Boston, MA – October 31, 2006 – Colleges of the Fenway, a consortium of six colleges in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by honoring the commitment member institutions have made to provide a combined 10,000 undergraduate students with the enhanced academic programs, cutting-edge technology, and increased social and networking opportunities that each could not offer individually. Through this collaboration, these institutions have managed the rising costs of higher education by strategically combining and sharing resources.

Members of the consortium – Emmanuel College, Massachusetts College of Art, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Simmons College, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Wheelock College – will gather on November 2nd at Simmons College to honor both founding and current presidents, faculty and staff members of each institution who have worked to further the collaboration. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who spoke at the event which announced the COF in 1996, will be in attendance and offer remarks.

"Colleges of the Fenway is proud to be celebrating its 10th Anniversary of enriching academic and social opportunities for students, faculty and staff across the institutions and finding innovative means of sharing resources," said Executive Director Claire Ramsbottom. "Over the past decade the faculty, staff and students of the colleges have proven that with hard-work, collaboration can bring many rewards and opportunities. We look forward to this opportunity to recognize and celebrate all those who have contributed to the success of COF and to the individual colleges over the past 10 years."

Current Presidents Reflect on the Partnership
"The Colleges of the Fenway collaboration has opened so many doors for Emmanuel College students, both academically and socially. We are fortunate to be in a neighborhood so rich in culture, academic reputation, scientific advancement and activity, and the Colleges of the Fenway consortium only adds to this vibrancy. Ten years ago, the COF was formed to foster cooperation among member institutions so we could share resources and develop a common infrastructure. But, over the past decade, the COF has flourished and become a dynamic partnership which has enabled each institution to offer students, faculty and staff more opportunities than were possible before. At Emmanuel College, our promise to students is that we believe, we challenge and we transform. As a member of the Colleges of the Fenway, we are able to deliver on that promise in many more ways."

-Sister Janet Eisner, SND
President, Emmanuel College

"Together, Massachusetts College of Art and the Colleges of the Fenway Consortium offer our students the best of a small, specialized college of art and design and many of the advantages of life on a larger, comprehensive college campus. Opportunities to enroll in a vast selection of challenging courses, to participate in sports, cultural and civic activities, and to be part of a diverse 12,000 student body give our students an edge that no other art college in the country can match. For our faculty and staff, interaction with their colleagues at the neighboring colleges is a welcome opportunity. Exchanging ideas and best practices adds excitement and potential for professional growth to their work at MassArt. In the area of shared services, COF has brought new strengths to MassArt such as an extended and robust IT network and the new Fenway Card for our students. The Colleges of the Fenway has enabled all of us, as small colleges, to achieve higher visibility nationally, as well as locally, and has made the Fenway a major higher education district in the City of Boston."

-Katherine Sloan
President, Massachusetts College of Art

"Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is proud to join Emmanuel, MassArt, Simmons, Wentworth and Wheelock to congratulate the Colleges of the Fenway on its 10th Anniversary. Over the years the COF has played a significant role in the education of our students, many of whom have utilized several cross-registration opportunities, especially in foreign languages.

Our students have also taken advantage of the many extra-curricular activities offered each year, as the College has consistently fielded several teams in many of the intramural sports. Our students have also recently participated in COF Chorus and COF Orchestra, groups that offer unique opportunities to participate in the vibrant culture of the City of Boston.

On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, alumni and Trustees of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, I congratulate the Colleges of the Fenway on 10 years of strong service and leadership, and I look forward to many more years of successful collaboration."

-Charles F. Monahan, Jr.
President, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

"The Colleges of the Fenway was an innovative idea at its inception, and a decade later it has proven to be a valuable collaboration for all of us. It has helped each of our institutions reduce costs by combining some functions. But just as important, the cross-registration of courses, the cross-fertilization of faculty research projects, and the dozens of social programs now open to students on every campus have enriched the lives of our students and faculty, and brought us together as an exciting and lively neighborhood."

-Susan C. Scrimshaw
President, Simmons College

"It is a privilege for Wentworth Institute of Technology to be a part of the Colleges of the Fenway. Through this unique partnership, Wentworth is now able to offer our students extraordinary opportunities that we could not provide them as a single institution. The quality of the academic programs and facilities at Wentworth Institute of Technology are state-of-the art; when combined with the support system and resources available through the Colleges of the Fenway, Wentworth has been able to reach new heights. I am thrilled to be part of this prestigious consortium of institutions, all committed to delivering to our students an exceptional educational experience."

-Zorica Pantic
President, Wentworth Institute of Technology

"We strive to give Wheelock students a wonderful home away from home and having camaraderie with our five college neighbors helps us with this promise. The Colleges of the Fenway collaborative enables Wheelock to expand our network for students’ comfort, support, challenges and opportunities. We are proud to be a part of a network that has enriched student life in so many ways for the last decade."

-Jackie Jenkins-Scott
President, Wheelock College

About Colleges of the Fenway
Formed in the spring of 1996, Colleges of the Fenway is a collaborative effort of six neighboring Boston-based colleges in the Fenway area. This collaboration was created to add value to student academic and social life while seeking innovative methods of investing in new services and containing the costs of higher education. Collectively, the colleges represent 10,000 undergraduate students, comprising 16% of the total Boston population of undergraduates attending four-year colleges, more than 800 full-time faculty and 2,500 course offerings.