MCC Hires New Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success

Middlesex Community College is thrilled to announce Dr. Nicole Harris as the new Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success. Most recently the Associate Dean in the McKeown School of Education at Salem State University, she has over 20 years of experience serving public institutions. In her role at Middlesex, Dr. Harris looks forward to collaborating with the community to guide students on their paths to success.

“Education transformed what was possible for me, and along the way I discovered that one of my greatest purposes was helping others recognize what was possible for them,” Dr. Harris said. “What began with mentoring and supporting people in my own community ultimately became my life’s work: helping students access education, navigate their journeys and achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Students don’t experience a college according to our organizational chart – they experience the people, processes and services they encounter along the way. My role is to help make sure those experiences connect, so that students can move from access to enrollment to completion with the support they need to succeed.”

Holding a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University, Dr. Harris earned a Master of Arts in Higher Education Student Services and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration. A first-generation student, she earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia State University.

At Salem State, Dr. Harris provided senior leadership across both student affairs and academic functions, aligning advising, academic support, and student success strategies to improve outcomes for a varied student population. Throughout her career, she holds a strong record of advancing student access, retention, and completion and has demonstrated a strong commitment to connecting educational outcomes with workforce and community impact.

Dr. Harris has led institution-wide initiatives that strengthen the full student experience – from recruitment and enrollment through persistence and graduation. Her vision for her role as MCC’s Vice President emphasizes a cohesive, data-informed, and inclusion-centered approach that aligns enrollment, engagement, advising, support services, and completion efforts, according to Phil Sisson, MCC’s President.

“Dr. Harris is deeply committed to ensuring that every student experiences MCC as a connected and supportive environment, where access and opportunity are paired with the structures needed to succeed,” President Sisson said. “We look forward to her leadership as we continue to strengthen enrollment, enhance the student experience, and advance our mission of student success and community impact.”

Supporting first-generation, transfer, multilingual, and adult learners, Dr. Harris is recognized for her ability to bridge student affairs and academic affairs to create integrated, student-centered systems. Her leadership has included advising redesign, first-year experience initiatives, transfer pathway development, and the implementation of guided pathways and early momentum strategies.

As a community college, Dr. Harris believes in MCC’s “transformative power” to change lives. This Fall, her goal is to collaborate with the community to strengthen the student experience through meaningful action.

“I was drawn to MCC’s commitment to access, innovation and meeting students where they are, but I was equally excited by the opportunity to help shape what comes next,” she said. “There is tremendous expertise and commitment throughout this college, and I wanted to be part of a community that is willing to ask how we can work differently, work together and serve students even better.”