Student Services

The Center for Health & Wellness at each campus provides educational programs and activities that promote physical and emotional well-being. Information is available on topics such as nutrition, stress reduction, birth control, AIDS, smoking cessation, alcohol/drug issues, CPR, and disease prevention. Students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to participate in sports and recreation, fitness and nutrition workshops, and group exercise classes. 

The Fitness Center - Located in the Bedford Campus Center, the Fitness Center is a free facility available to all MCC students, faculty and staff. Offering free weights, weight-training machines, cardiovascular machines, lockers/showers and free personal training, the Fitness Center also contains written information pertaining to fitness and wellness.

UMass Lowell Recreation Center - Middlesex students are encouraged to purchase discounted memberships to the UMass Lowell Recreation Center, a state-of-the-art facility located at 100 Pawtucket St. in Lowell. Memberships are offered at a discounted rate and entitle students to full use of all weight-training equipment, free weights, a wide variety of cardio equipment, indoor track, basketball courts, studio space, sauna and a variety of courts.

Intramural Sports, Sports Clubs and Recreation - MCC students are encouraged to join an existing sport club or start a new one. Sport clubs are eligible to participate in the UMass Lowell intramurals program, competing against other intramural teams in the league. Seasonal activities and recreational tournaments are also organized. Typical MCC sports include: soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball and bowling.

Fitness and Exercise - Various fitness classes are offered at both campuses throughout the year, depending on participants’ interests. Examples of classes recently offered include: Zumba, PX90, Tae Bo, Pilates and yoga, as well as meditation and monthly CPR classes. 

The Center also collects immunization records and ensures compliance as required by Massachusetts State law. Referrals to off-campus, low-cost vaccine clinics are available here.

MCC’s Center for Health & Wellness is located in the Bedford Campus Center (Building 8) 2nd floor, Room 211, and the Lowell City Building, Room G-04. For additional information about immunizations or to learn more about health and wellness opportunities on and off campus, e-mail wellness@middlesex.mass.edu, call 781-280-3765 (Bedford), 978-656-3235 (Lowell) or visit the Health & Wellness or Sports & Fitness pages on the college website.

 The Center for Leadership & Engagement fosters student success through transformative learning, within and beyond the classroom. With a focus on the whole student, the Center offers intentional experiences for self-discovery through social, academic, community and civic participation. Through co-curricular involvement, students develop the knowledge and confidence to become responsible leaders and active citizens. A broad spectrum of opportunities are available for students, including:

Student Activities - Events, programs and presentations that reflect students’ ideas, interests and leadership are offered regularly. A broad spectrum of activities provides opportunities to develop and enhance leadership skills and learn outside the classroom. More than 30 active clubs and organizations are open to all students, and new ones are formed each year.

Student Union Government Association (SUGA) - Comprised of representatives chosen in annual elections at both campuses, SUGA members represent the rights and concerns of the entire student body. They serve as the student voice on collegewide committees with faculty and staff members, and share responsibility in allocating a portion of funds from Student Services charges to on-campus student clubs and organizations.

Orientation & First-Year Experience – New students are encouraged to participate in various programs designed to prepare them for the Middlesex Community College experience. Orientation activities begin fall and spring semester prior to the start of classes and continue through the end of the month. The First-Year Experience program offers new students special opportunities to connect with other students, faculty, and staff to ensure a successful first year.

Civic & Community Action - Opportunities for social change are offered at MCC. These offerings can enrich students’ educational experiences, meet community needs, and foster civic responsibility throughout the college and the community at large, by integrating service into the academic curriculum and beyond. Through participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences, grassroots organizing, local and global democracy enhancement, and social justice, students can become knowledgeable, active and engaged citizens. 

Experiential Learning – Student learning takes place inside and outside of the classroom at Middlesex. The Center for Leadership & Engagement works collaboratively with faculty to create transformative learning experiences that support the curriculum and Institutional Student Learning Outcomes.    

Leadership Development – Leadership education for students is offered via several tracks. The Emerging Leaders program is open to all students and is the introductory tier of leadership development designed to introduce students to leadership topics and concepts. Junior Leaders is the second tier of leadership development, which includes attending speaker broadcasts, a leadership training, and success networking teams through the National Society of Leadership & Success. Half-day or full-day leadership trainings are offered to student leaders twice per year. Students interested in a leadership position can apply for one or more of 15 opportunities campuswide by completing the Leadership Application. A one-credit Leadership Seminar is open to all students interested in personal development and social change. 

