2002-2003 A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE OF HUMAN ECOLOGY ON THE MAINE COAST College of the A "If Plato were to return and take a professorship, I'd bet my copy of The Republic that he would settle in to teach at College of the Atlantic." ~ Colman McCarthy The Washington Post Mission Statement T he faculty, students, trustees, staff, and alumni of College of the Atlantic envision a world where people value creativity, intellectual achievement, and the diversity of nature and human cultures. With respect and compassion, individuals will construct meaningful lives for themselves, gain appreciation for the relation- ships among all forms of life, and safeguard the heritage of future generations. College of the Atlantic enriches the liberal arts tradition through a distinctive educational philosophy-human ecology. A human ecological perspective integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate, and ultimately improve, the relationships between human beings and our social and natural communities. The human ecological perspective guides all aspects of education, research, activism, and interactions among the College's students, faculty, staff and trustees. The College of the Atlantic community encourages, prepares, and expects students to gain the expertise, breadth, values, and practical experience necessary to achieve fulfillment and to help solve problems that challenge communities everywhere. You may be holding just a viewbook in your hands, a brochure that is cool to the touch and flat in nature. But as you flip through these pages, we hope that your mind will begin to churn with possibilities. This book is a collection of thoughts and images reflecting the experiences available to the COA community. Whether harvesting a root crop at our organic farm, canoeing down a creek, or tackling the frets on a guitar, imagine yourself here, in these spaces. Imagination is one of the essentials for success at College of the Atlantic. We believe that the world is a classroom of limitless opportunities. We want this book to capture you, heart and mind. Contents COA History and Philosophy. 3 Academic Life 7 Curriculum 11 Academic Facilities and Special Programs 17 Degree Requirements 25 Between Classes 27 After COA 35 Admission and Financial Aid. 37 from - what's my / 1 the GOING Sethi REJOICE ON ere - Cade Gidoon Cumbin The unfaltering you Caleb Davis Passion Blair Currier Danielle Dasis foundations upon which 5 N Sarah Cronin Idealism the College grows. Creativity A we are all artists. H istory is a tricky thing. The word itself denotes The past thirty years have brought many wonderful bygone events-a record of things past, antiquated accomplishments. College of the Atlantic has been the philosophies, out-dated customs-things generally recipient of numerous grants and fellowships in recognition relegated to the ranks of all that has come before. But a of the unique work that goes on here. The College now great idea transcends the passage of time. Its expression includes two research islands, an organic farm, and an may change, but its essence remains. College of the Atlantic International and Regional Studies Program. is a place where the essence of idealism and passion live, With passion, creativity, and idealism, College of the despite the passage of time. Atlantic honors its past and seeks new people who share the In June 2002, College of the Atlantic graduated its 1200th same beliefs to continue this important and amazing work. human ecologist. Many colleges graduate at least that many students each year. But COA is not like any other college, nor has it ever aspired to be. From the College's very inception, it has had a unique approach to college education. When choosing a college, you are choosing to connect yourself with all that the college has been and will be. It is important that you know COA's history, so that you may understand your place in it. From the outset, College of the Atlantic has been a community effort. Sustained and nurtured by the efforts of many people with diverse interests and backgrounds, the college has always been a labor of love. In the mid-1960's, a group of local residents had an idea: make Bar Harbor home to a college. By 1969, College of the Atlantic received its charter from the State Board of Education. The college would be a four year, co-educational college of the liberal arts. It would introduce a new interdisciplinary approach to education. At its center would be Human The College logo combines three runic symbols: Ecology: The study of the inter-relationships between 2 Is for tree, Is for humans, and Is for ocean. humans and their environments, be they natural, political, technological, aesthetic, or social. In 1972 College of the All intertwined in a circle symbolize the earth and Atlantic opened its doors to 32 impassioned students of the universe. human ecology. 3 PHILOSOPHY Human ecology demands a unifying perspective and a in designing their own personalized course of study to meet commitment to intelligent action in the social and natural their educational, personal and career goals. Students do worlds. It is the philosophical bedrock on which College of this within the context of formal courses, through inde- the Atlantic is founded, and continues to be its underlying pendent study, in the choice of courses, in the development strength. While the definition of human ecology has been of an overall degree plan, an internship, and an individual- debated and refined over the years, it is generally understood ized senior project. as the study of the complex relationships between humans While all students are awarded the same degree, the and their environments. Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology, no two students have Environment includes all facets of human activity, the same course of study. Such flexibility offers students whether in a natural, political, technological, cultural, opportunities to develop their intellect and to nurture and or artistic setting. By combining the ecological sciences follow their interests, passions, and conscience. At the time with the arts, humanities, and social sciences, human of the College's inception, the founders heeded Alfred ecology gives students a practical framework for pursuing North Whitehead's assertion in his essay The Aims of highly individualized and problem-centered programs in Education: "The aim of education is the acquisition of liberal studies. the art of the utilization of knowledge." The complex problems of the environment and society Indeed, the utilization of knowledge is an art and at require multiple perspectives and bases of knowledge for College of the Atlantic it has been the goal from the begin- adequate definition and effective solutions. A hallmark ning: To give students the freedom to artistically utilize the of College of the Atlantic has been, and is, its use of knowledge they have gained in pursuit of their passions. non-departmental, interdisciplinary faculty as the We are all artists. Choose your medium. foundation for its educational programs. The resulting alliance of disciplines is still rare even within the liberal arts tradition. As an intellectual forum, it stimulates COA alumnus now working as Associate Professor students and faculty to continually develop their knowledge of Biology at Vassar College in fresh combinations and to delve into problems from many angles. It encourages a breadth of thought and study. "COA isn't 'college.' This is an experience that you It highlights the need to integrate and apply knowledge should swallow whole and allow to change who across traditional disciplinary boundaries. you are fundamentally. By making explicit the Attending college is a voluntary endeavor. Your education values which members of the community choose should be a very personal and exciting experience. Students to live by, COA empowers individuals to dare to learn best when committed to seeing their goals to fruition, care about the world and our place in it. I felt pursuing their passion, and claiming their education as their positive pressure to live simply, to become aware own. College of the Atlantic encourages and assists students of my impact on others and the environment, and to generate a personal, rational campaign to john change the system from the inside out. At COA, I worked on marine mammal anatomy and biomechanics: two semesters with COA students working in the Marine Mammal Division of the Smithsonian Institution; a winter field biology trip to the Sonoran Province of Mexico; and internships at the National Zoological Park and the Manomet Center for Conservation. I was hooked on biology! As I came to appreciate later in graduate school, my experience at COA was very much like graduate school-small classes, intense research experiences, and project-based coursework." 