The purpose of this study was to document the history of the Tri-College University (TCU) consortium from 1969 to the present. The two research objectives are to: 1. Identify the factors which played an important role in the success and sustainability of the Tri-College University Consortium. 2. Conduct an evaluation of the needs, satisfaction, and concerns of current and past faculty and administration involved with the Tri-College University Consortium. Both research questions were addressed with the use of a structural equation model developed and tested by Schmidt (2000) to identify the conditions, common values, attitudes, themes, and patterns of behaviors that contribute to consortia or collaborative longevity. The findings of the study supported many of the principles associated with Schmidt's research. Those principles were documented in Schmidt's research in the form of constructs within a systems context. The two main systems included: organizational structures and the adaptive process. The following constructs associated with organizational structures, specifically with organizational support, (Executive Function: Commitment and Organizational Control Structure), along with the associated constructs for the adaptive process (Archival, Status Monitoring Function, and Action) were supported in Schmidt's data as significant indicators of consortium success and sustainability.