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…Continue readingPit Stop #97: North Shore Community College
Category: Massachusetts
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with an old friend, President Arthur Levine, on the campus of Brandeis University. Arthur, a Brandeis alum, stepped into the presidency in the Fall of 2024 –after happily retiring and promising himself he would never take on a third college presidency. I suppose such promises are destined to be broken, because when duty called, Arthur (who had remained incredibly loyal and…Continue readingPit Stop #92: Brandeis University
It’s hard not to love the founding story of Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts. It all began with the light. Legend has it that in the spring of 1851, a group of individuals gathered together and as the sun rose in the sky, illuminating Bragdon Hill, they made the laser-like decision to found a new school on that spot. As the founders, known as boomers, put shovels into…Continue readingPit Stop #91: Lasell University
Pit Stop #77 came about as a bit of an odd twist. On Saturday, November 16, a group of my wife’s family convened on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA to watch the Crusaders host Bucknell University in football. My grand-nephew, Sam Milligan, plays for the Bucknell Bisons (and scored two touchdowns in the first half!) — a great way…Continue readingPit Stop #77: College of the Holy Cross
UMass Lowell is a nationally ranked research university located among the historic mill townsnorth of Boston and home to 17,000 students– offering more than 120 undergraduate and 77graduate programs across five colleges. While the pandemic slowed the university’s growth, itsenrollment has increased 50% since 2007, and the sprawling campus is evidence of that, with$1 billion invested in capital projects since 2010. …Continue readingPit Stop #74: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Talk about a road trip! Throughout October, NECHE staff is holding eight regional meetings to engage our members in conversation about the revision of our Standards of Accreditation, a process that takes place every ten years. This is the most important undertaking that I will lead during my tenure as NECHE President. Our Standards are used…Continue readingPit Stop #70: Community College of Rhode Island
While I have visited the campus of Endicott College before, my first comprehensive tour of this Beverly, Massachusetts institution was hosted by President Steven DiSalvo on the kind of glorious mid-September day that makes you believe that summer will never end. There’s plenty I can (and will) say about this strong and thriving college, but…Continue readingPit Stop #69: Endicott College
The end of summer brought me on an enlightening visit to Wheaton College – that’s Wheaton College in Massachusetts, of course, not the one in Illinois. Wheaton is the home of President Michaele Whelan, whom we were fortunate to have assume the role of Chair of the New England Commission on July 1. An experienced and energetic leader…Continue readingPit Stop #68: Wheaton College
These happy graduates in white were clustered around the entrance sign to Curry College, making it the perfect photo opportunity for me to commemorate my visit. Apparently, it was my week for campus tours– as I hit three colleges in just seven days. By the time I reached Curry College’s main campus, located a mere eight…Continue readingPit Stop #64: Curry College
My own three years of law school weren’t exactly a picnic. I lived in a tiny, dark studio apartment, my girlfriend broke up with me, and I gained twenty pounds sitting around studying like a maniac. So you might suspect that visiting The Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, MA would be a triggering event.…Continue readingPit Stop #50: Massachusetts School of Law