2015 2015: Keith Middle School students from New Bedford visit UMass Dartmouth campus through CONNECT Partnership College Immersion Program

300+ New Bedford 7th graders learn how to use a stethoscope and observe and feel the chest respirations of "Sim Man" at UMass Dartmouth

‌300+ New Bedford 7^th graders visited UMass Dartmouth today, September 28 for a tour of the campus, which included visits to the Charlton College of Business and College of Nursing. The students from Keith Middle School arrived on campus at 915 a.m. receiving a welcome from Chancellor Divina Grossman and mascot Arnie the Corsair.

College of Nursing students shared their experiences of being a UMass Dartmouth nursing student. Nursing students then taught the 7^th graders how to use a stethoscope to listen to their heart and how to use a Pulse Oximeter to obtain the percentage of oxygen going through their body.

Students also had the opportunity to tour the Nursing Simulation lab to observe and feel the rising and falling of the "Sim Man's" chest during respirations. UMass Dartmouth's SimLab offers students and faculty an experiential learning environment designed to prepare future nurses with the equipent and experience necessary to practice basic and advanced nursing skills. The lab contains hospital beds, advanced lab equipment, and adult and pediatruc mannequins, including "Sim Man" who has a beating heart, bodily functions that can be measured and who can be programed by faculty to do a variety of things that require expert nursing intervention.

The 7^th graders also visited with Charlton College of Business Professors to learn about marketing research and take part in a consumer behavior interactive demo. Students also got the chance to visit the Claire T. Carney Library, Residence and Dining Halls, learn about UMass Dartmouth’s 130 student clubs and organizations, and received a tour of the Fitness Center to learn about the University’s wellness initiatives. The visit ended with a card making service project for seniors organized by UMass Dartmouth’s Leduc Center for Civic Engagement.

‌Over a three day span, beginning today September 28, UMass Dartmouth will welcome more than 900 7^th graders from New Bedford for a tour of the entire campus. The visit is made possible through the college immersion program of CONNECT, a southeastern Massachusetts public higher education partnership. The goal of the program is to have every 7^th grader from the six gateway cities of the region to visit one of the public higher education institutions this fall.

‌Students from Keith Middle School (September 28), Normandin Middle School (September 30), and Roosevelt Middle School (October 2) will gain the college experience by visiting and engaging with faculty and students from UMass Dartmouth’s Charlton College of Business, College of Nursing, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Engineering, and College of Visual & Performing Arts.

For a more detailed schedule of the three day college immersion program at UMass Dartmouth contact Joe Sullivan (jsullivan15@umassd.edu; 508-542-6919).

CONNECT is a partnership of the five public higher education institutions in Southeastern Massachusetts: Bridgewater State University, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massasoit Community College, and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.  Established in 2003, CONNECT has two primary goals: to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of higher education; and to advance the economic, educational and cultural life of Southeastern Massachusetts. CONNECT realizes its mission by focusing on four major areas, with activities and initiatives that enhance academic programs and ease transfer of students among the institutions; foster economic development through the region; promote cultural programs and projects; and share expertise and resources. The executive officers of the CONNECT institutions act cooperatively to strengthen their institutional missions and to enrich the life of the region.

UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant public university actively engaged in personalized teaching and innovative research, and acting as an intellectual catalyst for regional economic, social, and cultural development. UMass Dartmouth's mandate to serve its community is realized through countless partnerships, programs, and other outreach efforts to engage the community, and apply its knowledge to help address local issues and empower others to facilitate change for all.