Haverhill, MA (February 5, 2025) – The Northern Essex Community College Board of Trustees gathered for its first meeting of 2025 on the Haverhill Campus earlier this month. The meeting included details of a new partnership that will benefit students, an update on the exploration of a shared campus with Whittier Tech, and information on how the college is responding to students’ concerns about recent Executive Orders.

Educational Report

Dean of STEM Carolyn Knoepfler presented this month’s education report by sharing some exciting new developments from her area. This year, they’ve seen a 14% increase in the number of students majoring in STEM. Knoepfler said they continue to far outperform national averages when it comes to enrolling students typically underrepresented in STEM, such as women and Hispanic students.

This year, they are launching a new partnership with the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI). The institute is well-regarded for offering cutting-edge technology and techniques in lab sciences. The partnership would allow students who have been certified by GMGI to seamlessly roll into a lab science associate degree. Conversely, students enrolled in NECC credit programs might be eligible to take a master class at GMGI.

“This is one of the most exciting partnerships I’ve worked on since I’ve been a dean,” said Knoepfler. “GMGI does top-notch training, it’s an incredibly rigorous program.”

Report of the Administration 

President Glenn began his update by addressing the flurry of Executive Orders from President Trump. Several orders could directly impact the college, its students, and its employees.

“What I’ve shared with the college community is that we will not be overreacting [to the Executive Orders.] We’ll be assessing any orders in a measured way, seeking accuracy followed by transparency. We want to communicate as timely as we can,” said President Glenn.

He said students and their families have been particularly concerned about orders relating to immigration enforcement. The college has set up a webpage with information and planned several workshops to address questions they might have.

“We will follow the law, and we will advocate for what we think is right for our students,” he continued.

Chairwoman Jennifer Borislow commended the college’s response: “There’s a lot of anxiety our goal is not to overreact. [The college] has done a remarkable job of not overreacting. It’s complicated and it’s chaotic.”

President Glenn also updated the Board on the exploration of a shared campus between NECC and Whittier Tech. The first meeting of the Municipal Working Group was held a week prior. It is comprised of leaders from local towns and cities that send students to Whittier Tech. The group explored the different possibilities of what a shared campus would look like. Those options could include schools that operate separately, two schools that operate separately but share some services like security and maintenance, or a full integration of the two institutions. Glenn reminded the Board that the exploration of a shared campus is still in its very early stages. A report from the Donahue Institute on the public listening sessions is expected soon.

The NECC Board of Trustees includes nine members whom the governor of the state appoints to a maximum of two five-year terms, as well as an alumni-elected member, who also serves a maximum of ten years, and the student trustee who serves for two semesters. The next board meeting will be held on March 5 on the Haverhill Campus. A full list of meeting dates and more information about the Board of Trustees can be found on the webpage.