University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Chancellor Dr. Mark Fuller is optimistic the university will return better than ever when the campus recovers from the effects of COVID-19.
Dr. Fuller spoke with FRCMedia this week. He says the university is close to being back to normal, with in-person classes and students in dormitories. The university has instituted a COVID vaccination mandate, that includes the booster shot, and masks are still required while indoors.
Dr. Fuller says as with other higher educational institutions UMass Dartmouth has seen a decline in enrollment since the onset of the pandemic, particularly among upperclassmen.
Dr. Fuller says enrollment has also been negatively impacted by the rise in wages caused by the pandemic resulting in worker shortages. Regardless he says a college education is still a great investment with the opportunity to expand earning power two to three times the increase the country has seen in wages.
Dr. Fuller, who first served as interim chancellor last January and was appointed full-time last August, is looking forward to a time when the campus returns to normal. He says the university is seeing applications for this fall at pre-pandemic levels and extra effort is being made to keep current students on the path toward a degree.
Dr. Fuller points to the university expanding research offerings in areas such as the Blue Economy and Offshore Wind as opportunities for students to be at the forefront of emerging technologies integral to the future of the southcoast.
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