The Colleges of Worcester Consortium was incorporated 1968 and is comprised of ten colleges from the Worcester area. The purpose of the Consortium is to work with these colleges in providing services, which fall into four basic categories: academic collaborations, professional development, information services, and academic support services. Academic support services include cross registration, the Worcester Area Cooperating Libraries, the Consortium Shuttle service, and the Purchasing Group, which is meant to encourage and assist idea exchange, shared services, and procurement, and extends beyond the ten colleges in the Consortium.
When many people think about the Consortium, they often think of cross-registration and the shuttle system. However, the Consortium is involved in many more activities which are often taken for granted by local collegians. Earlier this year, they coordinated the Graduate and Professional School Fair held at Assumption College. On March 19, 1997, they will coordinate the Annual Career Fair. The Consortium also has special educational opportunities: they currently offer an academic certificate program in Gerontology Studies; some other programs are in the works, such as Peace & Conflict and Museum Studies. The Gerontology program is just one example of how the Consortium reaches into the Worcester community: students work at an internship within the community to learn more about gerontology.
There are other ways in which the Consortium reaches out to the community. They hold events which are open to the public, such as music, theater, and art exhibits, lectures and conferences, and sporting events. They collaborate with the public schools, assisting with the professional development of principals and teachers, collaborating on curriculum developing, and making college more accessible to students through tuition waivers and school-to-college access programs.
Members of the Consortium are also involved in many community service endeavors, which includes student internships and course projects and faculty research and consulting. The Consortium also plays a large economic role in Worcester by participating in new business development and serving as a source for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community leaders.
The Consortium also realizes the importance of the Internet as a means of communication among members. They encourage the use of the Social Web (http://cee.wpi.edu/Social/) to make this wonderful tool even more effective in informing students and faculty of local happenings.
Any questions or concerns should be addressed to the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, 37 Fruit St., Worcester, MA 01609; phone (508) 754-6829. Without making your concerns known, the Consortium won't be able to respond!
The ten colleges in the Consortium are Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Becker College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Quinsigamond Community College, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State College.
[Editor's note: I would like to thank Barbara Guthrie, Director of Academic Support & Information Services at the Consortium, for showing me what the Consortium has to offer, and for encouraging this article to inform students about its advantages.]