The University of Massachusetts is the five-campus public university system of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The system includes four universities and a medical school. The University of Massachusetts Amherst, located in Amherst, is the flagship and largest school in the UMass system. It was also the first one established, dating back to 1863, when it was founded as the Massachusetts Agricultural College. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, located in Dartmouth, is next-oldest school in the system. It was founded in 1962 with the merger of New Bedford Textile School in New Bedford and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River. The University of Massachusetts Boston, located in Boston, is third-oldest school in the system. Originally established in 1964, it was merged with Boston State College in 1982. The University of Massachusetts Lowell, located in Lowell, is youngest university in the system. It was founded in 1975 with the merger of Lowell State College and Lowell Technological Institute. It is unique in the UMass system in that it consists of two major campuses for classes, one for residential living, and another for graduate studies. The four schools in the system are geared to undergraduates. The final school in the system is the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It was founded in 1962 and is located in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is unique in the UMass system in that it is the only school to contain a hospital
The UMass system was ranked 56th in the world in 2010 by the Times World University Rankings. It was also ranked as the 19th best university in the world in the Times of London's 2011 World Reputation Rankings.
Robert L. Caret is the president of the 68,000 student system, having been elected on January 13, 2011. He has presided over periods of significant growth at both universities and gained nationally acclaim for eliminating race-based graduation disparities at Towson University.
The University of Massachusetts is also governed by a lay Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees functions as a legislative body dealing mainly with questions of policy. The Board establishes the general policies governing the University, but has delegated many powers to the President and, through the President, to campus administrators for day-to-day-operations.
Read more about University Of Massachusetts: University President, Board of Trustees, Notable Alumni, Mascots
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Richard Harter Fogle, U.S. critic, educator. The Imagery of Keats and Shelley, ch. 1, University of North Carolina Press (1949)