Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Public college in North Adams, Massachusetts, U.S.

Massachusetts College
of Liberal Arts

Former names

| North Adams State College (1960–1997)
State Teachers College of North Adams (1932–1960)
North Adams Normal School (1894–1932)[1]
Type| Public liberal arts college
Established| 1894; 131 years ago (1894)
Accreditation| NECHE

Academic affiliations

| Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges
Endowment| $14.7 million (2020)[2]
President| James F. "Jaimie" Birge

Academic staff

| 87 full-time
42 part-time
Students| 1,202 (Fall 2020)[3]
Undergraduates| 1,076 (Fall 2020)[3]
Postgraduates| 126 (Fall 2020)[3]
Location|

North Adams

Massachusetts

U.S.

42°41′30″N 73°06′14″W﻿ / ﻿42.6917°N 73.1039°W﻿ / 42.6917; -73.1039
Campus| Rural, 105 acres (42 ha)
Colors|     Navy and lime green (for academics)
Navy and gold (for athletics)
Nickname| Trailblazers

Sporting affiliations

| NCAA Division III, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, North Atlantic Conference
Mascot| Murdock the Mountain Lion
Website| mcla.edu

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) formerly known as North Adams State College (NASC)[4] is a public liberal arts college in North Adams, Massachusetts. It is part of the state university system of Massachusetts.[5] It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Originally established as part of the state's normal school system for training teachers, it now offers programs leading to Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees, as well as a Master of Education track.

## History

[edit]

Murdock Hall, one of the college' s classroom buildings.

MCLA was founded in 1894 as "North Adams Normal School", and it offered first instruction at post-secondary level three years later. By 1897, the Normal School enrolled 32 students (29 women, 3 men) and employed 4 teachers. In 1932, North Adams Normal School became "State Teachers College of North Adams", added an upper-division curriculum, and started awarding bachelor's degrees. In 1936, it instituted graduate program. In 1960, it changed its name to "North Adams State College" and, in 1997, to "Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts", reflecting its position as the public liberal arts college within the Massachusetts state university system.[1]

In 2004, President Mary Grant led in the creation of the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education and MCLA Gallery 51.[6] MCLA also is the lead partner in the Berkshire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Pipeline Network.

In 2008, the Massachusetts Higher Education Bond Bill included $54.5 million for a new Center for Science and Innovation at MCLA. It opened in 2013 as the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation.[7]

In 2014, Grant left the college and Cynthia F. Brown was appointed Interim President. Although Greg Summers was initially named the new president, he later withdrew his acceptance, citing family health concerns.[8] On December 9, 2015, Jaimie Birge was named as president.[9]

## Academics

[edit]

Academic rankings

Liberal arts
U.S. News & World Report[10]| 149
Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023[11] Race and ethnicity  | Total

|

White | 72%  | 72

Hispanic | 10%  | 10

Black | 9%  | 9

Two or more races | 4%  | 4

Unknown  | 3%  | 3

Asian | 2%  | 2

International student | 1%  | 1

Economic diversity
Low-income[a] | 45%  | 45

Affluent[b] | 55%  | 55

MCLA has a rolling admissions plan. It requires graduation from an accredited secondary school or a GED. MCLA uses SAT or ACT composite scores for entrance consideration. MCLA accepts transfer students with grade-point average requirements or with an associate degree. MCLA is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.[12]

MCLA awards the Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science on the undergraduate level and also confers master's degrees in both education and business administration, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS). MCLA offers 19 major programs of study and 35 minors. On average, MCLA offers 300 academic courses each semester. Graduation from MCLA requires completing 120 credits of academic work. Of these, about 40 must in the college-wide core curriculum. Another 40 credits are required for a major. At least 40 upper-division credits are required. At least 45 credits must be earned while the student is in residence at the college. Students must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average overall and a 2.0 in their major.

### Distinctive educational programs

[edit]

MCLA offers internships for undergraduates through the Berkshire Hills Internship Program. It also offers undergraduates coursework in other countries through its travel abroad program. MCLA belongs to the Massachusetts Council for International Education (MaCIE), College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS), and the National Student Exchange (NSE). Through these associations and connections, students are sent on semester- or year-long programs to different colleges.

The college Honors Program[13] includes ten percent of the student body for whom it offers special interdisciplinary courses in such topics as "The Mathematics of Fairness," "Ethics and Animals" or "The Romantic Movement." The college is authorized by the state to grant the distinction "Commonwealth Scholar" to students who complete the honors program with a capstone thesis.

