The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area serves as an intellectual resource for the students and faculty of the member universities in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Founded in 1964, the consortium facilitates the processing of course cross-registration between all member universities and universalizes library access among some of its member universities. In addition to these core missions, it also offers joint procurement programs, joint academic initiatives and campus public safety training.
Eight of the consortium members have formed the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). WRLC provides joint library services, student and faculty borrowing at all eight participating libraries, and a shared digital library system (ALADIN). Additionally, WRLC enables cooperative collection development and off-site storage services.
The Consortium Research Fellows Program (CRFP) is a partnership between the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and several Department of Defense (DoD) agencies. Professors and students that enter the program work in DoD settings, expanding their resource and knowledge bases and lending scientific talent and expertise to the DoD.