Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities ACTC

Overview

The Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) is a regional consortium of five private liberal arts institutions—Augsburg University, Hamline University, Macalester College, St. Catherine University and the University of St. Thomas—located in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, USA. The ACTC enables full‑time undergraduate students at any member campus to take a course per semester at any other ACTC member campus, free of additional tuition, enhancing academic access across the consortium. According to uniRank, ACTC was formally incorporated in 1975 to enrich and extend liberal arts offerings across its members.

• Member institutions: Augsburg University, Hamline University, Macalester College, St. Catherine University, University of St. Thomas
• Cross‑registration only during fall and spring terms, for one course per semester for full‑time students
• No extra exchange fee; grades transfer and count toward degree at home campus

History and Legal Framework

Cooperation among the five colleges pre‑dates incorporation, with informal cross‑registration and shared programming beginning in the early 1970s. ACTC was legally incorporated in 1975 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization headquartered in Saint Paul. ACTC’s charter affirms its role in academic collaboration and resource sharing and it receives no direct federal or accreditation power—those remain with member institutions.

In 2015, ACTC adopted a distributed operating model: instead of maintaining a central office, administrative and programmatic coordination shifted to member campuses. The Board of Directors (composed of member presidents) oversees overarching policy, while joint committees at the campus level handle programming, budgeting and logistics.

Mission, Vision and Objectives

Mission: To advance collaboration, sustainable shared services and academic excellence among its member institutions while celebrating the urban liberal arts experience.

Vision & Objectives: ACTC aims to expand curricular breadth, support academic innovation and enhance student learning by way of:

• Enabling cross‑registration across disciplinary boundaries
• Sharing faculty development, purchasing and academic facilities
• Supporting interdisciplinary programs, research symposia and community engagement initiatives
• Fostering an urban liberal arts identity that leverages diversity, innovation and civic collaboration

Governance, Structure and Independence

Governance rests with a Board of Directors—traditionally the presidents of the five member institutions—who approve policy, strategic planning and fiscal decisions. Until 2015, ACTC maintained a modest central staff led by an Executive Director; since then, the consortium operates in a distributed model where member campuses coordinate key functions. Any major collaborative programs are overseen by joint councils of academic and administrative officers.

ACTC is legally independent from its members; members pay dues to support shared services and programming they opt into. It holds no accreditation authority and relies entirely on member institutions’ accreditation via the Higher Learning Commission and other recognized bodies.

Accreditation and Quality Evaluation Role in Higher Education

ACTC does not serve as an accrediting agency. Instead, it supports quality in higher education among its members by:

• Expanding academic access to courses not offered at home institutions
• Catalyzing collaborative curricular and faculty-led initiatives
• Sharing academic infrastructure and transport resources

While ACTC itself holds no formal accreditation status, member institutions maintain regional accreditation and report ACTC-based coursework in institutional quality assurance metrics.

International Cooperation and Network Memberships

ACTC is primarily focused on local collaboration and does not participate in international quality assurance networks. However, member institutions benefit from global partnerships and study abroad networks and some ACTC‑sponsored academic collaborations (such as joint research symposia or global lectures) occasionally feature international exchanges—but ACTC itself does not manage global MOUs or international branches.

Current or Future Impact on Higher Education

ACTC continues to influence higher education locally by:

• Allowing students to pursue majors unavailable at their home campus
• Enabling cost efficiencies through shared procurement, programming and library access
• Serving as a model for urban consortia that balance independence with cooperation

ACTC’s future directions may include digitizing cross‑registration processes, broadening faculty‑staff training consortia and potentially expanding membership to include other colleges or shared virtual courses.

Summary

The Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities is a long‑standing consortium of five liberal arts colleges in Minnesota that enhances undergraduate education through cross‑registration, program sharing and institutional collaboration. Legally independent and incorporating a distributed governance model, ACTC supports quality without direct accreditation power. By enabling students, faculty and staff to transcend single-campus boundaries, the consortium enriches the urban liberal arts experience while preserving each institution’s distinct character.

FAQs

• What colleges are in the ACTC consortium?
  The five members are Augsburg University, Hamline University, Macalester College, St. Catherine University and the University of St. Thomas, all located in the Twin Cities region.
• How many ACTC courses can I take per semester?
  Full‑time students are generally allowed one ACTC cross‑registration course per fall or spring semester. Exceptions allow more if you pursue a declared ACTC major or minor with a program of study on file and only specific students may qualify.
• Do ACTC courses cost extra?
  No. ACTC courses are included in your regular full‑time tuition, though some private instruction or independent-study courses may carry additional fees.
• Can ACTC courses count toward my major?
  Yes. ACTC courses may satisfy degree requirements at your home campus if they aren’t offered there and if approved by your academic department; ACTC credits are transcripted alongside your home courses.
• Are there transportation logistics?
  Campuses are within 1–3 miles of each other and Metro Transit services connect them. Although shuttle service has been discontinued, students may procure subsidized transit passes or parking permits.
• Does ACTC oversee accreditation?
  No. ACTC has no accreditation authority. Each member institution is accredited by regional or national bodies to which they answer independently.

Organization Name

Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities

Acronym

ACTC

Year of Establishment

1/01/1975

Control Type

Private

Entity Type

Non-Profit

Geo Focus and Coverage

Local or Regional

Recognized by

n.a.

Affiliations or Memberships

n.a.

Number of Member Universities or Accredited Institutions

n.a.

Address

570 Asbury Street, Suite 109
St. Paul
55104 Minnesota United States

Phone

+1 (651) 556 1863

Fax

n.a.

Official Social Media Channels

Facebook

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X (Twitter)

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LinkedIn

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YouTube

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Instagram

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Wikipedia Article

Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities's Wikipedia article

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