4 change As S part of the degree process, students are required to write a human ecology chance and essay articulating their own views pertain- ing to human ecology. In keeping with the egalitarian spirit at COA, a group of faculty and staff wrote essays as well. Excerpts from that collection, Chance and Change: Essays in Human Ecology elucidate the phi- losophy and its value. "Nature does not have environmental problems-we do. Nature cannot tell us what is best for nature. To cut down trees is bad for trees and elk but good for deer and raspberries. All changes have long-run winners and losers; we'll increasingly have to exercise our preferences and take sides." ~ John Visvader Faculty member The Idea of Nature "A strange hybrid between the sciences, arts, and humanities, human ecology offers a way out from the constrained boundaries of traditional disciplines. It suggests not a contentious bridge between what Is and what Ought, but rather a hopeful reaching out between what Is and what Might be. What distinguishes human ecology, and hence a college devoted to its principles, is the forward-looking nature and notion of responsibility inherent in the Art of the Possible." ~ John Anderson Faculty member A View from Nod "An international network has crystallized to develop and expand the ideas of human ecology. And COA stands squarely at its center: A tiny school with its finger on the pulse of interdisciplinary understanding; an institution looked upon and admired as the college of Human Ecology; a real place that doesn't love a wall within or around it." ~ Richard Borden Academic Dean and Faculty member-Walls At the north end of campus, an enormous pine commands the center of the North Lawn, its trunk thick, its branches sturdy and spreading. From one of the uppermost branches hangs the rope swing, an informal rite of passage at COA. Ascending the ladder, one's steps become careful and steady, preparing to take the leap. Uncertainty gives way to possibility which gives way to excite- ment. Academically, it can be just as exhilarating to discover your passions, to articulate them, and to pursue them. rite of WILL THIS BE ON THE TEST? STUDENT: "I want to write a musical." Academic Life at COA ADVISOR: "Okay. Then do it." Stomp on your # 2 pencils, do a tapdance on your desk Each word is infused with certainty. It is not a command whatever it takes to break the notion that all learning leads but a gift that the advisor offers-permission to do just to one moment in time where you are evaluated by a what the student wants to do. The advisor recognizes the multiple choice test. At College of the Atlantic, life is learn- student's potential, and can envision how her interests in ing, and grades matter little compared to the experiences the performing arts, education, and literature will all that you have and from which you ultimately grow. converge into a successful project. What do you want to be when you grow up? You've probably heard more than one teacher's voice echo that This interaction exemplifies the brand of learning at COA, question through a classroom. Now that you are consider- where students are not restricted by traditional conventions ing college, ask yourself the important questions. Not or notions of proficiency. In the risk and in the dream necessarily what you plan to do for the rest of your life, or reside the challenge and the reward. if you've taken the right amount of advanced placement The role of faculty, staff, and peers is not to be under- classes, but: estimated in each student's time at COA. They create an atmosphere of collaboration, discussion, and continuous Where will you do your best learning? support. There is a simple yet handy phone list posted When do you come alive? around campus and accessible to anyone in the college community. Next to each staff and faculty's name is not What do you care most about? only their office extension, but their home phone number. For a moment, put aside notions of marketable job skills. The faculty to student ratio at COA is one to ten, which Consider life lessons, contend with dreams. allows for individualized attention and a seminar format in the classroom. Discussion and healthy debate abound in ACADEMIC CULTURE this round table and intimate format. Average class size is To be a fly on the wall at College of the Atlantic is to have a fifteen, though some classes are larger and some are much glimpse into the unique academic opportunities afforded to smaller-a tutorial would have you working one on one with students here. Take, for instance, a conversation between a a professor, an independent study would allow you to senior and her advisor: design your own course and implement it, and a group STUDENT: "I'm thinking of writing a musical for my senior study would see you collaborating with four of your peers project. But I've never done anything like it before, and I to navigate through a collaboratively-designed program. don't play any instruments, and-" If silence is a symptom of a structured learning environ- ADVISOR: "Wait a second." ment, then sound is evidence of a place dedicated to inter- The advisor makes a stop motion with her hand, like a disciplinary learning, active exploration, and inquiry. From crossing guard keeping the cars at bay so the children can the thorough discussion during an All College Meeting, to the shrieks of shock as the more brazen members of the pass. "What did you say you wanted to do?" 7 Jaime wrote and illustrated "Visions of Whales," a book geared to stu- dents ages ten through thirteen. She is currently in the process of publishing the book. "The first time I saw a whale was during my first year in college. I was on a whale watch trip with my biology class and we came upon a lone humpback whale. That summer I was lucky enough to land an intern- ship with Allied Whale, to study whales by taking photographs of them and recording data on their behavior. My interest in studying whales soon grew to teaching about them. The following summer I worked for the Summer Field Studies program at COA. I taught the children about whale behavior, brought them on whale watches, and watched them draw life-size murals of whales and other sea creatures. My artistic side appeared when I began taking art classes during my third year in college. After my first drawing class in college, I realized that I had found a new talent which not only provided enjoyment, but also heightened my senses. I had found a new world." community plunge into the Atlantic during the annual Bar Island Swim, from a professor shouting paddling instructions while a class canoes through white water, to the B.A. Hampshire College, 1974; announcement bell ringing in the dining