Five Colleges, Incorporated: Joint Administrative Programs

administrative programs

Home > Administrative Programs > Joint Administrative Programs

Energy Manager
The position of energy manager was created to serve three of the schools: Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges. Reporting to the directors of physical plant, Todd Holland’s duties include advising the schools on the purchase of energy commodities, working with campus committees to develop and implement an energy conservation program, and developing a standard reporting methodology for energy utilization as a way to benchmark and compare outcomes. Initially funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to encourage collaboration in key administrative areas, the position is expected to be supported by the participating institutions after three years.

Joint Purchasing
The four colleges and the University are members of a state-wide purchasing consortium, Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC). MHEC draws up common contracts for goods and services that consolidate the buying power of many schools in the Commonwealth. The staff of MHEC is based at the University's Amherst campus, which also serves as the marketplace for buyers and sellers state-wide. Each year, the five colleges realize a cost-avoidance of several millions of dollars through MHEC.

Management Training
The Supervisory Management Development program (SMD) is designed to help middle and upper level management personnel develop the problem solving and leadership skills requisite for today's rapidly changing workplace. Directed by a six-member team of human resource staff from each campus, SMD offers a high-quality program at a fraction of the cost to the participating institutions. Initially funded on a pilot basis by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program is now supported by the schools and enrolls up to 40 supervisors a year for a series of ten workshops each semester. In 1997, it received a national award from the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA). Contact Marie Hess, Five College Treasurer/Business Manager, for more information at (413) 256-8316.

Meal Exchange
By special arrangement among the food service directors, a student enrolled in a meal plan at the home campus may receive permission to have meals at another campus without additional charge. Originally conceived as a support to the Five College Interchange, the current guidelines state that to have breakfast or dinner at another campus, an academic commitment must be involved.

Recycling
The four colleges share the services of a Five College Recycling
Manager, Roger Guzowski, and the costs of the program that he is charged with implementing. Its primary goals are to assist each campus in upgrading its educational campaign, and to improve methods of recycling as well as marketing of specified waste materials. Under his guidance, the colleges continue to cooperate with the University's own program of recycling and utilize its recycling facility. The Recycling Manager is based at the Smith College campus.

Risk Management
The four colleges share the expertise of one Five College Risk Manager, Elizabeth Carmichael. She is a specialist in designing and purchasing the most appropriate insurance coverage for the colleges, providing claims management services, and consulting with the colleges on risk prevention and litigation avoidance techniques. This is one of two joint positions in administration (cf. Recycling above) created initially with outside funding but, as a consequence of their success, now funded by institutional support. The Risk Manager is based at Mount Holyoke. Visit the Five College Risk Management Web site for more information.

Click here for information on Joint Faculty Appointments and academic programs.

web site design by gravity switch, inc.