The first Educational Recognition Awards ceremony was held in 1999, envisioned by an ad hoc faculty group as a means of reaffirming education as the founding and primary mission of the campus. The event is characterized by recognition of educational excellence in all three schools, a celebration of the collaboration between the three schools and pride in the dedication, passion and creativity of faculty. Recipients are nominated and chosen by their faculty colleagues; students also participate in the nominating process within the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Graduate School of Nursing. The awards are presented by the deans of each school at an event held toward the end of the academic year.

An evening of fun for ALL students, faculty, staff, their families and friends:

• Dance to the music of DJ Xkaliber
  
• Hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine

A continental buffet for faculty, graduates and their guests will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Buffets will be set in the 1st Floor Multi-Purpose Room of the Albert Sherman Center (ASC) and the Faculty Conference Room. There will be seating on the terraces outside the ASC and the school building and in the school lobbies. There is no charge for this event; however, we do ask that you tell us whether or not you are planning to attend and how many guests you will bring with you.

The University of Massachusetts  Medical School (UMMS) awards doctoral degrees in medicine, biomedical sciences and master’s degrees, DNP's and doctorates in nursing. Students from the School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and  Graduate School of Nursing are hooded by representatives of their chosen profession and receive diplomas from the dean of their respective school. The event is held annually on the Sunday following Memorial Day.

In the presence of family, guests and faculty members, students in the Graduate Entry Pathway (GEP) program are ceremonially presented with their nursing pins and welcomed into the nursing community by campus leaders.The GEP program, for individuals with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing, leads first to registered nurse licensure and then to advanced nursing specialties. The pinning ceremony symbolizes successful completion of the courses and clinical experiences required for taking the licensure exam.