## Organization and administration

[edit]

Smith House, previously the residence of the sitting college president, currently serves as administrative offices

MCLA is governed by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. Beyond that, MCLA has extra-institutional representation of 11 voting members and the Board of Trustees, whose members are appointed by the governor which has 11 voting members. A student representative to the board of trustees is elected every spring by the student body to sit for one academic year. Administration positions include 12 men and 24 women. Academic affairs is headed by the vice president for academic affairs. Business and finances is headed by the vice president for administration and finance. Student affairs is headed by the vice president of student affairs. The full-time instructional faculty has 52 men and 36 women. The academic governance body, All College Committee, meets an average of nine times each year.

## Publications

[edit]

The school has two student publications: The Beacon,[14] a weekly newspaper, and Spires, a literary magazine published each year. Radio Station WJJW broadcasts for 140 hours each week, and episodes of the student-run college TV news program, Beacon Web News, are produced once a week. MCLA also has one faculty publication: The Mind's Eye,[15] and one alumni publication, Beacons & Seeds,[16] which comes out twice a year.

## Athletics

[edit]

MCLA athletics wordmark

MCLA has 13 varsity sports. The college's varsity teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division III level in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). Active intercollegiate female teams are basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer, softball, and lacrosse; while active intercollegiate male teams are baseball, basketball, golf, cross country, tennis and soccer. The college also has NERFU club rugby which was re-activated in 2011.

From 1963, the college's athletic teams were known as the Mohawks, after the Mohawk Trail which runs along Massachusetts Route 2. In response to concerns over using a Native American name (Francis Boots, cultural-preservation officer of the Mohawk tribe, has told college officials that his people were not honored by the name[17]), the mascot was changed to the Trailblazers in 2002. In 2013, a new mascot, the Mountain Lion, was adopted while in April 2019, the Trailblazer community named the Mascot "Murdock" after a vote of the campus community, alumni, and community members.[18]

The most successful team in the college's history was the men's ice hockey team, which was cut in 2003.[19] However, MCLA will have men's and women's hockey teams beginning to compete again in the 2023–24 academic year.[20]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* John Barrett III \- state legislator, mayor of North Adams for 26 years[21]
* Daniel E. Bosley \- member emeritus of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1986 – 2011)
* Thomas Calter\- member emeritus of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 2007 – 2018)
* Mary Grant - former president of MCLA and the first alumna to serve as president.[22]
* Ken Hill \- retired MLB player.[23]
* Derek Lalonde \- Former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, two-time Stanley Cup champion as assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning
* Gerry McDonald \- retired AHL/NHL player.
* Anton Strout \- urban fantasy novelist.[24]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The percentage of students who received an income-based federal Pell grant intended for low-income students.
2. ^ The percentage of students who are a part of the American middle class at the bare minimum.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "MCLA History". Archived from the original on 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
2. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
3. ^ a b c Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsArchived 2021-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ "Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Archives · North Adams Archives". northadamsarchives.com. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
5. ^ "About MCLA". Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
6. ^ "About MCLA | MCLA G51 About". Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
7. ^ "Feigenbaum Center For Science and Innovation". Archived from the original on 2015-12-20. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
8. ^ Damon, Edward (31 March 2015). "MCLA presidential pick Greg Summers bows out, citing family health issues". Berkshire Eagle. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
9. ^ "MCLA selects Jaimie Birge, higher education veteran and former Lee resident, as next president". Berkshire Eagle. 10 March 2015. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
10. ^ "2024-2025 National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
11. ^ "College Scorecard: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts". College Scorecard. United States Department of Education. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
12. ^ Massachusetts Institutions – NECHE, New England Commission of Higher Education, archived from the original on October 9, 2021, retrieved May 26, 2021
13. ^ "Honors Program". Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
14. ^ "TheBeacon_MCLA - MCLA's Student Newspaper". Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
15. ^ "Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Eugene L. Freel Library : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive".
16. ^ "Home - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts". alumni.mcla.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
17. ^ Flores, Christopher (10 May 2002). "Mascot Watch". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 48 (35): A8. ProQuest 214690218.
18. ^ "MCLA Mascot - MCLA". Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
19. ^ Administrator, Site (2003-06-19). "MCLA Drops Hockey". College Hockey | USCHO.com. Archived from the original on 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
20. ^ "MCLA Athletics Announces Multi-Year Plan, Including Hockey and Facility Upgrades". 2022-04-21. Archived from the original on 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2022-12-23. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
21. ^ "MCLA Announces Appointments to Board of Trustees" Archived 2018-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, MCLA, April 2016 (accessed 2018-03-08).
22. ^ "About MCLA | Biography". Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-07-27.
23. ^ 1992 Topps baseball card # 664
24. ^ Anton Strout. Anton Strout Archived 2023-02-15 at the Wayback Machine's official Facebook page, accessed June 6, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

