The ACTC Program: A Crash Course

Have you ever wondered what the ACTC program is all about?

By M Yeager

Picture this: You are meeting with your academic advisor and one of the classes you want to take is not available at St. Kate’s. Your academic advisor mentions ACTC courses. What does that entail?

A Brief History

The Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) is an agreement between the five private colleges within the Twin Cities: Augsburg, Hamline, Macalester, St. Kate’s and St. Thomas. The purpose of the program is to allow students from each of the member universities to be able to study numerous programs that are not offered at their home institution. The ACTC was formally established in 1975, but the five member campuses had offered cross-registration courses and joint programs since 1972. 

Since then, the ACTC program has seen a few changes. In 1978, students were reduced to enrolling in only one ACTC course each semester because of the amount of students that were taking numerous ACTC courses per semester. There are a few exceptions to this rule. There was also an intercampus shuttle, which transported students to and from each ACTC campus. Students had to pay for tickets initially, but the shuttle was free in the last few years it ran. The ACTC also had a main office, and there was additional programming specifically for ACTC students, but it was discontinued. 

How do I take an ACTC course? 

In a recent survey of ACTC students, 46% of the 13 respondents stated that the reason they took an ACTC course was because a course was not offered at St. Kate’s. 38% stated that they wanted to pursue a major or minor not offered, 7% stated that both of the above and another 7% stated that it was because of a dual program. The majority of respondents have taken classes at St. Thomas, whereas the other 31% have taken classes at Macalester, Hamline or Augsburg. 

The registration process is different for those who wish to register for an ACTC course. To register for an ACTC course, students should be enrolled in the College for Women and be taking at least eight credits at St. Kate’s. Instead of the usual online registration, students must fill out a form for the class that they wish to take and submit it to the registrar. “Registering for your ACTC class on your assigned registration date is very important,” Katie Kromer-Ide, the academic advisor in charge of advising ACTC students, said. “Classes fill up just as fast as they do here.” 

Another important aspect of taking an ACTC course is deciding which college one wishes to go to for their course. The program offerings at a college are important, but so are the academic schedules of both the college and the student. For example, one cannot have an ACTC course and a non-ACTC course back to back because of the time it takes to travel from campus to campus.

When multiple ACTC schools offer the same area of study or course, students typically already know which ACTC school they want to attend. If a student is unsure, some departments at St. Kate’s have suggestions, and Kromer-Ide suggests the school that has a similar academic calendar to St. Kate’s, such as St. Thomas. 

Pursuing a major or a minor through an ACTC school is more difficult than enrolling solely at St. Kate’s. Students must sit down with the department chair of the host school and discuss the classes needed for the major or minor. If double majoring, only one major can be an ACTC major and it is granted as a Bachelor of Arts degree. A student can pursue an ACTC major and minor, but 12 credits in their minor must be unique to it. 

ACTC Experiences

University of St. Thomas

I am a German Major at St. Thomas and have taken German classes for all six of my semesters. Initially, I was anxious because it was an entirely different system and I had a specific St. Thomas student ID number in addition to my St. Kate’s one, not to mention a different campus and new students. Luckily, my host advisor and some of the students in my classes have been very understanding when it comes to my being an ACTC student. My German classes have been small and a lot of the students are ones that I have been in classes with before. In that way, it’s a lot like my classes at St. Kate’s. I have also gotten to do a lot of things through being a member of the St. Thomas German Club or just being a part of the German department. I have gotten to go to the Viennese Ball in Eau Claire, Wis., and there have been volunteering opportunities through my classes at the Germanic-American Institute.

Other students who have taken ACTC classes find the experience to be different. One student, Sophia Gibson ‘25 (History and Art History), found that “getting set up before class was hard, [...] I didn’t get any information on setting up a St. Thomas email or next steps after registering.” The communication with professors and department heads at the host school has also been varied. Some students find the professors to be understanding and helpful, while others, such as Samantha Aronson ‘26 (Criminal Justice) said that “communication between the criminal justice chair has been very bad, [my professor] doesn’t get back to me in a timely manner.” 