M.A. University of Massachusetts, hall, from an improv jam session outside on Boston, 1988; M.A. Brandeis a warm spring day to an a capella concert at University, 1993; Ph.D. English a nursing home, this community is a thriving and American Literature, soundscape. Brandeis University, 1994. COURSE AREAS: 19th and 20th century American literature, HOW WILL minority, cultural and feminist YOU KNOW A COA theory FACULTY MEMBER? Not in the traditional sense. You will not identify them necessarily by the stance they take at the head of the classroom, lecturing to a sea of faces. Not defined by "Structure is silencing," says Karen Waldron, profes- tweed or tie or podium alone, they can often be seen shar- sor of Literature, referring to the inhibiting effect ing a meal in the dining hall with students or up to their that boundaries can have on education and personal elbows in mud on a rainy day field trip. Devotion to the development. school is evident, from accessibility through office hours "COA is a place where my intellectual self and to end-of-the-term potlucks they organize at their homes. my values come together and can be articulated. There is a palpability to their dedication to learning right There is a space made for that in the way the along with the students, and the collaborative scholarship college works. is evident. Students continually amaze me. It's such a Upon entering COA, students are assigned an advisor privilege for me to be able to do something I love with whom they meet to plan and evaluate their studies. and to have the people that I'm working with go Advisors provide students with academic counsel and and do something they love either in their particular personal support and guide students in developing area of expertise, or in some absolute way. That's coherent and individualized programs of study that draw what it's about. It's a very active way of witnessing from the resource areas and interdisciplinary programs. making a difference." facts For a comprehensive list of faculty's professional, research, creative, and community activities, please visit www.coa.edu/campustour/whatshappening.htm Nancy Andrews' live action and puppet anima- faculty O ur faculty may be based on an island on Maine's coast but their work and influence tion film Hedwig Page, Seaside Librarian is currently is far-reaching. A sampling of faculty activities touring with MadCat Film Festival. include: David Feldman's work on "Regularities Unseen, Karen Waldron co-edited the 19th Century Randomness Observed: The Entropy Convergence American Women's Fiction: A Comprehensive Anthology Hierarchy" was published in Chaos. which was published in 2002. John Cooper's musical scores were broadcast in Kate Frank's book G-Strings and Sympathy: the PBS documentaries A Sense of Time, a Sense of Strip Club Regulars and Male Desire was published by Place, Air Maine, and Kathadin, Mountain of the People. Duke University Press in 2002. Doreen Stabinsky has testified on agricultural Todd Little-Siebold's article "Where Have All the biotechnology and genetic engineering for the Spaniards Gone?" was printed in Journal of Government of India in New Delhi, India, the New Latin American Anthropology. Zealand Royal Commission Inquiry on Genetic Chris Peterson contributed to Coral Reef Fishes: Engineering in Auckland, New Zealand, and the Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem with Republic of the Philippines Senate Committee on his piece on the reproductive behavior of coral reef Agriculture, in Manila, Philippines. fishes in an ecological context. 9 INITED "I live for the A-ha!' moments, when I beyond the regular spectrum of your finally get the reading or I suddenly thoughts. Sometimes you get those see something that I didn't see before. great terms where it feels as though They happen especially in theory you're doing one project rather than classes when you're struggling with three courses. Suddenly you start your reading, and the professor says seeing connections because you're something that cuts right to the heart so immersed. The greatest moments and you get it. Sometimes it's fleeting. happen when it seems you're taking But you can train yourself to have one large class with three different moments of great clarity and insight. aspects." ~ Jenny George, COA student You have to push your brain to think from Amherst, Massachusetts COA has chosen to structure its curriculum around as a barometer for the social climate of each era, and how three resource areas: Arts and Design, it resonates with meaning that extends beyond rhythm Environmental Science, and Human Studies. Students and meter. may focus on one of these areas or combine them in ways The arts curriculum also includes the practice of video, that they deem relevant to their overall pursuit of a major film, sound, animation and performance art as forms of in Human Ecology. An understanding of each of these creative expression, experimentation and personal vision. areas and their roles in influencing humans' relationships History and concepts related to the time-based arts are with their social and natural communities is crucial to studied through screenings, readings and discussions. developing the human ecological perspective. SAMPLE COURSES Animation, Architectural Design ARTS AND DESIGN Studio, Ceramics, Contemporary Art, Creating Educational Art allows the articulation of human ecology in nonverbal Exhibits, Documentary Video Studio, Digital Photography, ways. The arts and design curriculum fosters artistic devel- Drawing From Nature, Graphic Design for Activists, opment and gives students the opportunity to immerse Historic Landscape Preservation Studio, History of themselves in design problems and to find solutions to Filmmaking, Improvisation in Music, Jazz, Rock, and Blues, those problems by combining aesthetic theory with an Land Use Planning, Painting the Figure, Photography understanding of ecological, economic, and energy Studio, Renaissance Art, Watercolor Painting, Weaving, constraints. Through courses in drawing, photography, World Percussion. A complete list of courses in Arts and painting, and music, students develop their own expression Design can be found in the college catalog. and use art as a medium for social criticism. In art, art history, and landscape design courses, students learn to question and make perceptive statements about the juxtaposition of the natural world and the built environment. Using the computer as a design tool, they explore visual communications by creating publications, developing design identity programs, making innovative multimedia presentations, and by composing electronic photomontages. Through music classes, students learn the fundamentals of music, from playing their instrument of choice, to theory, composition, and history. Students develop their own voice and create original compositions, learn the techniques of digital recording and MIDI, and gain a deeper understanding of music history-how music serves Welcome To The ABC Garden "O" is for organic. Organic means grown explore with our out garden. chemicals. FLOURISH Whether you are just a week- Farm is an opportunity to end gardener or hoping to work on the front lines, from run your own organic farm, planting and harvesting COA has numerous opportu- crops to creating a business nities to get your hands in plan that studies the demand the dirt. The Community for organic products in the Garden offers garden plots region. What you learn in a to anyone in the island botany class comes alive community. when you are working the For students interested in land, the dirt still fresh under organic farming, Beech Hill your fingernails. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE The environmental science curriculum at College of the Vegetation Map Percent Solid in Core Soils Atlantic brings together the biological and the physical 31.769 38.388 38.388 45.007 sciences in exploration of the earth's systems by using 45.007 51.627 51.627 58.246 the scientific method of identification and investigation, tracing ecological and evolutionary patterns, studying include access to research vessels, greenhouses, an and an organic farm. kirsten schwarz 58.246 64.865 64.865 71.485 71.485 78.104 78.104 84.723 natural communities as ecological systems, and under- 84.723 91.343 No Data standing the interactions of people and natural systems. The College's setting, bordering the Gulf of Maine and Acadia National Park, provides rich outdoor laboratories for field research. In addition to laboratories, our facilities integrated computer system, island research stations, Students preparing for graduate school or work in plant and animal ecology, physiology, and most fields of the applied environmental sciences receive both a broad-based knowledge of ecological principles and pre-professional training in their chosen areas of concentration. SAMPLE COURSES Animal Behavior, Biochemistry, Biomechanics, Biology of Fishes, Chaotic Dynamical Systems, Co-evolutionary Ecology, Conservation of Endangered Species, Entomology, Environmental Chemistry, Theory and Practice of Organic Gardening, COA alumna Herpetology, Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Mammal Senior Project Biology, Morphology and Diversity of Plants, Nature and Phytoremediation: A Local Study Language of Mathematics, Oceanography, Ornithology, Physics and Chemistry of Rivers, Scientific Programming Phytoremediation is the use of plants in C++, Tropical Marine Ecology. A complete list of to degrade, sequester, or remove courses in Environmental Science can be found in the hazardous wastes. Kirsten tested the college catalog. efficacy of this method on a piece of land on the island that had been contaminated by years of dumping. 13 COA student from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania "The academic program at COA has changed my concern for the world from a very raw concept to an articulated concern, where I can bring in all different aspects of society. I can articulate what I feel the issues in the world really are, the issues that we face everyday-environmental issues, logging, low wages, child labor, children soldiers, development that displaces populations, oppres- sion. All of these issues concern one major thing: the mutual understanding, or perhaps mutual misunderstanding, between human populations on the earth. A lot of modern academics and scholars have the idea that there's no common ground between humans, that we really aren't somehow connected by the world or by different interactions, that we are each our own autonomous entity, with no basis in each other. That's false. We do have com- mon threads, and we do have a common ground. We can find it, through experiencing each other, whether by going 8000 miles away to Afghanistan or by talking to each other and beginning to understand where we're coming from. We all come from different perspectives-I think that's exactly what connects us. We come from different experiences, and the common ground that we get is from talking to each other." photo: Thailand Countryside, by Max Woodfin HUMAN STUDIES By synthesizing the humanities with the social sciences, the human studies resource area at College of the Atlantic provides students with a wide and diversified perspective on human nature which helps to break down the artificial distinction inherent in specialized branches of knowledge. Through team-taught human studies courses, students focus on aspects of the contemporary human condition and are challenged to blend ecological concerns with classical humanistic studies. Courses in philosophy, history, literature, and art relate the past to the present. With the humanist's consciousness of one's place in time, students examine issues in political science, economics, psychology, and anthropology. This combination of knowledge and perspective equips the human ecologist to address individual and cultural problems. "When I came here I wanted to change SAMPLE COURSES Aesthetics of Violence, African the world-I had all these ideals. American Literature, America's Role in the World, Chinese Philosophy, Classics in Political Theory, Contemporary Then I learned from this place that if Issues in Psychology, Creative Writing, Cultural Ecology of Population Control Practices, Development of Grant you want to change the world you Proposals, Economics of Environmental and Social Issues, Environmental Law and Policy, Latin American History, have to start with changing yourself Games and the Social Construction of Reality, Nineteenth Century American Women, Nonviolent Action and and once you do that, then you can Peacemaking, Personality and Social Development, Poetry and the American Environment. A complete list of courses have real impact upon the world." in Human Studies can be found in the college catalog. ~ Caleb Davis, COA alumnus from Wayne, Maine 15 It's the jam session happening on her poem, the room so silent you the porch of Gates, or the staging could hear a heart break, or Peter, of a Shakespearean play that playing an original song at Open Gabrielle's been directing. It's Pam Mic night. and Sarah's senior project with The notion of performance children and college students is grassroots at College of the giving a multimedia dance Atlantic, the rights belonging performance. It's Emily reading to anyone. per ormance FARM ACADEMIC FACILITIES and and identification and censussing of whale populations in SPECIAL PROGRAMS the Gulf of Maine. During the year's field season, Allied Whale's research facility moves to Mt. Desert Rock, a Where does learning happen at COA? Just about every- 3-acre island nearly 25 miles off the shore-the longest where, from a canoe trip along a nearby stream to study running land-based marine mammal research facility local flora, to a conversation about wildlife preservation on the east coast. between friends as they wait to start an ultimate frisbee game. There are numerous programs and spaces on EDUCATIONAL STUDIES and campus that serve as conduits for learning, and they are TEACHER CERTIFICATION described here. The Educational Studies Program at College of the Atlantic prepares students for teaching in a variety of educational WRITING CENTER settings. Students may specialize in museum education, The Writing Center is staffed with student tutors who or prepare for Maine State teacher certification at the assist peers with their papers. To become writing tutors, elementary or secondary level. The program provides students with excellent writing skills and strong inter- qualified students with a rich range of pedagogical oppor- personal qualities must be recommended by a faculty tunities and intellectual resources. Students are challenged member or tutor. Selected students take a year-long to translate the human ecological themes that form the course in teaching writing, and are then prepared to basis of their education at College of the Atlantic into offer assistance. All students are welcome to tap into effective and exciting educational experiences for others. the Writing Center's resources. ALLIED WHALE Allied Whale was founded in 1972 to conduct research for the effective conservation of marine mammal populations and their habitats. Today, directed by marine mammalo- gist Sean Todd, students, alumni and volunteers continue to work on a variety of long-term studies of marine mam- mals. Summer field work is conducted at their Mt. Desert Rock Marine Research Station. Allied Whale is one of the research arms of COA and its field research projects are geographically far-ranging. Allied