The Consortium
The VIP Consortium is a nonprofit global alliance of higher education institutions with Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) programs.
About The Consortium
The VIP Consortium's mission is to prepare college and university students to be leaders of tomorrow's cross-functional workforce by enabling the implementation, expansion, and success of Vertically Integrated Projects worldwide.
Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs) mobilize undergraduates of all disciplines, from STEM to the Arts and Humanities, to join ambitious, faculty-led research teams in place of traditional, lecture based classrooms. Mentored by faculty and graduate students, undergraduates are directly involved in the research and innovation process, applying their own knowledge and insights to unsolved problems.
Participation in this multidisciplinary, experiential and transformational approach to higher education accelerates the pace of innovation, boosts graduation rates, reduces inequities in undergraduate learning, and better prepares students to be members of tomorrow’s cross-functional workforce.
The Consortium unites VIP Programs across six continents and dozens of universities, equipping faculty with the tools to equitably develop engaged and experienced students in the classroom and prepare them for what comes after college.
To learn more about the VIP system and its benefit to students and teachers, explore The VIP Model.
Consortium Activities
Unlike many other high-impact programs in higher education, VIP is accessible, equitable, and scalable - proven to drive positive student outcomes across a variety of academic settings. Each VIP site adapts the model to its own unique environment, and the Consortium serves as the central organizing body and hub for all VIP Programs. In support of this alliance of partner sites, the VIP Consortium helps to establish new VIP programs; build and connect the VIP community; and improve the core set of essential VIP elements and custom-built tools for program management and assessment. Since its founding in 2019, the Consortium has launched more than 25 Programs.
To discover all active VIP locations across the world, explore VIP Sites.
History
The VIP model has been studied and refined for more than 20 years. In 2015, a $5 million multi-institutional grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust helped spread the program to a wide variety of institutions, which collectively became known as the VIP Consortium. Just four years later, the VIP Consortium won the 2019 ABET Innovation Award for its efforts to advance the VIP model and build community among VIP institutions. VIP Consortium, Inc. was launched as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2019, with directors of VIP programs serving as the nonprofit’s academic advisory council. Through the VIP Consortium, affiliated programs from around the world share best practices and collaborate on the continued improvement and dissemination of the VIP model.