The Center for Leadership & Engagement is located in the Bedford Campus Center (Building 8, Room 201), phone: 781-280-3762. In Lowell, it can be found in the City Building, Fourth Floor (Room 407), phone: 978-656-3394. E-mail: studentengagement@middlesex.mass.edu. 

Bookstores

Textbooks and course materials are available for purchase or rent at bookstores operated by Follett College Stores. The Bedford campus bookstore is located in the Campus Center; the Lowell campus bookstore is located in MCC’s Derby Building, 88 Middle St. To order books online, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/administrativeservices/bookstore.aspx.

Cafeterias and Vending Machines

During fall and spring semesters the college has a full-service cafeteria in operation on each campus. Cafeterias are located in the Bedford Campus Center, and in Lowell on the Ground Floor of the City Building. Hours of operation are subject to change based upon the varying needs of students, faculty and staff. Vending machine services are provided on a year-round basis in most of the college’s facilities. 

Childcare

A small number of childcare openings (on a sliding payment scale depending on financial need, as well as for children with childcare vouchers) may be available in Lowell at the Children’s Village at the Mill, located on Market Street next to the Roy Garage. This facility is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Community Teamwork at 978-453-1490 and ask for Child & Family Services. 

The MCC Concert Hall

Located on the Bedford campus in North Academic Hall (Building 6), the MCC Concert Hall is known for its excellent acoustics. The 95-seat hall contains a seven-foot Baldwin piano and is the setting of the Middlesex Music Department’s annual A World of Music concert series featuring faculty, students and guest artists.

Parking

Student parking is available in designated lots on the Bedford campus. Validated student parking is available at designated municipal garages in Lowell. Since parking areas can become overcrowded at certain times of the day, students are advised to arrive early and allow extra time to park. Visit the college website for maps and directions to student parking areas on both campuses: https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/transportation/parking/.

The collegiate experience at Middlesex, on campus and in the classroom, is open to students of varying abilities and levels of adaptive skills. Supportive faculty and staff, as well as fellow students, encourage all students to participate in extracurricular and class activities. The Disability Support Services (DSS) Office provides services and resources to empower each student to attain his/her highest level of academic success and learning independence.

The DSS Office provides services and/or accommodations to eligible students with documented physical, psychiatric and learning disabilities. Pre-registration advising, tutoring, testing accommodations, and self-advocacy training can augment equal access to those who are otherwise qualified for a post-secondary education. Individualized accommodation plans are developed with disability-support specialists. All information shared with DSS remains confidential. For further information, call 781-280-3630.

Designed primarily to assist adult learners, Links is a tuition-free, start-to-college partnership program between MCC and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Eligible students have the opportunity to earn seven to 10 college or institutional credits in a program designed to provide individual assessment of skills, assistance with career planning, and academic guidance and support, as they begin their college education.

Eligible applicants must:

• Have a GED credential or high school diploma (preference is given to students who have studied in a DESE-funded Adult Basic Education program);
• Be a Massachusetts resident;
• Take computerized placement tests (CPT) at MCC and place into Basic Writing, Algebra I, or both.

Links classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., on the Bedford campus, with new classes starting each fall and spring. The program pays for the seven to 10 credits, course books and college services, including the CPT. For more information, call 781-280-3654.

Related topics: MCC has other resources and services available for adult learners: The Adult Learning Center (see College in the Community ); Credit for Prior Learning (see Transfer Information ); and MILES (Middlesex Institute for Lifelong Education for Seniors) (see Corporate and Community Education ).

MCC’s Multicultural Center is a place for students to meet and participate in educational, social and cultural activities that foster mutual understanding and appreciation of various cultures. The Center has computers for student use and is a vibrant place for study and conversation. The Multicultural Achievement Peer Program (MAPP), Latinos Unidos, African Cultural Club and International Club all meet, host programs and conduct workshops in the Multicultural Center. Professional staff members are available to assist students in developing the skills necessary to assure college success in an environment that is safe, nurturing and welcoming. Visit the Multicultural Center on the Lowell campus (City Building, ground floor) or call 978-656-3267 for more information.

Related topic: MCC offers additional resources and services through The English Learner Institute.

Students who have any concerns – from a minor dilemma to a major crisis – are encouraged to contact a personal counselor through MCC’s Personal Counseling and Consultation Services. Personal counselors are licensed mental-health professionals who support and assist MCC students as they cope with personal difficulties that are interfering with their academic progress. Students may discuss issues such as depression, relationship conflicts and stress management. Students may also want to talk about academic concerns, including issues of motivation, patterns of academic failure, time management, and/or test anxiety. Personal counseling is confidential, short-term and free of charge. In cases where students require extended therapy or specialized resources, personal counselors will assist with appropriate community referrals.

