Colleges are working to increase opportunities for students while reducing their costs through collaboration. : Large group of happy college students celebrating their graduation day outdoors while throwing their ... [+] caps up in the air. Recognizing the increasing challenges of balancing their budgets, attracting students and remaining affordable to students, a group of nineteen presidents of small liberal arts colleges under the leadership of Michael Alexander of Lasell College got together in 2017 to explore ways to collaborate to accomplish their goals while preserving their quality and the their uniqueness.