Colleges of the Fenway
The Colleges of the Fenway (COF) is a consortium of five colleges located in or near the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The association promotes collaboration among its member schools to enhance the variety of educational programs; to gain economics benefits through shared research, medical, and dining facilities; and to provide students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to study, live, teach, and work in a small college environment while enjoying the resources of a major academic environment comparable to that of a large-scale university setting.
Member institutions
As of 2020, there are five member institutions:
- Emmanuel College
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)
- MCPHS University (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences)
- Simmons University
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
Former members
- Wheelock College – no longer in existence, now merged into Boston University as the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
Collaboration
The five colleges, each with its own unique mission, offer specialized learning and experiences on and off campus. Collectively, the COF represent more than 12,000 full-time undergraduate students (16% of all students attending four-year colleges in greater Boston), 6,500 graduate students, nearly 700 full-time faculty, and more than 2,300 course offerings.[1] Shared initiatives among the six colleges are aimed at enhancing the quality of education, enriching student experiences and reducing costs through sharing of resources. For example, the second floor of a new dormitory at MassArt is a Student Health Center, shared by students of MassArt, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and MCPHS University.[2][3]
The Consortium has an agreement with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to extend University Membership benefits to all associated students, faculty, and staff.[4]
Collaborative student opportunities include formal cross-registration which allows access to over 1,000 courses otherwise not available on the student's home campus.[5] As of 2016, approximately 400 students took advantage of cross-registration each semester.[1] Students may use career centers, intramural sports, performing arts, student life programs and activities, and study-abroad opportunities at other schools in the consortium. Students may also participate in shared social events planned by the Colleges of the Fenway and various groups throughout the campuses. Students may live at their school of attendance or in the campus dormitories of the other member schools.[1]
Each October, the Colleges of the Fenway join with other local organizations in an "Opening Our Doors" public celebration of artistic and cultural activities in the Fenway and Huntington Avenue districts of Boston.[6]
References
- "About COF". Colleges of the Fenway. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- "Massachusetts College of Art and Design's Student Residence Hall / ADD Inc". arch daily. Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
- "Tree House (New Residence Hall)". MassArt. Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Archived from the original on 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
- "Museums". Colleges of the Fenway. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
- "Cross-Registration". Colleges of the Fenway. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
- "Opening Our Doors". Colleges of the Fenway. Retrieved 2020-02-29.