The New York City-based Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded $2 million to Five Colleges Incorporated to support up to eight new additional tenure-track professors among its five campuses, the Amherst Republican reports.

The grant will fund the positions for the first three years and then the institutions, which include Smith College in Northampton, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Amherst College, Hampshire College in Amherst, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will absorb the funding. Currently, the five campuses have sixteen joint faculty positions. The new appointments may be shared between two or up to five of the campuses.

"It's a chance to get the best of both worlds," said Richard T. Chu, a history professor who is finishing up his first year as a Five Colleges professor. "There's the advantage of having a home base, but at the same time you have the opportunity to learn new things and use the resources at the other schools."