Hello River Hawks!

I hope everyone is excited that sweater weather is almost upon us.

Now that we are done with the first month of the semester, I hope that you have started to settle into a routine! We want to ensure you have everything you need to thrive even after you’ve found your footing, which includes sharing some resources that can help support you throughout your time at UMass Lowell.

To start, we wanted to focus on one of the offices on campus who will be heavily involved in your success, CLASS.

The Centers for Learning, Advising, and Student Success (CLASS) is here to help you with every aspect of your academic journey and performance at UMass Lowell. Think of it as a catch-all for any academic support you may need until you graduate. Below is a list of the main functions they serve.

Advising | Professional Academic Advisors are available to support you with anything you may need while at UMass Lowell. Their role in your academic journey will be highlighted further down. There are also Peer Advisors, who are undergraduate students like yourself who can assist in identifying campus resources, navigating SIS and providing the kind of UML process hacks that only a fellow student can provide. There is a searchable peer advising schedule (both in-person and online) so you can visit at times that work best for you and your schedule. Need help with Schedule Builder or Class Search, or navigating SIS and Advisement Reports? Peer advising can help you with that and more!

Tutoring | Tutoring services begin the second week of each term. Undergraduate tutoring is offered in person, with some remote options as well. Availability includes evenings and weekends, in addition to regular business hours. Whenever you feel you need assistance, you can drop in for tutoring at any of the locations across the UMass Lowell campus. There is a searchable tutoring schedule to identify when, where and what is being offered in real-time. And because it’s drop-in based, you can stop by whenever works best for you!

Writing | Also starting the second week of classes, the Writing Center can assist students in all stages of the writing process in all majors. Tutors on both North and South campuses are available to work with students on brainstorming, planning, researching, drafting, revising, editing and more! This is a great tool to help you get ahead of your assignments and deadlines. You can schedule an appointment at either of their two locations:

Testing | The Testing Centers at UMass Lowell are here to provide a space where a student can take an exam in a controlled environment, both accommodated and make-up exams. They also provide exam proctoring services to ensure that students receive the testing accommodations they are entitled to, in an organized and comfortable as possible. If you plan to use the testing center this semester, don’t forget to fill out the public accommodation request form – you must do this each semester you intend to schedule an exam. The locations for the Testing Centers are:

Keep in mind that you should be going to the Testing Center that is on the same campus as the class’s exam that you are taking.

Academic Coaching / Workshops | CLASS provides an array of opportunities to engage with professionals who are trained to help you build the skills needed to be successful with your academic, personal and career goals while you are at UMass Lowell. Our professionals are here to help support you through all areas of your UMass Lowell experience. They offer coaching on time management, learning strategies, achieving your goals and self-advocacy and communication. They also have a student milestones tracker which helps you plan for success during each academic year.

CLASS delivers special programming for transfer students, as well.

There is often targeted outreach for you to take advantage of. Rest assured, there     are many people dedicated to supporting your success as a transfer student!

Some samples of dedicated programming:

CLASS is also the largest on-campus employer of transfer students!

At UMass Lowell, each student is assigned two different advisors at the beginning of their UML journey. You will notice that one is called a faculty advisor, and the other is called your academic or professional advisor. While both are dedicated to your success and can be used as a resource, understanding their roles helps you seek the advisor best suited for each specific need you may have throughout your college experience.

For discipline-specific questions, such as career-related guidance, course sequencing or internship opportunities, you can connect with your faculty advisor, who is a professor within your major or field of study. On the other hand, your academic advisor will facilitate your understanding and purpose of higher education, assist with course registration and scheduling, and help you connect with various university resources.

Academic advising with a professional advisor is a collaborative educational process whereby advisors are partnering with you in assuring you can meet your academic, personal and career goals!

Now that you know the difference between faculty and academic advisors, let’s introduce you to the academic advisors for all UML transfer students! (They’re awesome.)

Each transfer student is assigned to a professional academic advisor who will support you during your first two semesters as a UML student.

