I recently learned that a student from Haverford College has been taking a Quechua language course at Penn, since her college didn’t offer the particular class. She mentioned that Haverford and Penn have a reciprocal agreement for course credit and tuition. Can I, a Penn graduate student, take a course at Haverford? Or does it only cater to undergraduates?
—Kathy from the ’burbs
Dear off-campus Kathy,
Thank you so much for such an interesting question.
It sounds like your friend is participating in the Quaker Consortium, a program connecting four nearby colleges: Penn, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College, and honoring the shared Quaker heritage and academic excellence of these institutions. It allows students within the member schools to enhance their academic and social experiences in enriching ways. Students at Quaker Consortium institutions may take classes in the fall and spring terms at any of the other institutions, within certain regulations.
At Penn, only undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences can participate. Grades will appear on the student’s Penn transcript and no additional tuition will be charged.
Wally Pansing, the associate director and assistant dean for advising in the College—a student’s go-to if he or she wants to participate in the Consortium—says about two or three students per year from Penn attend another school for a course through the program. This usually happens when there is a prominent faculty member at the other school, or an advanced research interest that cannot be served solely by Penn’s offerings.
Recently, Pansing recalls, a student at the University with interests in ancient Assyrian history took a few courses through the Consortium.
Summer sessions at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, or Swarthmore are not subject to the Quaker Consortium agreement.
A special perk: If alumni of the member schools are interested in enrolling in Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies, they are treated the same as Penn graduates, receiving expedited admission to undergraduate-level courses at the University and a waived application fee.
For more information on the Quaker Consortium, visit www.college.upenn.edu/quaker-consortium. College students wishing to enroll in courses at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, or Swarthmore should call the College Office at 215-898-6341 to make an appointment with Pansing.
Got a question for Benny? Send it via email to current@pobox.upenn.edu or via regular mail to the Current, 3901 Walnut St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
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