Academic consortia offer colleges and universities the opportunity to share resources--and thus save money and increase efficiency without sacrificing program quality. This volume of New Directions for Higher Education gives detailed accounts of activities and programs that existing consortia have already refined, providing practical models that can be replicated or modified by other institutions. Drawing from first-hand experience, the authors describe how to start and sustain a consortium, and share the benefits and lessons learned from consortial collaborations in areas such as library cooperation, cross-registration, the use of technology, the joint purchasing of goods and services, admissions and recruitment practices, and faculty development.

This is the 106th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Higher Education.