The Office of Community Relations and University Events engages with dozens of community groups as the primary liaison between the UMass Amherst campus and the community around it. The university is committed to being a good neighbor, which means developing and maintaining community partnerships that support area citizens, businesses, and organizations.
Serving the Community
We support community building activities that inform and engage community members about university planning, events, and other important information. We serve as active members on boards of directors in several neighborhood and non-profit organizations, and we act as conduits for information to bring back to the university community for wider support, participation, and discussion.
We serve as board members for the following nonprofit organizations:
- The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce
- The Amherst Business Improvement District
- Downtown Amherst Foundation
- Friends of the UMass Fine Arts Center
- Leadership Pioneer Valley
We serve on committees for the following nonprofit organizations and community initiatives:
- Amherst Education Foundation
- Amherst Public Arts Commission
- Cooley Dickinson Hospital
- Friends of the Amherst Boys and Girls Club
- The Friends of the Jones Library
- The United Way of the Franklin Hampshire Region
We participate in and provide sponsorship support for community organized events and promotions such as, but not limited to:
- Celebrate Amherst Block Party
- Family Outreach of Amherst Light Up the Night
- Family Outreach of Amherst Warm Up the Night
Through these affiliations and events, we continue to support and sustain the development of a vibrant community that serves the needs of students, faculty, staff, neighbors, residents, and visitors.