- Five Colleges (Massachusetts)
The Five Colleges comprises four liberal arts colleges and one
university in theConnecticut River Pioneer Valley ofWestern Massachusetts , belonging to a consortium called "Five Colleges, Incorporated", which was established in1965 . They are geographically close to one another and are linked by buses which run between the campuses. [ [http://www.umass.edu/campus_services/transit/index.html UMass Transit web site] ]Members
A similar organization exists directly to the south and is known as the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield (CCGS).
Overview
The five colleges operate both as independent entities as well as mutually dependent institutions. The
Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory was founded in 1969 by the Five College Astronomy Department. Together, the Five Colleges operateWFCR , "Five College Radio", an NPR affiliate operating at 88.5 MHz in the FM band. They also participate in an interlibrary loan program, allowing students, staff, and faculty to take advantage of all five campuses' collections.In addition, students at each of these schools often take classes at the other colleges ("cross-registration" is permitted and often encouraged). Student groups and organizations often draw participants from all five campuses and several academic programs (for example,
astronomy ,dance , some foreign languages, andwomen's studies [ [http://www.fivecolleges.edu/academic_programs/academprog_deptprog.html Common Departments and Programs] from Five Colleges, Inc.] ) are run by the Five Colleges.Five-College folklore
A popular
urban legend among Five College students holds that the characters on theSaturday morning cartoon "Scooby-Doo " represent the five colleges. The legend has Velma representing Smith College and Daphne as Mount Holyoke, with Fred representing Amherst College, Shaggy as Hampshire College, and Scooby as UMass Amherst.Hanna-Barbera Productions ,CBS executiveFred Silverman , and some of the show's writers have said that this story is false, [" [http://halogen.note.amherst.edu/~bgjohnson/wwwfaq.html#trivia.scooby The scoop on Scooby] " from The Unofficial Amherst College WWW FAQ] and that the show was actually based on the radio program "I Love a Mystery " and the TV sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ". In fact, Hampshire College did not open until a year after the premiere of "Scooby-Doo". A similar, more succinct version of the urban legend, pertains to the fiveClaremont Colleges in Southern California.Transportation
Bus
The
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provides free inter-campus bus service to students. The bus line runs among the Five Colleges on frequent schedule seven days a week, allowing car-free travel to class and social events. Hourly buses run into the early morning on weekends, an alternative to driving after drinking. This service is funded through a contract with the member institutions.Greyhound Bus Lines andPeter Pan Bus Lines also offer regional service. National service is offered through theSpringfield, Massachusetts Bus Terminal.Rail
Limited
Amtrak service is offered at the Amherst station (AMH). It is contiguous to the Amherst College campus and a PVTA bus stop. Service is North/South, although many more connections are available one stop away at the Springfield station (SPG). Service toBoston ,Montreal ,New York City , Albany, and distant points are available by connecting to regional service at Springfield.Air
General Aviation
Northampton Airport (FAA: 7B2) and
Turners Falls Airport (FAA: OB5) are the closest dedicated general aviation airports. They offer 24 hour access for private aircraft, including corporate jets. 7B2 and 0B5 can only accommodate very small corporate jets.Airlines
Major domestic scheduled airline service is available at both
Bradley International Airport (FAA: BDL) in northern Connecticut (45 minutes) andLogan International Airport (FAA: BOS) in Boston (90 minutes). Logan offers extensive international flights. Regular schedules are available shuttles for a fee.Notes
External links
* [http://www.fivecolleges.edu/ Five Colleges, Inc.]
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