New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
FIRST-YEAR STUDENT MOVE-IN DAY SEPT. 1
On Sunday, September 1, first-year students will move into residence halls and begin their academic journeys. Student and staff volunteers will help new students and their families with the move-in process. Click here for the full move-in schedule.
Chancellor Robert E. Johnson will be greeting new students and their families from 10 – 11 a.m. near Chestnut and Maple Ridge halls.
Media are asked to call John Hoey at 508.264.5920 or Ryan Merrill at 508.961.7876 prior to arriving for assistance with traffic and parking.
NEW STUDENT BREAKDOWN
UMass Dartmouth will welcome approximately 2,100 new students to campus this year, including undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 4,000 will be living on campus.
THIS WE BELIEVE STUDENT ESSAYS
Incoming first-year students have been engaging with their peers on the university’s This We Believe blog. This UMass Dartmouth tradition gives new students an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and learn about the lived experiences of their peers. This year, winners of the Provost’s This We Believe essay contest hail from Taunton, Mansfield, and Raynham, Massachusetts and Cos Cob, Connecticut.
NEW STUDENT CONVOCATION
The Class of 2023 will be officially welcomed to the university during Convocation exercises on Tuesday, September 3 at 11 a.m. in the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater.
UMASS LAW CONTINUES TO GROW
UMass Law welcomed a record number of incoming first-year students for the 2019-20 academic year. In total, 113 new law students began their legal education careers – a 21.5 percent increase from last year. For the second year in a row, UMass Law applications grew by more than 20 percent, far exceeding the national average. At the same time, incoming student LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs increased across the board, making this incoming class the most academically qualified in the history of the school.
FACILITIES UPDATES
$1 million in grounds and facility upgrades
This summer facilities and grounds saw more than $1 million in upgrades such a nursing lab, engineering classroom, law school seminar room renovations; road resurfacing; stairway repairs; expansion of academic advising space in the Liberal Arts Building; and relocation of the Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education to the Liberal Arts Building.
New battery storage system goes online
This summer, the university launched the largest public battery storage system in Massachusetts. The 520kW system will release stored energy at peak times to help reduce the University’s overall electric costs. The new battery storage system enters a robust ecosystem of campus sustainability infrastructure including a 1.6MWh Co-generation plant and 369 kW of solar photovoltaic panels.
New housing and dining facility on schedule
Last fall, the University broke ground on a $134 million student housing and dining complex project that will serve 1,210 first-year students. The new housing will feature academic classrooms, multimedia and study lounges, demonstration kitchens, and recreation space. The project is currently on schedule and projected to welcome new students next fall.
Science and Engineering Building renovation to start in May
A $54 million renovation of 177,000 square-foot science and engineering building will begin in May, focusing on roofs, windows, heating, and ventilation.
ACADEMIC UPDATES
In August, the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees approved a new Honors College and expanded the scope of the College of Nursing. The Honors College will provide an innovative, inter-disciplinary, and research-oriented community that will attract and graduate highly qualified learners. The newly named College of Nursing and Health Sciences will better position the university to respond to the need for a team-based health care workforce in the community, the region, and beyond. The new structure will bring together the departments of Medical Laboratory Science, Community Nursing, and Adult Nursing to add interdisciplinary learning experiences for students.
9/11 DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND SERVICE
As part of the university’s commitment to service, UMassD students, faculty, and staff will participate in the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance at Sharing the Harvest Community Farm on Sunday, September 8. Shifts will begin at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Hosted by the UMass Dartmouth Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, the event will result in the harvesting of thousands of pounds of fresh produce for local food pantries.