Personal counselors also consult to faculty and staff, providing information, training, and support around a variety of issues related to their work with students. While faculty/staff members are encouraged to share their concerns about students with a personal counselor, any information a counselor may have about students will be kept strictly confidential and not be shared.

Appointments for personal counseling are recommended to ensure counselor availability. In Bedford, the Personal Counseling and Consultation Services office is located in the Enrollment Center (Building 9), Second Floor. In Lowell, the office is located in the City Building, Third Floor. To schedule an appointment, or for more information, stop by or call 781-280-3630 (Bedford) or 978-656-3258 (Lowell). 

Reviewed annually, the Student Handbook provides a comprehensive explanation of college policies, student disciplinary procedures, and student rights and responsibilities, and student services. The Student Grievance Procedure for complaints regarding college policies, practices or personnel is also detailed in the Student Handbook. The complete Student Handbook is available online at: www.middlesex.mass.edu/studenthandbook (alternative format upon request).

Inquiries related to college regulations, student conduct and the Student Grievance Procedure should be directed to Pamela Flaherty, Dean of Students, 781-280-3631, Bedford campus, Enrollment Center (Building 9, Room 202). 

Middlesex Community College supports four collegiate and precollegiate federal TRIO programs, and the state/federal GEAR UP: Massachusetts precollegiate program. The collegiate TRIO programs assist students who are low income, the first generation in their family to attend college, or individuals with disabilities. MCC’s precollegiate student support programs work with students who are low income or are potentially the first generation in their family to attend college.

Collegiate TRIO Programs

The Program for Student Achievement

Established in the fall of 2001, the Program for Student Achievement provides services to eligible MCC students with disabilities in conjunction with the Disabilities Support Services Office. Students may receive individual tutoring, academic and career advising, assistance with transfer and financial aid, as well as opportunities to participate in cultural events. The objective of the program is to enhance academic skills while increasing retention and graduation rates, and fostering a supportive campus climate.

Student Support Services/Student Success Program

Offering 200 TRIO-eligible MCC students comprehensive and coordinated services that significantly increase rates of retention, graduation and transfer to bachelor degree-granting institutions, the Student Support Services/Student Success Program began in 1995. Students receive tutoring in math and writing; academic, personal, career, transfer and financial-aid advising; study skills and other skill-building workshops; culturally enriching field trips and college visits; and computer-assisted instruction.

Precollegiate Programs

TRIO

Upward Bound - is a carefully planned and intensive program of college preparation tailored to meet the specialized needs of students in grades 9-12. This semester-based, credited academic program is designed to assist 50 students enrolled at Lowell High School who are low income and/or first-generation college-bound students.

Educational Talent Search - targets TRIO-eligible Lowell students in grades 6-12 and fosters academic success, high-school completion, parent outreach, college/career awareness, and post-secondary placement. Each year, 725 students are served; approximately 40 percent of Talent Search graduates are placed at MCC.

GEAR UP: Massachusetts

MCC’s GEAR UP: Massachusetts Program is a student-support program for students in grades 7-12, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and managed by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. GEAR UP stands for “gaining early awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs” and is a program designed to give low-income students the skills, encouragement and preparation needed to pursue post-secondary education. It also strengthens academic programs and student services at participating schools. GEAR UP serves 375 students annually and has strong objectives that align to the public schools’ adequate yearly progress (AYP), as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Middlesex has a Veterans Resource Center (VRC) on each campus that provides information and assistance to students making the transition from the military to college. Veterans, current service members and family members are encouraged to come in for personalized information about on- and off-campus resources available to assist in the transition and acclimation to college.

The Veterans Resource Center can provide information and referrals regarding college resources, educational benefits, scholarships, medical benefits, mental-health resources, career resources, healthy-living assistance, disability-support services, and post-deployment transition issues.

The Bedford and Lowell campus VRCs offer an open environment where veterans and service members can connect, share stories, work on assignments and projects, or just socialize. Feel free to stop by and meet other students who have previously served – or are currently serving – in the military. For more information, call 781-280–3510 or visit: Bedford Veterans Resource Center, Enrollment Center (Building 9), Room 218; Lowell Veterans Resource Center, City Building (first floor).