From left to right: Madison Mas, Todd Borchers, Douglas Cooper, Kristen Rhyner, and Shreelekha Girish

Office on North Campus:

Kristen Rhyner, Engineering | Meet Kristen Rhyner, Associate Director of Academic Services and Transfer Support! With more than 30 years of experience working with students, Kristen is dedicated to helping transfer students make a smooth transition and feel at home on campus. She works closely with students to connect them with resources, answer questions and support their academic success. She also teaches a professional development seminar that helps students build the skills and confidence needed to achieve their career goals. Kristen leads a team of peer advisors who provide advice and information for students with registration needs and academic skill building. She can't wait to meet her students in the Francis College of Engineering. Welcome to UMass Lowell! 

Douglas Cooper, Business | As one of the Assistant Directors of the Centers for Learning, Advising & Student Success, Doug is the assigned professional advisor to incoming transfer students to the Manning School of Business during their first year at UMass Lowell. Additionally, he manages the Academic Success Alerts, a university-wide initiative in which faculty send in alerts to students who are having academic or attendance issues, and then Doug and a group of professional advisors and helpers reach out to those students to have helpful and supportive conversations. Outside of work, Doug enjoys music, video games, trivia, and rereading "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace.

Shreelekha Girish, Sciences and Undeclared | Shreelekha serves as an Advising Coordinator of Centers for Learning, Advising & Student Success at UMass Lowell, where she supports Kennedy College of Science transfer students and Undeclared Exploratory students. In her role, she provides guidance on academic planning, major exploration, degree requirements and university policies, while also leading proactive retention and student support initiatives aimed at fostering student success. Outside of her professional work, Shreelekha enjoys traveling to new destinations, exploring diverse cuisines and spending quality time with family and friends.

Office on South Campus:

Todd Borchers, FAHSS | As Assistant Director of the Centers for Learning, Advising & Student Success, Todd is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Centers for Learning South Campus location. This location covers Academic Services such as: Advising, Peer Tutoring, the Writing Center, Peer Advising, Academic Coaching and the Testing Center. In addition, Todd loves spending time with his two toddler sons, dog Maximus, real estate, coaching Special Olympics, fantasy football and the local restaurants in greater Lowell!

Madison Mas, Health Sciences and FAHSS | Madison works as an advisor in the Centers for Learning, Advising & Student Success at South Campus. She primarily supports transfer students in the Zuckerburg College of Health Sciences, and supplementally supports Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences transfer students. This is her first year at UMass Lowell, and she is very excited for this opportunity to foster student success! When she's not working, you can find Madison outside rockhounding, photographing birds and attending Boston Fleet games.

October 5: Winter 2027 classes will be viewable on SIS at 4 p.m. If you are planning on taking a class during winter break (or even if you are just curious about them) you will be able to have a sneak peek of the available offerings.

October 13:  Enrollment for Winter 2027 courses begin!

October 16: Spring 2027 classes will be viewable on SIS at 4 p.m.

October 19: Extended faculty advising hours begin, viewable on SIS.

October 26: Enrollment for Spring 2027 courses begins. Make sure to check your SIS to view your appointment date and time.

November 6: Extended faculty hours end.

December 28: Winter 2027 classes begin.

Online: To find out who your advisors are, you can look on SIS in your My Advising Center or in MyUml under the Advising section

In-person: Cumnock Hall Garden Level (North) and O’Leary Library Learning Commons (South)

Keep an eye out for advising holds! 
You cannot enroll in classes for the next semester until you meet with one of your advisors, and they lift the hold for you. 

We understand that transferring may come with uncertainties and involves adjusting into a new setting. With that in mind, CLASS and the transfer advising team are here to help you prepare for all the circumstances that may come with moving to a new school. We are excited to welcome you to our UML community!

By working together, our goal is to provide you with a smooth transitioning process and make sure you can make the most of your experience as a River Hawk!    

Connect with CLASS

As mentioned, we have a network of people ready to assist for this incoming academic year at UMass Lowell. Please reach out with any questions, I will be happy to connect!

Katrina Harte
Coordinator of Transfer Initiatives, UMass Lowell