[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 87 (Thursday, June 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN W. OLVER

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 10, 2010

  Mr. OLVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Hampshire College 
for opening its doors and welcoming its first students 40 years ago 
tomorrow.
  The Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts is home to the Five 
College Consortium, which includes three private liberal arts colleges, 
Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith; the state's flagship public 
university campus, the University of Massachusetts Amherst; and a 
progressive institution of higher education, Hampshire College. For 40 
years now, the Consortium has served as a vehicle for collaboration and 
resource sharing across all five campuses, including broadening access 
to higher education and unsurpassed academic excellence. This structure 
encourages the use of a vast curriculum, faculty and resources, and 
presents each student with a richer and fuller educational experience.
  Hampshire College was founded within this consortial setting to offer 
an original education in which students design their own course of 
study in close consultation with faculty mentors. Hampshire's 
educational approach emphasizes individual choice and development, and 
its pedagogical cornerstone is an inquiry-based mode of teaching and 
learning. Just as it attracts talented and intellectually ambitious 
students, Hampshire appeals to faculty who are excited to experiment 
with new methods of teaching, and are keen to co-teach with their 
colleagues.
  Rather than being characterized by traditional, discipline-based 
departments, Hampshire College has five academic schools: the School of 
Cognitive Science; Interdisciplinary Arts; Humanities, Arts and 
Cultural Studies; Natural Science; and the School of Critical Social 
Inquiry. Each school develops an innovative curriculum, which is 
project-based and immediately challenges students with current problems 
in the research literature. Research and teaching at Hampshire tend to 
work across discipline-based boundaries, as faculty and students 
collaborate to grapple with problems from a range of perspectives, with 
an eye toward community impact, social justice, and the well-being of 
others. Team teaching and interdisciplinary research serve as the basis 
for collaboration and reflect a remarkable degree of creativity. A low 
student-faculty ratio (12:1) allows for an emphasis on individualized 
and small group training, where faculty research and artistic 
expression is fully integrated into coursework, inviting each class 
into the process of intellectual and artistic discovery.
  Within this mission--and wherever possible--Hampshire students ask 
questions that motivate their undergraduate years. Careful mentoring at 
Hampshire has shown to inspire and motivate students beyond the 
classroom, often resulting in students continuing their education at 
the graduate level, and indeed, culminating in rewarding careers.
  I am honored to represent this fine institution of higher learning. 
Please join me in congratulating Hampshire College as it continues to 
define and communicate its extraordinary mission for the next 
generations of students, their families and the general public.

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