the educational needs of all learners to align education programs with workforce needs.

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Objective A: Through an equity lens, identify community organizations in our region. 

Baseline: Develop community map of organizations. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Regular reporting and communication of partnerships and collaborations that support student success, with and through existing college structures, such as FSA and FSA committees. 

• Develop processes to inform students of partnerships and collaborations. 

(Aligns with NUE Recommendation Holistic Student Support)  

Accomplishments: 

• Launch of the Community Vibrancy framework’s Community Summit in Spring 2025 with 34 attendees from 11 organizations. 

• Hosted a panel on Asian American Curriculum Development in partnership with local K–12 and higher education institutions, fostering community dialogue and collaboration on inclusive curriculum design. 

• Now in its fourth year, MCC’s Lowell Asian American Film Festival has become a signature partnership initiative that elevates the voices and stories of the Asian American community while fostering pathways for future filmmakers. By collaborating with regional cultural organizations, the festival not only provides a platform for diverse artistic expression but also strengthens community connections that inform the College’s approach to equity-centered program development. This initiative highlights Lowell’s multicultural vibrancy, positions the city as a hub for arts and film, and demonstrates MCC’s commitment to aligning educational and workforce pathways with the needs of diverse communities. 

• MCC partnered with the El Encuentro Latino Film Festival to host the 2023 and 2024 festivals, showcasing original short films from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. By elevating Latinx stories and providing a platform for local organizations and emerging filmmakers, the festival strengthens community partnerships and fosters opportunities for cultural and creative workforce development, advancing the approach to identifying regional organizations, while also positioning MCC as a hub for inclusive storytelling and talent cultivation within the community. 

Objective B: Strengthen community partnerships and collaborations to meet workforce needs through creation of educational opportunities. 

Baseline: Determine existing partnerships and collaborations. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Enhance presence in the community and with community organizations, with partners such as MassHIRE. 

• Create five new noncredit courses. 

• Create five new credit credentials. 

Accomplishments: 

• Expanded relationship with greater Lowell Mass Hire to expand their job fair, opening this opportunity to our students on MCC campus. 

• Strengthened partnerships with early childhood care providers, partner high schools, and Project Learn through engagement and collaborative program development. Improved internal communications processes to frequently inform stakeholders about such efforts through effective platforms such as texting, Newscaster, email blasts, etc. 

• Maintained and expanded collaboration with different boards, including but not limited to M3 (Middlesex 3 Coalition), NAMC (Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium), the Lowell and the Bedford Chambers of Commerce, among others. 

• Community Education and Training developed new employer partnerships and joined the Greater Boston Healthcare Careers Consortium where MCC’s programs have been highlighted as industry models to fulfill workforce needs, including the Acute Care and Pediatric Care C.N.A. program. 

• Developed agendas and enhanced activities for the Workforce Council by focusing on industry credentials, recruitment, and employer trends to closely align academic credit and non-credit offerings with regional industry demands. Specifically, some new noncredit certificate programs and courses were created, including but not limited to: Medical Office Administrator, Cannabis Retail, Grant Writing Certificate Program, Re-designed Digital Photography Program, Phlebotomy Certificate, Generative AI, Building Community Post Pandemic, Career Refocus Post Pandemic, Agile Project Management, Project Risk, Project Schedule Management, Improve Your English Pronunciation and Conversation Skills, etc. 

• Continued supporting the community immigrant and refugee population through Community Education and Training’s partnership with the IINE (International Institute New England), offering 2 sections of the Nursing Assistant program, with ESOL support, a year. Over 70% of the participants passed the CNA exam within 6 months. 

• Focused advancement strategy and activities on fundraising efforts to support student scholarship, college foundation, as well as engagement with existing and potential donors, alumni, and the continuous alignment with current students, community members and the general public. Some events included the Foundation Scholarship ceremony in the fall semester, celebrity forum, among others. 

• Strengthen the structure of the more than 3,000 Alumni Association, with the association voting directly for their representative to the MCC Board of Trustees for the first time. 

• Delivered AI Presentations at Middlesex 3 Coalition, NECC, and the TLSD conference. Built MCC’s identity as a regional thought leader in AI and education, having the Assistant Dean of AI co-authored a DHE white paper on AI and assessment and service on national equity-focused AI boards. 

• Initiated design and stakeholder engagement for a Behavioral Health, Dental Assisting, and Education Apprenticeship Program to expand workforce pathways in partnership with regional employers and aligned with models implemented at peer institutions. 

• Created and received FSA approval for a new Community Leadership Certificate program in Spring 2025. The program equips students with practical skills in communication, advocacy, ethics, and community organizing, and includes a funded internship component at Lowell-based nonprofits.  

• BLP division partnered with Middlesex Sheriff’s Office, Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, several Law Enforcement agencies, and local non-profit/social service agencies such as Center for Hope & healing, Alternative House for programming for our students, career events on campus and internship opportunities/service-learning.  