* Official website
* Athletics website

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Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference

Full members|

* Anna Maria Amcats
* Bridgewater State Bears1
* Fitchburg State Falcons
* Framingham State Rams
* MCLA Trailblazers2
* Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers3
* Salem State Vikings4
* Westfield State Owls
* Worcester State Lancers

Associate members|

* Dean Bulldogs7
* Eastern Nazarene Lions5
* Elms Blazers5
* Mitchell Mariners5
* Plymouth State Panthers6
* Springfield Pride5
* UMass Dartmouth Corsairs6

Former full members|

* Boston State Warriors
* Lowell State Indians

* Notes:
* 1non-ice hockey member
* 2non-football and ice hockey member
* 3non-basketball and ice hockey member
* 4non-football member
* 5men's golf
* 6men's ice hockey and football
* 7football

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North Atlantic Conference

Full members|

* Husson Eagles
* Lesley Lynx
* Maine Maritime Mariners
* SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers
* SUNY Delhi Broncos
* Thomas Terriers
* UMaine Farmington Beavers
* UMaine Presque Isle Owls
* Vermont State–Johnson Badgers
* Vermont State–Lyndon Hornets

Associate member|

* MCLA Trailblazers1

Former full members|

* Bay Path Wildcats
* Becker Hawks
* Castleton Spartans
* Cazenovia Wildcats
* Colby–Sawyer Chargers
* Elms Blazers
* Green Mountain Eagles
* Johnson State Badgers
* Lasell Lasers
* Lesley Lynx
* Lyndon Hornets
* MCPHS Cardinals
* Mount Ida Mustangs
* New England Pilgrims
* SUNY Canton Roos
* SUNY Morrisville Mustangs
* SUNY Poly Wildcats
* Wheelock Wildcats

Former associate members|

* Daniel Webster Eagles (men's lacrosse)
* Lasell Lasers (field hockey)
* MCLA Trailblazers (men's golf)
* Mount Ida Mustangs (men's lacrosse)
* Rivier Raiders (field hockey)
* Salem State Vikings (men's golf)
* Simmons Sharks (field hockey)
* Saint Joseph's (ME) Monks (baseball, field hockey, and men's lacrosse)
* Western New England Golden Bears (field hockey)

1lacrosse and tennis

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Public institutions of higher education in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

Two-year
colleges|

* Berkshire Community College
* Bristol Community College
* Bunker Hill Community College
* Cape Cod Community College
* Greenfield Community College
* Holyoke Community College
* Massachusetts Bay Community College
* Massasoit Community College
* Middlesex Community College
* Mount Wachusett Community College
* Northern Essex Community College
* North Shore Community College
* Quincy College
* Quinsigamond Community College
* Roxbury Community College
* Springfield Technical Community College

State university
system|

* Bridgewater State University
* Fitchburg State University
* Framingham State University
* Massachusetts College of Art and Design
* Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
* Massachusetts Maritime Academy
* Salem State University
* Westfield State University
* Worcester State University

University of
Massachusetts|

* University of Massachusetts Amherst
* University of Massachusetts Boston
* University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
* University of Massachusetts Lowell
* UMass Chan Medical School
* University of Massachusetts School of Law
* University of Massachusetts Global (private affiliate based outside the state)

Merged|

* Boston State College
* Bradford Durfee College of Technology
* Lowell State College
* Lowell Technological Institute
* New Bedford Institute of Technology

Closed|

* Hyannis State Teachers College
* Massachusetts State College–Fort Devens

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Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges

* Alberta Augustana
* Eastern Connecticut State
* Evergreen State
* Fort Lewis
* Georgia College & State University
* Henderson State
* Johnson State
* Keene State
* Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
* MCLA
* Midwestern State
* New College of Florida
* Ramapo
* Shepherd University
* Sonoma State
* Southern Oregon
* Southern Utah
* St. Mary's (Maryland)
* SUNY Geneseo
* Truman State
* Illinois Springfield
* UMaine Farmington
* Mary Washington
* Minnesota Morris
* Montevallo
* UNC Asheville
* University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
* USC Aiken
* UVA–Wise
* UW–Superior

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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National|

* United States

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