The Alumni Association was incorporated on October 16, 1947 at Lowell Textile Institute. On March 13, 1976 Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute merged to become the University of Lowell. On September 1, 1991 legislation was enacted to merge the University of Lowell into the expanded University of Massachusetts system. The University of Lowell merged with four other campuses (Amherst, Boston, Worcester, Dartmouth) to become the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The Alumni Association is located at 54 University Avenue in the Alumni Memorial Library, North Campus, Lowell, Massachusetts.

The Alumni Association is an independent non-profit organization. The purpose of the Association is to advance the interest and prestige of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, to foster cooperation and understanding among students, faculty, administration, trustees, and alumni of the University thereby resulting in a unified University Community.

The Lowell Alumni Association is governed by the IUAAL Board of Directors which includes four (4) Officers, the Past President, 12 Directors and 4 members of the Nominating Committee. Five Officers are elected biennially for a period of two (2) years with no officer succeeding himself or herself in office after two (2) consecutive terms or four (4) consecutive years in office.

The Board of Directors consists of twelve (12) persons, elected by and from the members of the Association who are entitled to vote. Eight (8) Directors are elected annually for a period of three (3) years, with no Director succeeding himself or herself in office after six (6) consecutive years. Two members of the Nominating Committee are elected annually for a period of three (3) years.

Any graduate who makes a yearly financial contribution of $35.00 to the Association becomes a member. The Alumni Association fiscal year begins on July 1st and runs through June 30th. This entitles one to the full privileges of membership, including the right to vote and hold office.

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Our Independent University Alumni As-sociation at Lowell (IUAAL) community contin-ues to be a caring, successful, volunteer com-munity with our common purpose to financially support students & departments of the UMass Lowell campuses.

As a not-for-profit corporation, our bottom line is healthy: driven by excellent returns through our investments, and fundraising mailings; and we’ve seen returns from getting out within the business community through personal appearances, and advertising. Our member list continues to grow as more alumni realize how we impact many deserving students presently on the UMass Lowell campus in the form of scholarships and grants.

We continue to be unafraid of big challenges, and again this year, we’ve done very well across the board.

• We remain the economical business model whose vision remains fixed on offering a lifetime endowment for annual scholarships and grants supporting UMass Lowell campus students.
• We’ve met our independent association’s needs.
• We’ve added to our fundraising efforts and social events.
• We’ve enhanced our knowledge of large university business practices as well as our own understanding of their issues.
• We’ve grasped the opportunity to develop practice in working independ-ently, aside some of today’s larger university constraints.
• We continue our culture and our journey, and we enjoy the camaraderie of our association as well.

Students of UMass Lowell have long been associated with working class house-holds whose children have to juggle between travel time, jobs, class room and study time. Nearly all the students have a difficult time coming up with the $10-$15,000 a year for today’s U Mass Lowell college expenses. And, they are concerned about ever-climbing expenses during their college years; and graduating in debt. Yet these working class students, just as many of us did, continue to persevere. Because of alumni altruism, we are able to continue helping them year after year.

Improving on-campus students’ oppor-tunities and quality of their college years has been our mission since our alumni associa-tion’s inception 59 years ago. Our endowment funds have grown, thanks largely to wise investments monitored our Board of Directors who serve on our investment committee, and by systematically keeping administrative expenses in line.

Working with and for the students on the Lowell Campus of UMass is an enormously gratifying experience. January 2006 the Independent University Alumni Association at Lowell gave out scholarships and grants to 85 deserving, working class students. This January, 2007 we will again proudly call more students to the podium to receive their individual scholarships that will help pay for yet another semester.Each year these stu-dents display graciousness and gratefulness for the impact their immediate scholarship makes to their next semester.

Through today’s larger university ma-chine environment, few volunteer associations survive that are made up of free outspoken alumni with minds and values and rights of their own. Our accomplishments are yours—the alumni, parents, and friends that help support our work on the campus of UMass Lowell. You have every right to be glad and proud of your organization. Thank you for helping to keep your volunteer and non-profit Independent Alumni Association at Lowell strong.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Kitrosser
President, Independent University Alumni Association at Lowell

View 2009 President's Letter
View 2008 President's Letter
View 2007 President's Letter
View 2006 President's Letter