In the face of a pandemic, MCLA continues to spur student success

08:00AM / Monday, April 11, 2022Print Story | Email Story

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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North Adams Planners OK New Event Space for Tourists Resort

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Tourists' owners say they've been in need of a gathering space for years, based on the number of requests they get.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Tourists Welcome resort was approved on Monday for construction of a building to serve gatherings and the Airport Rooms.

"This is our first opportunity to like fix the biggest thing we screwed up in building Tourists, which was not making a big room," said representative Eric Kerns. "The first year we opened, we got 1,200 event requests the first year, and we've continued to have almost 1,000 event requests every year."

The 140-seat event building will be constructed adjacent to the Airport Rooms on the east end of the State Road property, which operates at Blackinton Operating LLC. The 91-foot-long structure will include a kitchen to serve both the event space and the Airport Room, which will be connected via an enclosed corridor. Overflow parking will be at the Blackinton Mill, also owned by the partnership, with shuttle service for events.

The new building will be set on piers to minimize excavation and will include a deck that will extend behind the Airport Rooms. The building also will utilize an all-electric mechanical system with high-efficiency heat pumps and energy recovery ventilation.

Kerns noted the resort has been erecting tents on that space for events — this will just make the use of the space permanent. He described the trailer being used as a "kitchen" for the Airport Rooms "a very clever two-year solution that has lasted seven years."

"It's just been a a real struggle to find a building that we can build that makes that the math makes sense given current, you know, construction costs we have come across," he said. "We've come upon a design that works for us, and it's really a continuation of the business that we've been doing. This site is where you've probably seen us put up a tent before, so we already have events of this size on the site."

Tourists was built as a minimalist resort, with the rooms facing the Hoosac River; the new structure will continue that aesthetic with a blank wall facing the road and large windows looking out on the river.

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