In February, representatives from six local colleges met at the Marlboro College Graduate Center to sign a memorandum of understanding launching the Windham Higher Education Cooperative (WHEC). The MOU between the colleges, the first of its kind in Vermont, establishes a cross-registration agreement that allows students to take courses at other institutions, as well as a shared internship program. 

“We wanted, first of all, to benefit our students, and offer a wider array of programs,” says Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, Marlboro president. Other colleges in the cooperative include Landmark College, Vermont Technical College, Union Institute, School for International Training, and Community College of Vermont. “We also want to work hand-in-hand with local economic development. We have to understand our roles as some of the largest employers in the county.”

One of the goals of the WHEC is to link student internships with local businesses, thereby benefiting economic development in the region and encouraging locally educated students to stay local. Students at each of the six institutions can expect to see an increase in paid internship opportunities, thanks to a $60,000 grant from the Vermont Department of Labor, as well as more opportunities to receive academic credit.