Theconsortium was formally established in 1965, but its roots lay in cooperative efforts between the oldest four members of the consortium dating back to 1914.[3]
In 1914, Massachusetts Agricultural College (now UMass), Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith joined International YMCA College (nowSpringfield College) to form the Committee on University Extension of the Connecticut Valley Colleges, a jointcontinuing education program for the Pioneer Valley. In later years, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and MAC—later known as Massachusetts State and UMass—increased their collaboration, culminating in the formation of an inter-library loaning program in 1951, and a joint astronomy department in 1959. Finally, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Smith and UMass incorporated the Four College Consortium, which became the Five College Consortium when Hampshire College was founded in 1965, and, in 1970, admitted its inaugural class.[3]
The five colleges operate both as independent entities as well as mutually dependent institutions. The mission of the consortium is to support long-term forms of cooperation that benefit the faculty, staff and students of the five colleges. Shared academic and cultural resources are the primary initiative of the consortium. This means that students at each of these schools are permitted and encouraged to take classes at the other colleges (through "cross-registration") at no additional cost to the student.[4] Student groups and organizations often draw participants from all five campuses and several academic programs are run by the Five Colleges (for example:astronomy,dance, some foreign languages, andwomen's studies[5]). The colleges also participate in aninterlibrary loan program, allowing students, staff, and faculty to take advantage of all five campuses' collections.[citation needed]
ThePioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provides free daily intra-campus bus service to students, staff, and faculty during the school year. The buses, most of which operated byUMass Transit , with the B43 and B43E operated by Valley Area Transportation Company (VATCo) run on a frequent schedule, allowing car-free travel to classes, social events, and local shopping areas.[7] This service is funded primarily through a contract with the member institutions.[8]