Whale has been at the forefront of modern whale research since it's inception in 1972. Its projects include the photo-identification of whale individuals, and non- intrusive studies of the behavior and respiration of whales, 17 The Educational Studies Program seeks to broaden stu- dents' understandings of the potentialities and possibilities in public and private schools and informal educational settings. Sample courses include: Adapting Instruction for Students with Disabilities, Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Math and Science, Educational Psychology, Environmental Education, Learning Theory, and Multicultural Issues. The interactive and interdisciplinary nature of education at College of the Atlantic serves as a model for the kind of education our students hope to create as teachers. The goal of the Educational Studies Program is to develop commit- ted, reflective educational leaders who will be able to bring intellectual passion and ecological wisdom into their own teaching. Many graduates are teachers in public and private schools; others have chosen careers as outdoor educators, interpretive naturalists and environmental educators. All students in the Educational Studies Program com- plete five core courses in human ecology and the social, psychological and philosophical foundations of education. Students then concentrate in either informal education COA alumna through the museum or teacher certification. Senior Project "It's A Little Bit of Love and a Little Bit of Have To" ISLAND RESEARCH CENTER Conversations with Farmers in Hancock and For much of the academic year, College of the Atlantic's Washington Counties Island Research Center is housed in the Davis Center for International and Regional Studies-an appropriate loca- Allison Gladstone's interests range from tion given the Center's interest in both the greater Maine agriculture to sustainable development, archipelago, and the implications of studies on islands to landscape history to rural sociology. issues of policy and conservation biology on a global scale. For her senior project, she set out to learn At the Center students get the opportunity to work with what qualities and experiences keep farmers faculty in developing databases of the flora and fauna of working the land when economic realities selected islands and to engage in seminar style discussions conspire against them. of advanced issues in ecology and public policy. She conducted numerous interviews with During the summer months the Center moves to its farmers in Hancock and Washington Counties, home away from home on Great Duck Island, a 2-hour creating an oral history illuminating the boat ride from the College. Here students and faculty current state of independent farmers in the are developing a comprehensive ecological picture of United States, and what their status in society this important island in collaboration with the Nature indicates about our culture as a whole. Her Conservancy and the State of Maine Department of black and white photographs of the farmers Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. she interviewed accompanied her project. BEECH HILL FARM Located on Beech Hill Road in Mt. Desert, Maine, Beech on educational resource for students, farmers, and commu- Hill Farm includes approximately five acres of diversified, nity members. COA is committed to preserving Beech Hill MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Farm as a working, sustainable organic farm Association) certified organic farmland, several acres that will provide fresh produce for the COA campus and of heirloom apple trees (some dating to the Civil War), will continue to serve local customers through wholesale 65-acres of forest, a barn, farmhouse, farmstand, outbuild- accounts and the retail farmstand. COA students, staff, ings, and five hoop greenhouses. faculty, and farm managers Lucian and Margaret Smith Alumni donated the farm to College of the Atlantic in work collaboratively to meet the farm's threefold goal of May, 1999. COA is developing this unparalleled opportuni- local and sustainable food production, education, and good ty to preserve working local farmland and create a hands- land stewardship. 18 library SAMPLE FILMS Citizen Kane, Cartoon Noir, Lost thorndike Civilizations Series, Planet of the Apes, Shawshank Redemption, The Birds, Private Life of Plants, The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci, IL Postino, The Life and Times of Harvey Milk SAMPLE MUSIC SELECTIONS Beethoven's 9th Symphony-New York Philharmonic, Fear of a Black Planet-Public Enemy, Fame-soundtrack, Hair-soundtrack from the musical, 13 Songs-Fugazi, Holy Soul, Jelly Roll-Allen Ginsberg, Living in Clip-Ani Difranco MOUNT DESERT ROCK and students who like the ultimate in comfort when studying. GREAT DUCK ISLAND Art exhibitions appear regularly on the walls of the In 1998, the College acquired these lighthouses from the reading room. U.S. Coast Guard. Both are used as sites for fieldwork in Thorndike Library's collection includes over 35,000 the sciences and the arts. Mount Desert Rock, located 25 books, 540 periodical and newspaper subscriptions, videos miles offshore, is one of the two primary areas for viewing and a distinctive music collection. Through OCLC, an whales in the Gulf of Maine. Research at MDR is unique in interlibrary loan network, students have access to materials that it provides a longitudinal record of marine mammal from over 34,000 libraries. activity for the past 25 years. The Rock is also home to a large colony of harbor and gray seals. Both Mt. Desert BLUM GALLERY Rock and Great Duck Island provide excellent opportuni- The gallery provides an excellent space for the display of ties for field research, particularly during the summer when artwork by students, faculty, alumni, and visiting artists. intensive courses allow students to live and study on-site. COA has also collaborated with local schools, museums and the Union of Maine Visual Artists to present special THORNDIKE LIBRARY exhibitions. The gallery presents sixteen exhibitions per Whether you're doing research, writing a paper, or perusing year; photography, sculpture, paintings, prints, crafts, periodicals, Thorndike Library, located on the second floor paperworks and "found object" art are among the wide of Kaelber Hall, is the place to go. The reading room is the variety of exhibited work by distinguished local, national crowning glory of the library, with panoramic windows and international artists. The gallery also serves as a site for affording expansive views of the sea and sky. Study carrels poetry readings. are available, and some even have beanbag chairs for the 19 nikolai fox COA alumnus Senior Project Oil Painting Intensive Nikolai spent one term of his senior year immersed in his painting. "Confidence in the arts comes with experience. This senior project gave me time to explore my ideas and working methods to a degree which I had not previously been able to do." The project culminated in a one-man show at the College's Blum Gallery. Recent exhibitions include "Maritime Cosmologies: Recent the College's many island research programs. Through Sculptures by Ana Flores"; museum displays made by Mount class work, volunteering, and internships, students learn Desert Island fifth graders; "The Abstract Edge" featuring to monitor seabird populations, utilize GIS and GPS paintings and sculpture by Nancy McCormick, Alison technology for conservation applications, and manage Hildreth and Emilie Brzezinski; and "Under Sail: Marine scientific databases. Art from Private Collections." Other shows, such as solo exhibitions by Nikolai Fox and Jude Lamb from the class THE CENTER FOR of 2000, and "Varying Paths to Animation," a multi-media APPLIED HUMAN ECOLOGY (CAHE) display of student animation art, highlight the College's CAHE began with the mission of making the College's academic programs. resources available to the greater DownEast, Maine region. Additional exhibitions are presented in the Thorndike Allowing students to gain practical experience with real Library reading room. A one-person show of pastels of world projects while providing municipalities with cutting- birds' eyes by Paul Plante, figure sketches from two area life edge technology and professional expertise, the relationship drawing classes and "Maine Island Motifs: Oils by Henry between CAHE and the communities of eastern Maine is Finkelstein" were featured in the past year. one of reciprocity. Most importantly, CAHE allows people to witness the power of human ecology in action. Projects ECOLOGICAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP and undertaken by CAHE include the DownEast-Acadia NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Watersheds Project and the Smart Growth Forum. The Ecological Entrepreneurship and Non-Profit Management Program supports students who wish to use their imagination and leadership to create a professional focus in non-profit management (including environmental organizations, schools, and federal agencies), small-business entrepreneurship and environmentally oriented corporate management. The program is supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM The International Studies Program is a dynamic program which seeks to move the College's academic mission over- seas through international immersion experiences. The program is anchored in the annual Yucatan Program which takes a group of students to the Yucatan Peninsula for a term-long academic experience that includes four classes, homestays with Mexican families, and independent intensive field research. Other opportunities include a growing advanced studies initiative to support internships and senior projects around the globe. This year students travelled to Thailand, South Africa, Nicaragua, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala as part of this program. Finally, the College also has formal relationships with the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Palacky University in the Czech Republic, and the Multiversidad Franciscana de Americana Latino, Uruguay. The combination of formal and informal programs is the core of COA's ongoing commitment to mirror our student-centered education in a wide range of international settings. REGIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM The College's Regional Studies Program comprises the Island Research Center and the Center for Applied Human Ecology. Directed by faculty member and conservation biologist John Anderson, the IRC serves as the hub of 21 GEORGE B. DORR ALLIED PROGRAMS include The Landing School of Boat MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Design, University of Maine, Shoals Marine Laboratory and The Museum of Natural History showcases student work Sea Education Association. COA taps into existing pro- that explores Maine's natural heritage in ways that embody grams to extend its hands-on approach to learning. the human ecology mission of the college. Through a Students may take classes at the University of Maine for diverse offering of courses, students develop the skills degree credit at COA. and techniques needed to design, fabricate, and install the- Under the exchange agreement with The Landing matic exhibitions. School, approved COA students may enroll in The Landing The Museum offers students the opportunity to create School's Yacht Design Program. highly innovative exhibits. Examples of some recent A cooperative program with Shoals Marine Laboratory exhibits are: Conservation of Maine's Endangered Species, allows students to study on Appledore Island in the Isles Winter Ecology of Maine's Wildlife, and the Evolutionary of Shoals in the Gulf of Maine. This permanent marine History of Modern Cetaceans. science education facility allows comprehensive field experience. BRIN PROGRAM COA students experience the ocean from an array of COA is a partner in the Biomedical Research Infrastructure academic and personal perspectives during Sea Education Network (BRIN), a $5.5 million grant funded through the Association's (SEA), full credit, 12-week, Woods Hole SEA National Center for Research Resources at the National Semester. The first six weeks of a Woods Hole SEA Semester Institutes of Health. The grant is designed to enhance the challenges you academically with rigorous classes on-shore research capacity of six of Maine's research and educational in Woods Hole, MA. Oceanography, piloting, celestial navi- institutions: MDI Biological Lab (specializing in marine gation, vessel design, maritime history, literature and policy species and their relevance to human biology), Jackson Lab are just a few of the topics explored to deepen the under- (specializing in mammalian genetics using mice as models), standing of the sea and offer preparation for the intensity of Colby and Bates Colleges, the University of Maine and life aboard an oceanographic sailing vessel. During the College of the Atlantic. The grant funds hands-on training second six weeks, classroom learning is put to practical use in biomedical research for students of these institutions. aboard certified sailing school vessels-tall ships outfitted During the academic year, students will spend two and a as oceanographic research vessels. Students fine-tune half weeks at MDI Bio Lab learning about new research, problem solving skills by working closely with shipmates DNA sequencing and cutting-edge techniques. The summer to collect the scientific data necessary to complete self component will extend an opportunity for students to designed oceanographic research projects and safely pilot spend 10 weeks at either MDI Bio Lab or Jackson Lab con- the ship to her final port. ducting biomedical research, working one-on-one in a lab- oratory with a senior scientist. 22 recipients O ver the past 18 years, 20 seniors have been awarded the distinguished Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Since 1983 the Watson Foundation has invited College of the Atlantic watson fellowship to participate as one of fifty outstanding private colleges and universities throughout the United States who nominate Watson candi- dates. Fellowship recipients are provided with an opportunity to immerse themselves in cultures other than their own for an entire year. Each recipient is awarded a generous fellowship which funds their personal research abroad for a year. Noah Krell '01 - Photography of piercing cultures, traveling to England, Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand. Erin Gott '99 - studied the sport of falconry and its social and philosophical aspects and the cultural relationships of humans with paul davis nature in South Africa, Arabia, Europe, Central Asia and Japan. Paul Davis, '99, spent his These two photographs Traci Hickson 98 - researched the influence time at COA exploring the were shown as part of Mr. connections between of community radio in Italy, Australia, Davis' senior project, South Africa and Canada. people and the aesthetics Photography and Text, of landscape. Exploring Human Mariska Obedzinski '96 - explored rivers Connections to the Earth. through the eyes of a fly fisherman in New Zealand, Argentina, Russia, and Chile. Jennifer Rock '93 - researched living fossils in Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Borneo, and Africa. Jeffrey Miller '92 - bicycled around the world comparing the ways different cultures use bicycles for transportation. Darron Collins '92 - traced the effects of development on four major rivers in Chile, India, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt. Park Armstrong '91 - studied the international use of geothermal energy in Italy, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, St. Lucia, and Denmark. 