Macalester

Student experiences at Macalester have been overall positive. One professor had “put the class on Zoom, which was helpful when I wasn’t able to make it to campus,” said Maria Ngansic-Asongu ‘25 (International Business and Economics). Kathryn Feil ‘25 (Theology), another student who takes courses at Macalester, has found her experience to be “amazing,” saying, “I’ve found a lot of different mentors and connections there.” 

Feil at the whiteboard of one of her classes at Macalester. Credit: Kathryn Feil

Hamline

Bo Podgorski ‘23 (Psychology and Philosophy) took a class at Hamline and found the experience to be good overall. Connecting with professors “was not challenging,” Podgorski said. “Everyone was very responsive from Hamline. St. Kate’s was where the issues were.” 

Augsburg

Sofia Vanderlan ‘26 (English and Indigenous Studies) has taken courses at both St. Thomas and Augsburg. She likes her classes and professors, but “registering for classes is way too convoluted and confusing. Also, I had a difficult time finding my classes.”

Transportation

Most students who have taken an ACTC course have access to a car to go to and from other campuses, but those who do not often either walk or take the bus. Walking is not difficult if one’s ACTC course is at either Macalester or St. Thomas, which are both less than one and a half miles away, but it is more difficult for those with courses at Hamline or Augsburg, which are between three and five miles away. 

In the case of inclement weather, some students, including myself, take the bus. St. Thomas is on Route 87, which goes up Cleveland Avenue. To get to either Hamline or Macalester, students can either walk down to Ford Parkway and catch the A Line, or take the 74 bus to Ford Parkway and then transfer to the A Line. For those taking classes at Augsburg, they need to catch the 74 and transfer to the Blue Line at 46th Street Station. 

Taking public transit is difficult, especially when needing to transfer to different routes, so there is a learning curve. You need to look at the routes that you need to take and what time it stops near your destination. This is not to mention the fact that some of the routes are inconsistent and one could be standing in the cold for a varied amount of time. The fare is also an issue, and with at least two fares needed for a trip, the cost adds up quickly. The Information Desk on campus does have transit passes for students, but the semester pass, which ACTC students without a car often need, is $165, which can be an issue for students’ budgets. 

When will my beloved (Route 87 bus) return from the war (pick me up)? Credit: M Yeager

For those with cars, parking and parking passes are often difficult as well. One can get a free cross-registered pass from Public Safety, but it is only good for a semester and can be difficult to get. In addition, students may need to register their vehicle with their host campus and on occasion, students could get a ticket if the parking enforcement does not consider the cross-registered permit valid. Finding parking is also an issue because there are specific places where ACTC students are allowed to park and they are not always open. 

Example of an ACTC Cross-Registered Parking Permit. Credit: M Yeager

Should I take an ACTC course?

Ultimately, it is up to you. There are pros and cons to it. With the power to be able to take courses that aren’t offered on your home campus, you are able to enrich your education and degree as well as the ability to have new experiences that aren’t necessarily offered here at St. Kate’s.  However, with the amount of “red tape” and “loopholes,” as some students described it, it is a lot of work. Many ACTC students wish that there was more support given to them on both their home and host campuses as they maneuver the ACTC program. 

Taking an ACTC course or pursuing an ACTC major or minor is really a lesson in self-advocacy. While academic advisors try to help students, they do not know all the processes of the other ACTC schools, and the staff and faculty at the ACTC school you are attending do not always know that you are an ACTC student or what the process is for that. All of the respondents of the survey were frustrated at the lack of support given to ACTC students, but some found that it helped them with being able to advocate for themselves. “I appreciate how it has taught me to be in control of my own education,” Mollie Pierson ‘25 (Sociology, Economics, Computer Science) said. “I now have closer relationships with faculty at my ACTC school due to my own initiative. You can really make it what you want.”