Frequently Asked Questions

Our goal was to create a new, one-of-a-kind bicoastal university with a flagship campus on the West Coast to offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as lifelong learning opportunities. Mills benefits from additional resources that will enable the college to continue to excel in serving women, gender nonbinary individuals, first-generation and BIPOC students, and others, while Northeastern is able to provide new opportunities to students, faculty, and its partners to make an impact on the world.

Mills tenured and tenure-track faculty are now part of the Northeastern faculty. Other categories of full-time salaried faculty also are continuing as Northeastern faculty.

Yes. Both undergraduate and graduate degree programs will be offered by Mills College at Northeastern. In the year ahead, the now combined faculty will develop and submit for accreditation new undergraduate and graduate academic programs that build on Mills’ and Northeastern’s strengths and create new educational opportunities for students. We will share information about those programs as they are developed and accredited.

Mills College at Northeastern University welcomes students of all genders, which the graduate programs at Mills have done since the 1920s. Mills’ commitment to advancing leadership by women and nonbinary people and empowering BIPOC, first-generation, and LGBTQ+ students will continue through the curriculum and through the Mills Institute.

All Mills staff members became Northeastern employees as of June 30, 2022.

We anticipate that approximately 1,000 students will be on campus in the 2022–2023 academic year. We estimate that the student body will be approximately 50% Mills continuing students and 50% Northeastern NU Bound and N.U.in students.

Building on the legacy of Mills College, the Mills Institute at Northeastern will strive to meet changing educational needs with a particular commitment to gender and racial justice and the advancement of women, gender nonbinary individuals, and communities of color.

It will offer programs and partnerships that support transformative teaching and learning, research, and career development.

Yes. We plan to be a vibrant contributor to the City of Oakland and the greater Bay Area and have already begun connecting with the city, local nonprofit organizations, and educational pathway programs to plan for the future.

We will support local, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses and launch experiential learning programs that incorporate social entrepreneurship and service learning to address local and global challenges. This work will build on Northeastern’s proven track record of collaborative urban engagement in Boston and in all of the other cities where we have campuses.

Yes. Northeastern values the Mills College name and legacy and will preserve and enhance the campus for educational purposes for generations to come.

Named buildings and hallmark resources—such as the F. W. Olin Library, the Mills College Art Museum, and the fine arts facilities—continue to be at the core of a Mills College at Northeastern University education.

As of July 1, 2022, Mills students who are academically eligible to continue their studies in a Northeastern degree program follow the academic policies and procedures outlined in the university’s undergraduate and graduate student handbooks, code of conduct, and academic integrity policy. In addition, the Mills-Northeastern University Special Standing Academic Committee (SSAC) considers petitions and cases related to Mills student academic standing issues, including specific petitionable academic considerations which can be found here. Students who wish to submit a petition or question relating to their academic standing situation may do so at [email protected].

Leading up to the 2022-2023 academic year a series of student town halls and support from the Mills College faculty and the provost’s team were offered to make the transition as smooth as possible. Professional academic advisors worked closely with Mills students eligible to continue their studies into Northeastern degree programs after the merger on July 1, 2022, including meeting one-on-one with students to map out their degree options at Northeastern. Once enrolled in an Northeastern degree program, each student has an assigned advisor supporting their progress toward degree completion.

In many cases, students will be able to complete their degrees on time.

For those who cannot due to the difference in degrees and requirements between Mills’ and Northeastern’s curricula, we are covering the cost of the additional time required to complete the degree.

No. As part of our commitment to supporting the Mills community of learners and scholars through the merger, students received financial aid packages with no increase in out-of-pocket costs for tuition and fees, including room and board.

We understand the impact that the merger process may have had on undocumented students, in particular, who deal with complex, sometimes overlapping issues that impede their ability to succeed academically. Therefore, we’re working to ensure a smooth transition for these students by partnering closely with specialized staff from Mills for help. You can find contact information here.

Our Disability Resource Center is working closely with Mills’ Student Access and Support Services to ensure a smooth transition for SASS students staying through the merger.

For specific accommodation needs on the Oakland campus, please visit the Student Access and Support Services website.

Yes. We recognize that these jobs are necessary to help many students pay for the cost of their education. In fact, we anticipate the need to hire more teaching assistants and student assistants in the coming year because we are projecting that approximately 1,000 students will be studying on campus in fall 2022.

After June 30, 2022, degrees earned by continuing Mills students on the Oakland campus the name of the school on their diploma will be Northeastern University as well as Mills College. Transcripts for continuing students will say Northeastern University, and all courses taken at Mills before June 30, 2022, will be noted and appear on the transcripts.

Yes. Mills students at the time of the merger who successfully complete their degree at Northeastern will graduate as both Mills College at Northeastern and Northeastern University alumnae.

Northeastern is honoring the terms of tenure of former Mills faculty who held a tenured or tenure-track position or a continuous appointment. We have also offered per-course adjunct faculty opportunities for employment.

Yes. Any former Mills part-time faculty member is welcome to apply for a full-time or tenure-track role at Northeastern.

Northeastern and its labor counsel is and has been working collaboratively with all Mills unions.

All Mills staff members became Northeastern employees as of July 1, 2022, with their current salaries and continuous benefits coverage.

Mills employees will retain their current healthcare benefits for calendar year 2022 and then participate in the annual open enrollment period to choose Northeastern benefits for calendar year 2023.

Mills employees who became Northeastern employees on July 1, 2022, did not lose any value in vacation benefits and were offered the option to cash out their accrued vacation time upon the merger, if they chose.

Northeastern is working in good faith on all bargaining relationships.

Titles and roles may change in the future depending upon operational and business needs and how the transition evolves. Mills staff who are continuing as Northeastern employees after the merger have retained their base salary and/or wage rates.

Mills alumnae continue to be valued and welcomed as part of the Mills College community, and they have access to the campus and Reinhardt Alumnae House.

Mills alumnae can also receive new benefits that Northeastern offers, such as tuition discounts for additional degrees.

Reunions are already being planned for 2022 and beyond, and the Mills Quarterly will continue to publish.

Before establishing a master plan for the campus, we need to develop curricular offerings and design ongoing and new programs. Assessments are underway to identify renovation needs and new construction options.

Yes. We anticipate residential renovations and new residential buildings, over time, and will conduct a review of the current buildings to make those decisions. The review will help determine if the buildings need extensive or minor renovation, as well as set out a plan for future growth.

Endowment funds from Mills College will continue to be used for the purposes for which they were given to Mills.

No changes will be made in the uses of any endowed fund without communication with the donor or other legally required steps. The investments of the endowments are now managed by Northeastern University and will be spent in accordance with Northeastern’s spending policies.

Your gift will go exactly where you have designated it to be placed. There will continue to be opportunities to support the campus and its programs, students, staff, and faculty.

Gifts to Mills’ Greatest Need are essential to the campus, and undergraduate scholarships are always a top priority. You can select the program or student scholarship that you want to support with your gift and rest assured that your gift will be used for the purpose that you have intended.

Gifts to the new Mills Legacy Scholarship Fund will support women and gender nonbinary students well into Mills’ new future as a part of Northeastern University.

Official transcripts for graduates of Mills College and individuals who attended but did not graduate from Mills College are available from Parchment. Northeastern University became the custodian of academic records issued by Mills College effective July 1, 2022.

For more information, please refer to Northeastern’s Registrar’s process for requesting transcripts.