23 B.A. University of California, Santa Barbara, 1976; Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 1985. COURSE AREAS: ichthyology and marine ecology chris petersen advance "What I really enjoy about teaching is working really intensely with students doing detailed 'getting-your-hands-dirty field work.' I prefer to have a really involved interaction with my students where we are constantly going back and forth talking about professional goals, about their lives and where they want to go, and what kind of options seem reasonable. Teaching at COA allows me to do all of these things. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS The Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology degree is granted upon completion of thirty-six credits. Students have a great deal of freedom in crafting their curriculum at COA. There are requirements towards the degree and they are as follows: Two courses in Arts and Design; two courses in Environ- mental Science; two courses in Human Studies; one course with an element of quantitative reasoning; one course with a focus on history; the human ecology core course; a writing course; a 400 hour internship; human ecology essay; community service; the Senior Project. david gooch INTERNSHIPS and SENIOR PROJECTS The art of invention is alive and well at COA. Students direct their education towards ecologically and socially based, problem-oriented learning. The educational envi- ronment is one which engenders new ideas and nurtures their implementation. The classroom takes shape in a variety of settings: in a laboratory, along the granite ridges of Acadia National Park, amidst the crowd of a town plan- ning meeting, or perched on a piano bench. The focus then turns to practical applications: students have many COA alumnus opportunities to gain firsthand experience in a variety of Senior Project areas, through both the Internship and the Senior Project. Project Grow All students must complete a 400 hour internship towards their degree at COA. The Office of Internships and Career David set out to explore how communities Services is set-up to aid students with this endeavor-host- connect with their food sources and how one ing a list of resources and contacts for students to begin can influence that connection. He did this by their search. developing "Project Grow",a program for 4th An internship can be as varied as a student's interests. and 5th graders. Children created, planted The Senior Project serves as the culmination of one's stud- and harvested an organic garden, toured local ies at College of the Atlantic. It is a trimester-long, inde- farms and supermarkets, worked with the pendent effort that is designed solely by the student, and local food pantry to donate food, cooked food can be as varied as the internship possibilities. A student's for a local nursing home, and had their own Senior Project can serve as a bridge to life after COA, aiding harvest feast. 25 them in graduate school applications, new business ventures, or other professional aspirations. It is an opportunity to do just what you've always dreamed of, with the support and encouragement of advising faculty and the college community. If you visit campus in the spring term, you may sense a certain excitement in the air. Some would argue that's just how the warm weather makes the school come alive-but there is an undeniable electricity that is generated with so many seniors intent on crafting their dreams into tangible realities. HUMAN ECOLOGY ESSAY Each student must write a human ecology essay during his or her junior year. This work is intended to be a reflective piece of three to five pages, offering a student's interpretation of and experience with human ecology. COA alumna from Laporte, Texas "Among students and faculty and staff, there are a number of people who are always asking questions and striving to make this place more in-line with its ideals. Sometimes it's a struggle and it's frustrating, but it's worth it. I don't want us to be like any other school. We want to attract the students who have visions of social change and are interested in a different type of school. COA has given me this experience of how to be involved in a decision-making process. I've learned how to organize, and be a participant in a community. I feel like I've learned how to articulate myself. I now know how to express my opinions. It's prepared me to go into other communities in other places and be a part of things there, too. Being treated like an equal made me feel like an equal. I'm not afraid to speak up. I feel like that's a way that change is going to happen in this world-by building community, and having empowered citizens where people stand up for themselves and do things for themselves. That's where I want to go from here." 26 Sometimes it's hard to strike Others take their reading a compromise between work outside to a quite niche. and play. At COA, we're pretty Our proximity to Acadia adept at both. National Park means you When the sun is out, you'll can use a break between be hard-pressed to find many classes for a walk or bike people eating their meals ride. We may not have inside Take-a-Break. Outside, Division I sports, but there a student casually strums is plenty of activity, from a a guitar while a group of game of ultimate frisbee to students gathers for a a hike up Gorham Mountain game of Four Square. on a full moon night. WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY? ROOMS WITH A VIEW Welcome to Maine, The Way Life Should Be. In addition to our unique approach to education, our That is the message that greets people as they enter into system of student housing is equally unrivaled. Each of this northeastern-most state. Deciding to live in Maine the five student residences on campus has its own comfort- is more than choosing a place to live; it is choosing a able appeal. Four of the five were privately owned homes lifestyle. For instance, if you've been here, you may have until the college acquired them and now they are collective- noticed the absence of billboards and the abundance ly "owned" by the students who inhabit them. Blair-Tyson of trees and stunning vistas-a testament to peoples' is the one "dorm" built specifically for COA students and appreciation of Maine's natural heritage. When traveling you are challenged to find a more appealing dormitory in among the western mountains, the sandy beaches of the all the land. On-campus housing is provided for 100 stu- south, the multitude of inland lakes and rivers or the dents with priority granted to in-coming first-year students. ruggedly beautiful and textured stone coast, you will All student residences are equipped with kitchens furnished notice the emphasis is on the wealth of natural beauty with cookware, utensils and appliances. Each year a group found within Maine's borders. While attending the of returning students sign-on to become Resident Advisors; annual Common Ground Country Fair, participating they organize dorm chore rotation and assist new students in the annual Spring canoe races, traveling to the state capi- with the transition to college life. tal for a Smart Growth Forum conference, or attending a local contradance, one gets the sense that Maine is not nearly as large as the map suggests. AN ISLAND OFF THE COAST, A COLLEGE ON THE BAY While Mount Desert Island has been a favorite destination for many summer travelers, the Island is home to rooted, year-round communities. A long tradition of stewardship marks people's relationship to the land and sea, and to community as well. Because COA was born of the efforts of