Lack of Amherst College Consortium

[Anonymous]

After much gaslighting about the 5 College consortium, it is timely to see an article from the Amherst Student (Amherst College's student news publication) that emphasizes the lack of 5 college collaboration.

The lack of engagement is not simply a reflection of student disinterest, but rather a symptom of deeper structural and informational barriers that make cross-enrollment and collaboration seem daunting and inaccessible. This striking gap between Amherst’s promotional narrative and the lived reality of its students reveals a disconnect between what the college advertises and what it actually facilitates.

was particularly striking.

The link to learn more: https://amherststudent.com/article/take-more-five-college-classes/

[Anonymous]

I’m a graduate of Smith who spent her junior year at Amherst. While I was a student at Amherst that year, I took a class at Mount Holyoke (yes, I remember those cold mornings getting on the PVTA bus at 8am). And I was on staff at the Student.

That was a pretty sad editorial. An article with some actual journalism would have been better. No statistics about how many Amherst students had taken a class at any of the other four schools. No interviews with students about why they have/have not taken a course through the consortium. No review of the guide that directs how students are to register for courses at Amherst. Is there any mention of the process for consortium class registration? Could they at least have talked to an advising professor to test their knowledge of the consortium?

I’m not sure why you’ve posted this, OP. Is your kid at Amherst and on the Student?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s unusual for those arrangements to be overhyped. There are often restrictions, and going to another campus for class often means dealing with shuttle schedules and parking restrictions.

My DD is a senior at Swarthmore and has yet to take advantage of the consortium with Haverford or Bryn Mawr. She says that it sounds great in theory, but location logistics make it such that it’s not convenient for Swat students. The other two schools are proximate to one another, but Swat is several miles away.

That being said, there’s a popular consortium architecture class that she’s trying to get into next semester. But that class is actually taught off-site in Philly, at least offering a change of scenery that’s not going from one leafy suburban campus to another.

[Anonymous]

The bus has always been a factor, but what can they do? It’s simple geography, and it doesn’t make financial sense for the PVTA to offer more direct routes for only a handful of students. Maybe what they could do is offer a swap, where students spend a semester at another school and live on campus.

[Anonymous]

I'm not surprised OP and PP. I think the Quaker consortium with Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Swat and Penn is totally overhyped, and knowing the terrain around Amherst, I'm sure the same is true there as well. It's nice to have but with a few exceptions (shared departments between Haverford & BM) it's a logistical hassle. A really motivated kid will take occasional advantage of the option, but it's largely marketing.

[Anonymous]

When I was at BMC I knew a decent percentage of folks who took classes (or even lived) at Haverford, and vice versa, but no one who took classes at Swat. Agree with a previous pp that schools in consortiums like to hype the opportunities but in reality the logistical hurdles make it unappealing and uncommon.

[Anonymous]

Gettin’ out the popcorn for this one!!

[Anonymous]

Don't believe the hype is a sequel

[Anonymous]

I have a senior math major at Amherst who has taken at least one course at UMass every semester since sophomore spring. The consortium is what each student makes it. I dare say those busy enough to be in grad level classes don’t have time to write whiny ramblings in the Student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a senior math major at Amherst who has taken at least one course at UMass every semester since sophomore spring. The consortium is what each student makes it. I dare say those busy enough to be in grad level classes don’t have time to write whiny ramblings in the Student.

Don't disagree about the article but your pompous tone is really offputting. Whoopi-doo that your kid is in grad level classes. Lots of people are busy with lots of things - it is Amherst - most kids are very bright and motivated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not surprised OP and PP. I think the Quaker consortium with Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Swat and Penn is totally overhyped, and knowing the terrain around Amherst, I'm sure the same is true there as well. It's nice to have but with a few exceptions (shared departments between Haverford & BM) it's a logistical hassle. A really motivated kid will take occasional advantage of the option, but it's largely marketing.

We went to an open house at Swat a few years ago and when we asked the admissions officer a question about the consortium after her talk, she basically said the same thing.

[Anonymous]

My daughter at Mount Holyoke has not taken classes at the other schools but she has worked with a research mentor and a career mentor at UMass.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of these consortia are a bit overhyped. Once a student is settled and integrated into their main campus life, the practicalities of having to leave to take a class elsewhere make it more challenging to utilize. It’s nice to have the options though.

We toured Smith and MHC and met tour guides at both that had enrolled in a class or two on other campuses (one was taking a particular architecture course at UMASS). With the PA schools, the connection and overlap seems most common between BMC and Haverford (understandable due to proximity).

[Anonymous]

What I've appreciated about the consortium is living in a real college town with bars, late night restaurants, and easy accessibility to pretty much any chain store you can think of, as opposed to being in a backwater like Williamstown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of these consortia are a bit overhyped. Once a student is settled and integrated into their main campus life, the practicalities of having to leave to take a class elsewhere make it more challenging to utilize. It’s nice to have the options though.

We toured Smith and MHC and met tour guides at both that had enrolled in a class or two on other campuses (one was taking a particular architecture course at UMASS). With the PA schools, the connection and overlap seems most common between BMC and Haverford (understandable due to proximity).

Just speaking for the PA consortium, but apparently it's an important feature for Linguistics majors because there are important courses that re only offered at Swarthmore.