Five College News
New releases and other announcements from Five Colleges.
Five Colleges names Robin Roeder new Director of Risk Management
October 1, 2025: Robin Roeder has been named the new director of risk management for the Five College Consortium. Roeder will manage the insurance and risk management programs of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, as well as for Five Colleges, Incorporated. She will also serve as chief operating officer of Collegiate Catalyst Fund, LLC (the Five College Consortium-owned captive insurance company), and contribute to emergency preparedness and enterprise risk management for each institution. She begins her new role on October 1.
By pooling their resources in a single risk management office and captive insurance program, the college campuses of the Consortium have saved millions of dollars over the past 25 years. The fifth campus of the Consortium, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, maintains its own insurance and risk management programs and staff, but partners with the college campuses in a variety of risk mitigation and emergency preparedness efforts.
Roeder, who most recently served as senior vice president of risk management for Sedgwick Claims Management Services in Memphis, Tennessee, earned a master’s degree in Management, Risk Management and Insurance from Florida State University and holds a number of professional certifications. She is a past recipient of the Ron Judd “Heart of RIMS” Award from the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS).
“Robin brings deep experience in insurance procurement and risk management, along with a keen eye for strategy and a strong commitment to collaboration,” said Five College Executive Director Sarah Pfatteicher. “She’ll be a strong partner to the campuses and to Five Colleges in identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks across our Consortial community.”
Roeder replaces Interim Director of Risk Management Cheryl Lacey, who served in the position since April of this year. Ruth Rauluk served as Five College director of risk management from 2020 until her departure in April 2025.
All Five College Buses will maintain regular schedules during 2025-26 Academic Year
Extensive road construction along routes will likely result in some delays
August 29, 2025: Each of the Five College/PVTA bus runs will be following their usual schedules during the 2025-26 academic year. Riders should keep in mind that there is extensive road construction along several of the routes, which may result in delays. PVTA strongly recommends that riders use the Transit App to confirm bus arrival times.
The R29, which is not part of the Five College bus system but has run every two hours between the City of Holyoke and UMass, will now run every 30 minutes between Holyoke and the Mount Holyoke campus, with riders able to transfer to the 38 to continue up Route 116. This will give Five College students and others more frequent access to the Holyoke Mall and other Holyoke stops.
Students and employees of the Five College campuses–Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and UMass Amherst–may ride all PVTA buses fare-free throughout the year. The following provides details on PVTA buses that run among the Five College campuses. For route schedules, visit pvta.com/schedules. Keep in mind that PVTA posts most upcoming schedules on the day service begins. Additional details and updates regarding Five College/PVTA buses can be found at fivecolleges.edu/bus.
The B43: Smith - Hampshire Mall - UMass - Amherst
The B43 runs between Smith, UMass, and Amherst, with stops at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley. It runs throughout the year, with an adjusted schedule when classes are not in session.
The 38: UMass - Amherst - Hampshire - Mount Holyoke
The 38 runs between UMass, Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke. It runs only when classes are in session, beginning September 2, 2025.
The 39: Smith - Hampshire - Hampshire Mall
The 39 runs between Hampshire and Smith Colleges on weekdays, and between Hampshire College, Smith College, the Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall on weekend evenings. It runs only when classes are in session, and service begins September 2, 2025.
The 39E: Mount Holyoke - Smith Express
The 39E is an express run between Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, running during the day during the week when classes are in session. It is free and only available to riders with an ID from a Five College campus. Service begins September 2, 2025.
The R29: City of Holyoke - Mount Holyoke
The R29 runs between Mount Holyoke College and the City of Holyoke Transit Station with a stop at the Holyoke Mall. It runs all year and is free to all riders.
Buses leading to and from UMass
UMass Transit operates a number of PVTA buses that travel within its campus and between its campus and such surrounding communities as North Amherst, Sunderland, and Belchertown. These buses are free to all riders and operate only when classes are in session. See all UMass Transit Bus Routes.
Five College Campuses Collaborating for Fourth Annual Job Fair
June 5, 2025, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., Amherst College Valentine Dining Hall
May 13, 2025: The campuses of the Five College Consortium–Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst–are collaborating to offer job seekers one-stop shopping for hundreds of jobs on June 5 in Amherst.
The fourth annual Five College Job Fair, taking place from 1 to 4 pm on June 5 at Amherst College’s Valentine Hall, will feature high-priority openings in a wide variety of departments. Attendees will be able to talk with campus representatives and explore job opportunities.
“Coming together with the other Five College campuses to offer hundreds of job opportunities to our community is a great experience,” said Ed Maldonado, recruiting specialist at Amherst College, host of this year’s job fair. "The range of opportunities is incredibly broad, from dining and facilities roles to positions in IT, libraries, student affairs, and administration. If you’re looking for a particular type of job, there’s a good chance you’ll find it on one of our campuses."
Campus departments with openings include:
- Administration
- Campus Safety
- Career Development
- Dining Services
- Early Childcare Centers
- Facilities/Custodial Services
- Financial Services
- Information Technology
- Libraries
- Student Affairs
Refreshments will be available and gift bags of campus souvenirs will be raffled off to attendees.
For more information about this event, visit fivecolleges.edu/jobfair.
Five College Publishing Day to bring together authors and publishers
Tuesday, May 13, Smith College Alumnae House
May 6, 2025: Five College Publishing Day 2025, a collaborative publishing event for Five College faculty and staff members, will take place at the Smith College Alumnae House on Tuesday, May 13th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The event, which aims to foster connections among attending editors and authors, is free and open to faculty and staff from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The day’s agenda will be filled with programming ranging from transforming a dissertation into a monograph to a panel discussion on the future of publishing. Editors and other representatives from publishers will be on hand to share their perspectives and meet individually with attendees.
