News 2023: Students return to Dartmouth to begin the 2023 academic year

The campus community joined together to celebrate the start of the fall semester

Students returned to campus during the long holiday weekend to begin the 128th academic year in the University's history.

On Sunday, September 3, more than 1,000 first-year students moved their cars and bins piled high with belongings through campus to begin their higher education journey. The University expects 3,000 students in total to call campus home this semester.

The newest Corsairs consists of 1,395 new undergraduate students, and 53% of the Class of 2027 are students of color. This represents an overall increase of 5.7% over 2022. UMassD also welcomed 352 transfer students and 731 graduate and law students, the largest incoming graduate student class in the University's history.

"As the Fall semester commences at UMass Dartmouth, the Corsair family is experiencing tremendous momentum, which is evident from the substantial increase in applications, a surge in campus tour participation, and the arrival of our largest entering undergraduate class in nearly a decade. Not only are our enrollment numbers climbing, our faculty are gaining national recognition for their research, and our students are making a positive impact on the SouthCoast community," said Chancellor Mark Fuller.

"Growth in in-state, out-of-state, and international students really speaks to the appeal of UMass Dartmouth and the SouthCoast. We continue to be proud of the growth that we've experienced in Bristol County, signaling great support from our high schools and our community," said Jim Anderson, Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management.

After move-in, students participated in a long-standing tradition known as the Corsair Olympics. The event pitted residence halls (and a commuter team) against each other in races, kickball, dance competitions, and board games. Spruce Hall was victorious, beating the Commuter team by only three points.

The 2023-24 academic year officially began with the New Student Convocation on September 5. There ceremony features new students hearing encouraging words and advice from university leadership, faculty mentors, and student leaders at the beginning of their higher education journey. The All-Campus BBQ followed the ceremony where all students, faculty, and staff came together for food, fun, and music on the campus quad.

At Convocation, faculty speaker Assistant Teaching Professor Stephanie McGoldrick (Art & Design) told students, "Keep showing up and being present for yourself and for others- connect with your new community if you change majors, colleges, jobs, or cities; share in the joys and the losses with the people around you and lift each other up. Transitions like these may lead you to new unexpected beginnings."

On September 6, students embarked on their first day of fall semester classes as they chase after their educational, professional, and personal dreams.