Colleges Expand Student Choices by Sharing Courses

Champlain College, Saint Michael’s College, and Burlington College have entered into a consortium agreement that will allow students at each institution to register for courses at any of the three colleges for no additional charge.

Over recent months, Vermont colleges have been exploring opportunities for developing consortiums through the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC). Champlain College President David F. Finney, Saint Michael's College President Jack J. Neuhauser, and Burlington College President Jane O'Meara Sanders had been collaborating on this broader question and decided to start with this new program.

Finney said he believes the expanded program will benefit all three institutions and could serve as a model for other Vermont colleges and universities to work more closely together through AVIC.

Known in higher education as cross-college registration, this new agreement will allow students to take, for instance, music or foreign language classes offered at Saint Michael's, computer or design courses at Champlain, and film or photography courses at Burlington College.

"Our proximity to each other and the different course offerings at each of our schools make this a great way to enhance our students' experience and learning while enabling our individual institutions to keep their own unique qualities," Finney explained.

Saint Michael's President Neuhauser said, "By demonstrating that we can share a curriculum we not only expand what is available to our respective students now, but we also help set the tone for future course planning as well as other cooperative endeavors."

Burlington College President Sanders noted, "The consortium approach will result in greater access and affordability for students, as the colleges explore opportunities to collaborate on administrative as well as academic initiatives. Going forward, this may include professional development, purchasing, and instructional technology."

All three college presidents agree that through collaboration, students and faculty will be able to share the best aspects of all three colleges. They expect the program will offer economic benefits as well, by helping to slow the escalating costs of higher education through sharing and elimination of unnecessary duplication of efforts. The program will begin in the fall of 2010.