Great Lakes Colleges Association

Consortium of midwestern liberal arts colleges formed to study problems common to institutions of higher education.

The Ann Arbor-based Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) was first proposed in 1959 and eventually formed in 1961 by twelve liberal arts colleges from Ohio (Antioch, Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wooster), Indiana (DePauw, Earlham, and Wabash), and Michigan (Albion, Hope, and Kalamazoo). While the schools share long-standing traditions and a foundation in the Protestant revival of the early nineteenth century (and the contemporaneous westward expansion of the nation), each is distinguished by unique characteristics and various programmatic foci. Thus, Kalamazoo has a majority of its students study abroad; Kenyon is renowned for its English Department; Oberlin has a strong network in China; Earlham is closely associated with a Quaker ethos; and so on and so forth. Given the high academic standards and levels of achievement common to all the GLCA schools, these differences helped provide a basis for inter-institutional cooperation and collaboration.

Over the years, the GLCA has focused on a variety of administrative and academic initiatives that were beyond the scope of its individual member schools. Initial programs focused on international education and ways that the consortium could help share resources and enhance opportunities for students. A Ford Foundation grant in 1964 helped establish GLCA's international presence and led to programs in Japan, Lebanon, Latin America, and Yugoslavia. Opportunities in Africa, Israel, India, China, and elsewhere in Europe followed. With the success of its international program, GLCA sought to provide students the chance to immerse themselves in the urban culture of the United States and so the Philadelphia Urban Semester and the New York Arts Program were approved in 1967. Thematic off-campus programs became a hallmark of the GLCA and included studies at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, marine biology at UC Santa-Barbara, a wilderness education program, and a partnership with the Newberry Library in Chicago. At the same time, the GLCA worked diligently to aid schools in faculty development and the overall improvement of instruction. Thus, there were various departmental (humanities, science, modern languages, etc.) and administrative (deans, admissions, financial aid, etc.) committees to share ideas and resources and various conferences, workshops, and studies to promote faculty development. The GLCA has also supported its member schools by undertaking various studies and surveys (covering everything from faculty salaries to the benefits of a liberal arts education), seeking grants and funding from a non-profit and governmental sources, and representing concerns in Washington D.C. via public testimony and lobbying.

The GLCA is governed by a Board of Directors and the association president oversees administrative issues and the execution of organizational initiatives. The office of vice-president was created in 1968 to assist the president in his responsibilities. The GLCA Board was initially composed of university presidents but GLCA bylaws were amended in 1971 to include a chief academic officer and faculty representation. Governance also takes place at additional levels, with the Faculty (later renamed Academic) Council (designed to provide faculty input on decision-making), the Dean's Council (an important source of consultation and implementation), and various committees and advisory groups involved in the operation of important GLCA programs.