Goal 2: Increase grants that align with evolving and emerging workforce trends. 

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Objective: Identify funding opportunities, industry partners, and non-profit agencies that will serve as grant partners.  

Baseline: Determine existing grant partners.  

Desired Outcomes: Increase the College’s impact in meeting the needs of learners and the regional workforce through grant funded initiatives and partnerships that align with our strategic goals. 

Accomplishments: 

• Completed a SCOT (strengths, challenges, opportunities and threats) analysis in relation to grant development, which highlighted internal assets such as faculty responsiveness, employer collaborations, and strong institutional research capacity. Determined next steps as it relates to ongoing needs and targeting grants aligned with MCC’s funding cycles, capacity and priorities. 

• Expanded collaborative grant opportunities with community organizations to increase institutional / mutual capacity, community impact, and increased curriculum offerings at the college, including but not limited in partnership with Mass Life Sciences for robotics lab; Massachusetts Path Maker; Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) Scholars Initiative aimed at enhancing training in soldering and electronics; the Training Resources and Internship Networks (TRAIN) grant program designed to provide essential training to unemployed and underemployed individuals across Massachusetts.  

• Effectively managed the Basic Needs Grants provided by the Department of Higher Education (DHE), facilitating the distribution of essential resources—including food assistance, technology support, and transportation aid—to hundreds of students. 

• Successfully carried out the implementation of the Education Training Fund (ETF) Grant representing over $1 million in direct noncredit and credit training. Recruited, increased potential prospective pool, and marketed ETF programs/funding for this program, which included Nurse Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Surgical Acute Care C.N.A., Medical Office Admin, and Phlebotomy for Healthcare Professionals, Certified Addiction Recovery Coach, Google IT/Comp TIA A+ Prep,  Cloud Associate training, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, and Medical Lab Tech. 

• Effectively managed the Student Behavioral and Mental Health Needs grant awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE), directing funds toward a comprehensive suite of initiatives aimed at enhancing mental health awareness and support across campus. This included training programs for faculty, staff, and students; hosting guest speakers to foster dialogue and education; organizing wellness-focused activities to promote emotional well-being; onboarding a peer-to-peer support platform to strengthen community-based care; and creating mental health kits.
  
  
• The MCC Education department initiated the development of an apprenticeship program in collaboration with the Smith Family Foundation. 

Goal 1: Improve Economic Stability for the Institution 

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Objective A: Ensure periodic review, evaluation, and communication of key NACUBO and NECHE financial and economic metrics targeted for achieving continued economic sustainability.  

Baseline: 

• Assess Composite Financial Index.   

• Assess student credit hour enrollment.   

• Assess contribution return on revenue to fund balance.   

• Assess Economic Sustainability Rubric.  

• Assess days cash on hand to cover operating expenses.   

• Assess working capital current ratio.  

Desired Outcomes: 

• Sustain or exceed NACUBO benchmark in the range of 4 – 8 CFI Index.   

• Increase student credit hours to pre-COVID enrollment baseline.   

• Sustain operating contribution to fund balance by 1% - 5% per year.   

• Align student fees and operating expenses to ensure equity for all students.   

• Sustain cash on hand to cover 90 - 120 days.   

• Sustain working capital ratio of 2 to 1.  

Accomplishments: 

• Maintained the CFI benchmark, measuring at a 6 for over five fiscal years. 

• Steadily increased student credit hours, which are expected to reach pre-covid figures in FY26. 

• Contributed far beyond the desired outcome of 1%-5% to the fund balance, contributing 8% ($5.7M) in FY23 and 14% ($12.3M) in FY24. 

• Tuition and fees remained steady at $252/credit from FY19-FY24. 

• Cashflow remained optimal with over 300 days of cashflow on hand. 

• Working capital was maintained and continues to sit steady above benchmark.
  
• Ensured contractors met Massachusetts and federal standards for workforce participation goals for women and historically minoritized populations.  

Objective B: Integrate Strategic Planning, academic program assessment, and the annual budget. 

Baseline: 

• Assess current program credit hours and enrollment. 

• Evaluate resource allocation-based program assessment. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Align Strategic Plan with NECHE Standard 2 for Planning and Evaluation. 

• MCC is recognized in accreditation reports by NECHE. 

• Fund the budget to support growth of academic priorities based on industry need. 

• Strengthen the link between program assessment and program review with budget priorities and industry needs. 

• Improve the connection between program assessment and program credit hour growth, graduation, transfer, and employment. 

• Connect regularly with workforce partner through the MCC Workforce Council and program advisory boards on current needs for industry credentials and assistance in designing them. 

Accomplishments: 

• Adapted the budget process to be more community based to ensure equity in resource allocation, recognized as a strength in the NECHE accreditation. 

