At a recent NECHE event, I crossed paths with North Shore Community College President Bill Heineman. And I had to apologize. You see, I have driven by the Lynn campus hundreds of times, but somehow I neglected to reach out to request a visit. So it was a great privilege to spend a few hours last week with Bill and members of his team, and I promise it won’t be my last time stopping by NSCC.
Big things are happening at the school! Last fall, North Shore Community College enrolled more than 6,700 students on its two campuses in Lynn and Danvers. Since the 2023 introduction of “free” community college in Massachusetts, enrollment at the college has ballooned from just 4,400 to its current size. I queried Bill about some folks’ perception that anything offered for free can’t really be taken seriously, and his response was quick and pointed.
That perception reflects a massive misunderstanding of what enrolling in college demands of students like those at NSCC, he explained. Despite the lure of free tuition, NSCC students often juggle their studies with full-time jobs, children, and serious family responsibilities. That requires a significant commitment of time and often entails dramatic changes in a student’s life. This reality was brought home when I visited the Campus Cupboard and learned how many NSCC students rely on food offered by that office to make it through the day.
While community colleges are often overlooked in the higher education conversation, they are truly the engine of social mobility in this country. And nobody understands that more explicitly than Bill.
President Heineman is serving his fifth year as President of North Shore, but this is his second leadership round: he was Provost for ten years at nearby Northern Essex Community College, with campuses in Lawrence and Haverhill. Despite being located in the same county, the two schools have quite different cultures and serve distinct populations — but clearly, Heineman has been quite consistent in his commitment to community college education.
The breadth of offerings at NSCC are impressive, with more than 70 different programs, many of which focus on the health sciences. Some students will go on from NSCC to a four-year institution, but a good percentage move directly into the workforce, having achieved credentials and expertise that will earn them a higher salary.
NSCC also offers another fascinating program: the Early College track. This includes a full four- year high school program, in partnership with Lynn Public Schools, called the Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy, in which ambitious high school students can simultaneously earn their high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree. Thirty-four students will graduate this year with those dual degrees — and how amazing is that?!
North Shore has also recently introduced a dual language liberal arts program that has proven to significantly improve student performance and retention. Clearly, innovation is alive and well at NSCC.
When I talked with the NSCC team about why each person had chosen to work at a community college — where the hours are long and the pay not terrific — they each talked about their personal ncommitment to the college’s mission, about helping students see what’s possible, even in the face of long odds and many obstacles.
In the midst of so much negative news today, the dedication, creativity, and optimism I experienced at NSCC represents the brightest of lights.