Register for Five College Publishing Day
PVTA will continue full bus service through final exams
April 22, 2025 – PVTA bus service among the Five College Campuses will follow normal schedules through the end of final exams on the campuses. Below are the dates that service will end or change for each route, with links to detailed schedules for each route:
- R29 (Springfield-Holyoke-Mount Holyoke-Hampshire-Amherst-UMass): Regular service continues year-round.
- 38 (UMass-Amherst-Hampshire-Mount Holyoke): Regular service continues through the end of May 15. Beginning May 17, the 36 bus will offer limited service over summer break from Atkins Farm up Route 116 to the UMass campus.
- 39 (Hampshire-Smith): Regular service continues through the end of May 9.
- 39E (Mount Holyoke-Smith): Regular service continues through May 14.
- B43 (Smith-UMass-Amherst): Full service continues through May 17, when it switches to its B43 No School schedule for the summer.
For more information on bus service among the Five College campuses, visit the Five College buses webpage. For more information on all PVTA bus service, visit the PVTA website.
Five Colleges’ source for less-commonly taught language instruction has a new website
February 4, 2025: LangMedia, the Five College Consortium’s online collection of learning resources focusing on less-commonly taught languages (LCTLs), has a robust new website. Funded by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation, the redeveloped site offers free, high-quality language-learning tools in dozens of LCTLs.
For example, someone who wants to learn Twi, a language of Ghana, can watch a video in Twi of someone ordering fish in a market in the city of Accra and follow along with the Twi and English transcripts. Or a student of Urdu can access 60 detailed study guides designed for self-directed learning. In all, thousands of online resources support the study of 46 languages on LangMedia, which are now much more easily navigated in the new website. More new resources will be added in the upcoming months, including course syllabi in 10+ additional languages.
Visit the new website: langmedia.fivecolleges.edu
LangMedia was originally developed in the 1990s to offer videos, audio recordings, and other resources to support independent language learning. It’s become an important tool of the Five College Center for World Languages, which instructs hundreds of students each year from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. LangMedia is also used by other K-12 and higher education institutions and by thousands of language learners across the globe.
The Davis Educational Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.
Fall, 2024 Finals Bus Schedule Now Available
December 9, 2024: With one exception, normal PVTA bus service will be available for travel among the campuses through the end of the 2024 fall semester exams. The exception is final exams taking place at Amherst College on December 19 and 20.
Smith and UMass students needing to travel to Amherst on those days can use the B43, which will be on its normal service schedule. Students at Mount Holyoke and Hampshire should use either normal R29 service, or the special 38 service that will be offered on those days. See the schedule on our bus page, or download the pdf here.
Five College Buses will Follow Usual Schedules During 2024-25
No Five College bus service will be impacted by potential driver strike
August 30, 2024: Each of the regular Five College/PVTA bus runs will be following their usual schedules during the 2024-25 academic year. Students and employees of the Five College campuses–Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, and UMass Amherst–may ride these buses fare-free when classes are in session. Members of the public may ride any PVTA bus, with the exception of the 39E between Mount Holyoke and Smith, which is privately contracted. Most PVTA buses will charge a fare to anyone who does not have an ID from a Five College campus.
Because the labor negotiations currently underway with PVTA drivers are with a contractor that does not operate the Five College bus routes, Five College service would not be impacted by a strike by PVTA drivers.
The following are the Five College/PVTA buses, with the routes they cover and the dates they operate. For route schedules, visit pvta.com/schedules. Keep in mind that PVTA posts most upcoming schedules on the day service begins. Additional details and updates regarding Five College/PVTA buses can be found at fivecolleges.edu/bus.
The B43: Smith - Hampshire Mall - UMass - Amherst
The B43 runs between Smith, UMass, and Amherst, with stops at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley. It runs all year, and is free to those with an ID from a Five College campus during the academic year beginning September 3, 2024. Outside the academic year and during winter break, the fare is $1.50.
The 38: UMass - Amherst - Hampshire - Mount Holyoke
The 38 runs between UMass, Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke. It is free to all when it runs, and it runs only when classes are in session, beginning September 3, 2024.
The 39: Smith - Hampshire - Hampshire Mall
The 39 runs between Hampshire and Smith Colleges on weekdays, and between Hampshire College, Smith College, the Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall on weekend evenings. It runs only when classes are in session, and service begins September 3, 2024.
The 39E: Mount Holyoke - Smith Express
The 39E is an express run between Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges, running during the day during the week when classes are in session. It is free and only available to riders with an ID from a Five College campus. Service begins September 3, 2024.
The R29: UMass - Amherst - Hampshire - Mount Holyoke - Holyoke Mall - Springfield
The R29 runs between UMass and the City of Holyoke Transit Station, with stops at Amherst, Hampshire, and Mount Holyoke Colleges. It also has stops at the Holyoke Mall, and at Union Station in downtown Springfield. It is free during the academic year to those with an ID from a Five College campus. Outside the academic year and during winter break, the fare is $1.50. Fare-free service begins September 3, 2024.
Buses leading to and from UMass
UMass Transit operates a number of PVTA buses that travel within its campus and between its campus and such surrounding communities as North Amherst, Sunderland, and Belchertown. These buses are free to all riders and operate only when classes are in session. See all UMass Transit Bus Routes.