• Board Designated funds specifically allocated for the strategic plan.
  
• Aligned budget to support academic and industry need by synergizing industry grants and operating funds to build out Biotech Labs in Henderson Hall ($7.5M) and Simulation Nursing Labs in the HEALTH building ($3.7M). 

Objective C: Prioritize the inclusion of economic sustainability as a core principle in decision-making. 

Baseline: 

• Assess current use of economic stability in planning. 

• Assess current Massachusetts state community college funding commitment as compared to national averages. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Strengthen advocacy at the state level for increased support to keep tuition and fees affordable. 

• Track annual state funding for community colleges to target 80% student full time enrollment funding benchmark and national benchmarks. 

Accomplishments: 

• Prioritized fiscal stability and sustainability by aligning strategic planning, budgeting, and institutional assessments with key financial metrics, while focusing on academic and institutional priorities. 

• Created a budgeting process with a more strategic resource allocation; allocated specific funding for strategic plan implementation. 

• All Community College Presidents, CAOS, and CFOs continue to meet regularly with the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to advocate for relevant Community College issues, including with a focus on priorities around state and programmatic funding, fair wages, and affordability. These groups successfully advocated for the Massachusetts legislature to pass the MassReconnect and MassEducate bills, which were successfully implemented by the college. 

Goal 2: Align campus facilities and technology with program and community needs.

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Objective A: Develop Campus/ Facilities Master Plan that aligns with the College’s strategic priorities, focused on alignment of academic programs, beautification of the campuses, and the future of work, based upon the core principles of financial and environmental sustainability to enhance infrastructure and continuously addressing deferred maintenance.  

Baseline: 

• Evaluate and assess existing master plan in current campus configuration.  

• Evaluate existing deferred maintenance liability.  

Desired Outcomes: 

• Align building priorities with academic program needs. 

• Reduce deferred maintenance liability through targeted capital projects. 

• Strengthen advocacy at DCAMM to increase capital funding to address deferred maintenance. Increase DCAMM and other grants that support academic programs linked with capital projects. 

• Strengthen MCC Advancement efforts to assist in campus transformation. 

• Sustain campus facility expenses within the target range of less than 10% of annual budget. 

Accomplishments: 

• Developed a Campus/ Facilities Master Plan; and a decarbonization plan in accordance with state mandate. Implementation is currently underway for both, with MCC being the first and only community college campus in the state to have completed both a decarbonization plan and a facilities master plan. 

• Developed consolidated student-support spaces that include academic, student services and learning spaces, in alignment with identified improvements in the master plan. 

• Included space utilization programs that aligned priorities from the master plan and decarbonization plans with academic program needs, including efforts to create more sustainable outdoor and indoor student-focused spaces that contribute toward a more holistic student experience. Specifically, an existing academic building is being converted into a Life Sciences Building that includes a Robotics Lab, Engineering and biotechnology labs and classrooms. 

• MCC became the first institution of higher education in Massachusetts to work directly with the Department of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), collaborating toward the implementation of the Affordable Homes Act signed into law in August 2024; by initiating the process of converting a non-used parking lot at the Bedford campus for future housing development. 

• Concluded a number of improvements that led to the college having one building dedicated exclusively to Nursing and Allied Health programs, improving the student experience significantly. Among them, the college built a two-story nursing simulation lab with space for community education / noncredit programs, as well as credit-bearing programs. 

• Implemented and continued progress toward improvements of existing buildings/ facilities, such as the work underway to ensure ADA accessibility of the MCC Bedford Concert Hall. 

• Began work for two new roofs in Campus Center and Henderson Hall at the Bedford campus, and Cowan Center’s new roof, new HVAC system, and new accessibility entrance in Lowell. 

• MCC is now well-positioned for the state-bond BRIGHT ACT bill to address further improvements to existing academic spaces, by virtue of the improvements already executed at the campus. 

• Vacated a leased properties and moved them into our own campus building. 

• The cyber security program was transferred / moved from one of the leased properties into our building, neighboring IT facilities for better infrastructure and security support. 

• New furnishings were added to library spaces on both campuses to create improved areas for student belonging and engagement including the addition of a ‘Zoom Room’ in 2024 and a ‘Wiggle Room’ for private conversations and calls. 

Objective B: Develop Technology Master Plan to support MCC, both on campus and remote learning and working, with a focus on facilitation of learning, innovation, and initiatives to sustain future success, stability, and resilience. 

Baseline: 

• Assess existing website and campus technology. 

• Track annual spending for campus technology expenses and percentage of annual budget. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Redesign MCC website. 

• Ensure technology updates align with student and employee needs. 

• Improve digitization of student services. 

• Enhance cyber security monitoring, disaster recovery, and back up. 

• Sustain campus technology expenses in a target range of less than 10% of annual budget. 

