The New College Plan
Encyclopedia
The New College Plan resulted in the formation of Hampshire College
.
In 1958, the presidents of Amherst College
, Smith College
, Mount Holyoke College
, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst
(together with Hampshire they are known as the Five Colleges
consortium), all located in the Pioneer Valley
of Massachusetts
, formed the Committee for an Experimental College/Committee for New College to explore the creation of experimental colleges.
The Committee's resulting work, in conjunction with a focused vision of Hampshire College published in 1965 by Franklin Patterson
and Charles R. Longsworth in The Making of a College, along with the donation of $6,000,000 by Amherst alumnus Harold Johnson
, implemented the New College Plan in the formation of Hampshire College
in South Amherst, Massachusetts
. The plan was largely based on the idea of providing a liberal arts college
education at the minimum cost per student, allowing the school to survive on tuition alone. It also placed emphasis on multidisciplinary learning and close faculty interaction. Other incarnations of the New College Plan include the New College of Florida
.
The original 1958 New College Plan offered to:
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
.
In 1958, the presidents of Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
(together with Hampshire they are known as the Five Colleges
Five Colleges (Massachusetts)
The Five Colleges comprises four liberal arts colleges and one university in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, totaling approximately 28,000 students. The schools belong to a consortium called Five Colleges, Incorporated, established in 1965...
consortium), all located in the Pioneer Valley
Pioneer Valley
The Pioneer Valley is the colloquial name for the U.S. Commonwealth of Massachusetts's portion of the Connecticut River Valley. The Pioneer Valley consists of three counties in Massachusetts which collectively feature much of New England's most fertile farmland...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, formed the Committee for an Experimental College/Committee for New College to explore the creation of experimental colleges.
The Committee's resulting work, in conjunction with a focused vision of Hampshire College published in 1965 by Franklin Patterson
Franklin Patterson
Franklin Kessel Patterson was a professor and author, and the first president of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He was also, along with the other presidents of the Five Colleges, a co-author of the New College Plan.-Early life:Patterson was born on September 14, 1916 in Ellsworth, Iowa...
and Charles R. Longsworth in The Making of a College, along with the donation of $6,000,000 by Amherst alumnus Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson may refer to:*Harold Johnson , professional boxer*Harold Keith Johnson , American general*Harold Johnson , American astronomer*Harold T...
, implemented the New College Plan in the formation of Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
in South Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
. The plan was largely based on the idea of providing a liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
education at the minimum cost per student, allowing the school to survive on tuition alone. It also placed emphasis on multidisciplinary learning and close faculty interaction. Other incarnations of the New College Plan include the New College of Florida
New College of Florida
New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
.
The original 1958 New College Plan offered to: