Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts has continued to receive national recognition and support for its commitment to social mobility and academic success.
MCLA is No. 21 on U.S. News and World Report's list of the 50 public and private "TopPerformers on Social Mobility," which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants. These grants are typically awarded to those whose families make less than $50,000. MCLA was also ranked as a 2021 Top Ten College by U.S. News and World Report for the third consecutive year. It has maintained its position in the top ten list for nine of the past 11 years.
Nearly half of MCLA students are Pell Grant recipients, the highest percentage across the Massachusetts State University System. More than 40 percent are the first in their families to go to college. Nearly 85 percent of students receive some kind of financial aid. But MCLA Pell students continue to graduate at a rate higher than the national average.
"Our students are truly trailblazers," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "So many are taking a new path—many are the first in their families to go to college. Many come from families who lack access to the resources and connections that wealthier families often have. Many are juggling work and family commitments. MCLA continues to be a way for these students to open new doors, have new experiences, and live fulfilling lives, personally and professionally. I'm
incredibly proud of all our students, as well as our incredible faculty and dedicated staff, who are changing individual lives and working toward a more equitable future."
In recent years, MCLA has added new programs that help bolster student support, including the TRiO Program, which works toward increasing the retention, good academic standing, and graduation rates of low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities, with a capacity to serve 160 students a year. MCLA's Office of Admission adopted a test-blind policy in 2020 and waived SAT requirements for students applying for the fall 2021 and 2022 semesters.
Student support doesn't only include academics. In response to economic uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, MCLA established the Resiliency Fund, which has to date distributed nearly $300,000 to 296 students in need. The MCLA Food Pantry combats student food insecurity, supported with student volunteer work and donations. MCLA also boasts over 100 of its own private scholarships, including five new additions since 2020.
The vast majority of MCLA graduates—93 percent—land jobs or get accepted into some of the finest grad schools in the country.
"Helping our students achieve a college education will help them earn more in their lifetimes, find fulfilling careers, and live meaningful lives," said Birge. "Public colleges help contribute to furthering economic equity every day, and we are proud to make this part of our mission as an institution."
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Geothermal Switch Lowers System Cost for North Adams School Project
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The cost estimates for the Greylock School project are coming in slightly under budget — including the planned geothermal system.
Initial estimates for the alternative heating system came in at $5 million — $3 million over budget.
"We realized this is never going to work at this cost and we needed to think about the system a little differently," said Jesse Saylor of TSKP Studio, the school's designer, told the School Building Committee on Tuesday. "So we reached out to the well designers and came up with an alternative design, which we feel is much more appropriate for your site."
A redesign from using vertical wells to horizontal wells, reduced the costs to $1.5 million.
Saylor explained that the drillers had gone down more than 440 feet, through soil and more than 200 feet of bedrock and hit the aquifer, which had to be capped off because of the pressure.
"So our design heading into the cost estimate was to shorten the depth of the wells. Let's not penetrate into that aquifer. Let's just go down 400 feet," he said. "They wanted to carry steel casing all the way down the 400 feet of depth, because the concern is that aquifer depth may vary across across your site, and so that was driving up the initial cost."
That vertical system would have required 66 wells and cost about $5 million. Instead, the system will now run horizontally at a depth of about 20 to 30 feet.
A light installation that's graced the Esplanade and Greenway in Boston the last couple years will spend the spring, and likely the summer, in North Adams. click for more
Capped by Sam St. Peter’s come-from-behind win in the final bout of the day to win the 285 crown, the Spartans placed second at the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Championships at Mount Greylock. click for more
Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous from snow, sleet and ice accumulations. Plan on slippery road conditions. Power outages and tree damage are possible due to the ice, snow and winds.
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Child Care of the Berkshires has an ambitious goal to grow over the next three years — more educators, more programs and more families being served.
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A few years ago, she purchased the former carriage barn of the Cutting Mansion on East Main Street, bringing a number of other wellness practitioners under the Optimal Healing umbrella.
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