Accomplishments: 

• Redesigned MCC’s website, reducing content from over 2,500 pages to fewer than 300, while optimizing user experience, web metrics, and integrating dynamic content features. 

• Established a dedicated full-time role on web usability, content optimizations and web metrics. 

• Created inventory of all MCC technologies; aligned systems with student needs. 

• Conducted comprehensive technology audits and investments, enhancing student-facing digital support systems and improving FAFSA completion rates through assigned counselors. 

• Focused on enhancing collaboration, security, accessibility, and user experience to foster innovation and ensure long-term success as the core goals of the technology master plan. 

• Implemented AI-driven email security, migrating email to Microsoft 365, and deploying the advanced Avaya phone system to provide reliable, scalable, and secure communication across campus and remote environments. 

• Expanded OneDrive storage with seamless Office 365 integration, adopting Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to ensure secure, anytime-anywhere access to college resources. 

• Improved user support and learning flexibility by upgrading the service desk with a new chatbot, mobile app, and intuitive interface to enhance user efficiency, alongside increasing hybrid classrooms from 8 to 13 to accommodate more online learners. 

• Identified and removed the duplication and legacy applications to reduce costs. 

• Enhanced operational efficiency and service delivery for students requiring academic accommodations through student accessibility services, by implementing an upgrade in software that significantly improved the consistency and access of accommodation forms, streamlined the approval and documentation process, and facilitated more effective communication through automated reminders and appointment notifications. This change has optimized scheduling and booking procedures, as well as expanded reporting capabilities, enabling data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement in accessibility services. 

• Community Education and Training (CET) leveraged existing applications/ software at the college and undertook a comprehensive evaluation and implementation of new technologies, which resulted in adding new prospective contacts, improved ways to track and engage prospective students and community partners, piloted and launched digital credentialing initiatives, and explored online registration platforms to improve access and usability. In collaboration with campus partners, CET transitioned legacy processes into more sustainable systems and strengthened data-driven decision-making through customer surveys to inform program development and marketing strategies. 

• Implemented innovative, cost-effective AI-powered tools that provide effective solutions to persistent challenges in both academic and workplace education. Engaged in National AI Collaborations for Strategic Growth by actively participating in national AI institutes and partnerships, positioning MCC to access future funding opportunities, share resources, and advance sustainable innovations. 

• Streamlined academic technologies costs by reducing existing tool redundancies, such as evaluating overlapping functions between Eesysoft and Adopt. 

• Promoted cost-free or license-free educational tools (e.g., Perusall, Office 365) to minimize expenditures and maximize resource efficiency. 

• Upgraded the LMS to Blackboard Ultra featuring a more accessible interface, inclusive design, and engagement tools (e.g., video feedback, AI role-play, conversation tools). 

• Ensured all teaching tools are integrated in Blackboard (e.g., Zoom, VoiceThread, Perusall, publisher content) to support diverse instructional approaches. 

• Designed online environments that support student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction (e.g., discussions, breakout rooms, VoiceThread).
  
  
• Developed and managed the Assist in Blackboard hub—a centralized space for students to access academic and support services. 

Goal 3: Enhance Environmental Stewardship to Support Sustainability. 

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Objective A: Promote of an ethic of resource conservation, sustainability, and social justice on our campuses. 

Baseline: Determine status of community engagement in dialogues regarding resource conservation, sustainability, and social justice. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Expand student involvement with high-impact, co-curricular experiences that integrate academic experiences with sustainability. 

• Strengthen regular campus dialogues on resources conservation and sustainability. 

• Improved communication of sustainability initiatives and improved professional development to support sustainability efforts. 

Accomplishments: 

• Advanced environmental stewardship and objectives through sustainable campus operations and strategic facility improvements, integrating social justice principles and resource conservation into planning and infrastructure. Examples include administering a college campus survey on electric vehicle usage, outlining an electric vehicle purchase plan, and the removal of Bedford House. 

• Promoted sustainability and resource conservation in campus operations and facilities planning, aligning infrastructure improvements with sustainability principles. 

• Held a professional clothing pop-up show to benefit students with access to professional work clothes needed for upcoming internships and other workforce opportunities. 

Objective B: Achieve sustainability through efficient, innovative facilities and operations that educate the campus community and improve quality of life. 

Baseline: Assess existing efficiency of facilities. 

Desired Outcomes: 

• Optimize building energy usage through retro-commissioning, continuous commissioning, and occupant education. 

• Reduce energy consumption with a targeted 3-year goal of 5% usage reduction from the 3-year history baseline. 

Accomplishments: 

• The college is in the process of evaluating its energy utilization for all buildings, including making it the focus of one specific employee’s role. 

• Began work on electrification of our fleet to reflect state energy-mandates that span the next several years including electric car charging stations for our campus community usage.