Five Colleges is a consortium of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It was established in 1965 to promote the broad educational and cultural objectives of its associated institutions. Five Colleges promotes and administers long-term forms of cooperation that benefit faculty members, staff members and students by facilitating such initiatives as a joint automated library system, open cross registration, open theater auditions, joint academic programs, and inter-campus transportation.