Amherst

Family members, colleagues and friends across western Massachusetts continue to mourn the loss of Emma MacDonald – a mother and University of Massachusetts Amherst worker who was killed not far from where she worked.

Hampshire College leadership says the private school will need to sell off parts of its 800-acre campus to meet debt demands.

On Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m., renowned scholar and curator Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett will explore what it means to put Yiddish on display in The Yiddish Book Center’s 2026 Melinda Rosenblatt Lecture. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett is University Professor Emerita and Professor Emerita of Performance Studies at New York University and Ronald S. Lauder Chief Curator of the Core Exhibition at POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, in Warsaw and she joins us now.

Court documents state that, after being read his rights, MacDonald admitted to severely beating the victim, and that "it was his intent to kill her."

With news that Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, will close at the end of the fall semester, a coalition of fellow liberal arts institutions is preparing to accept students looking to complete their degrees.

Amid news of its upcoming closure, some Hampshire College alumni are balancing mourning with sharing memories of their unconventional alma mater.The Amherst, Mass., school announced this week that it would cease operations after its fall 2026 semesterWAMC spoke with graduates who span the school’s history – all describing an institution that broke new ground in higher education, but also had plenty of obstacles to face in its final years.

Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, says it will permanently close after the fall 2026 semester. The announcement made Tuesday comes after the college has faced years of declining enrollment.

Higher education regulators are calling on Hampshire College to "show cause" and prove why it shouldn't be "placed on probation" or have its accreditation withdrawn.

As studies show students with food insecurity suffer in the classroom, colleges across the country have been stepping up to fight hunger on their own campuses. The largest public university in Massachusetts is among them, and recently opened a new facility for students and staff alike.

A counselor fired from an Amherst, Mass. school after allegedly misgendering students and other allegations will return to work, following a recent ruling.