Island residents and due to the socio-political climate of the area, students are involved in the greater Mount Desert Island community. By maintaining trails in Acadia National Park, assisting community theatre productions, working with the Planning Board to protect farmland, or volunteering at local schools, students are meaningfully involved in island life. 29 TAKE M break Sample Take-A-Break menu: Rice Pilaf Vegetable & Tofu Soup Salad Bar with Mixed Greens from Homemade Pepper Bread Beech Hill Farm Hummus Numerous other Veggies, Nuts, Chicken Salad Cheeses and Dressings Ham Steaks Snickerdoodle Cookies Curried Sweet Potatoes Vegan Brownies and Chick Peas Corn on the Cob All vegetables are organic!!! The majority of returning students live off-campus in houses in the surrounding community. Each spring (and through the summer) the Office of Student Services maintains a list of local landlords for students to use in securing housing. Typically a group of students will rent a house or apartment together. Most of the houses are only a short walk or bike ride away from campus. Off-season rental prices are generally quite affordable and students appreciate the comforts of having their own homes. TABLE FOR THREE-HUNDRED, PLEASE Blair Dining Hall, or Take-A-Break as it is called, is a veritable hotbed of activity. In addition to being a general gathering place, students, faculty, and staff alike amble through its doors to help themselves to the best college food in the country. Yep, according to the 2000 edition of Princeton Review's The Best 311 Colleges, the COA kitchen has again earned bragging rights. The Congo Bars get rave reviews and the chefs' ability to create delectable meals that accommodate all dietary preferences is unmatched. All students living on-campus are enrolled COA student from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in the College's meal plan. Meals are served 3 times a day, Monday through Friday. Weekend meals are left "There is a high sense of environmental to the students' discretion although collaborative dining consciousness here and that means that is encouraged, as each residence is equipped with a the food is purchased from free-range kitchen and dining room. Students living off-campus and organic vendors, and lots of local may purchase a breakfast, lunch, or dinner plan-or any producers. You can see this same combination of these-at a reasonable price. connection between philosophy of the school and the practical ways the school FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE operates in all aspects of the college." At COA students learn firsthand about the democratic process, not only how it works but also how to make it work. In keeping with the central ideas of community and responsibility, the College governs itself through a combination of participatory and representative democracy. "The purpose of the governance system is two-fold. Students serve on all college committees, from Academic The system is, first, a mechanism to encourage innovative, Affairs to Personnel, with full voting rights. (In addition, participatory administration of the College. Beyond that, several alumni now sit on the Board of Trustees.) The however, it is also an integral part of education at COA. All-College Meeting, held every week and moderated by Through participation in the governance system, we learn a student, is a regular assembly where the community about everything from the democratic process to building as a whole reviews the work of the committees. While codes, from affirmative action law to group dynamics, not everyone is infected with the political bug, those from diplomacy to stress management. We learn to listen who are have a tremendous opportunity to involve and we learn to communicate. themselves in shaping college policy. A former All-College "In short, we have an opportunity to involve ourselves Meeting Moderator expressed her appreciation for COA's in the decisions that affect our lives while at the College, governance system in these words: an opportunity that is rare among institutions of higher "At COA we have a unique opportunity to affect learning. Involvement in governance is one way of the directions of our lives. As students we choose our expressing the long-term commitment to COA that academic programs and take responsibility for our living many of us here feel deeply." situations. As a human community and community of scholars, we work to strengthen our bonds to one another-intellectually, socially, and through our system of governance. 31 S 57 OUT AND ABOUT IN DOWNEAST MAINE on Nautilus equipment, swim, or play on basketball and While more conventional schools boast of fieldhouses and volleyball courts. For those who want to imbue their stadiums, at College of the Atlantic we provide students exercise with a creative, quirky flare, they may participate with unparalleled recreational opportunities by having a in perennial COA favorites such as inner-tube water polo campus that is situated between a National Park and the or underwater hockey. Students may also compete in club Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, our "fields" are far too large to be volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer at the YMCA. "housed". When the chapter is read, the notes taken, and Outdoor activities are not confined to Mount Desert the paper edited, COA students take to the majestic environs Island, however. Students also organize weekend trips to of Mount Desert Island with gusto. Of the 270 square miles northern and western Maine and nearby New Hampshire. that comprise Mount Desert Island, 150 are home to the Recreational areas within a half-day's drive of the College splendor of Acadia National Park. From virtually anywhere include many pristine rivers for whitewater canoeing and on the Island, Acadia National Park-with its 50 miles of kayaking, major downhill ski resorts, and lofty mountains carriage roads and 100 miles of open trails-is only a few like Katahdin and Washington. For people who want to minutes walk away. A hike to a mountaintop not only allows for vistas of nearby peaks and the surrounding sea, but also for personal reflection. Each journey into the solace and wilderness of the Park builds a bridge between human and nature, sparking again and again the reverence for the natural environment and the passion to protect it. Students regularly jog and bike along the carriage roads, hike and rock climb, canoe, and sail on Island lakes and in Frenchman Bay, and in the winter, cross-country ski, snowshoe and skate. Through a cooperative arrangement with the local YMCA, students have use of its facilities. They can workout 32 outings Indian Point Little Hunter's Beach Snowshoe up Sargent Mountain in winter Round Pound in Seal Harbor Acadia Mountain and The Bowl Jordan Cliffs Loop with a stop for a swim in Sargent Mountain Pond Sargent Mountain for botanizing and hiking Asticou Trail from Jordan Pond to Little Harbor Brook on cross- country skis Beehive learn a new outdoor skill, there are a number of trained Folk Dancing faculty and staff who can teach and lead a variety of UNITED I programs. COA's Outing Club maintains gear for com- - - - Hanks II I ACA munity use. Another popular outdoor activity is SCUBA diving. COA divers either come to COA with training or may participate in a class at the YMCA. The College's recreational fleet includes white water and ternship Presentations lake canoes, kayaks, and Rhodes 19 and Sonic 23 sailboats. PM in the Lecture Hall Thursday, May 24 - A sailing class is available to students each fall for a nominal - I April 2001 Recent fee. With some of the most stunningly beautiful coastline - - - by Paintings Elizabeth Gwinn in the world just off the "bow", all COA community 1 DR. HELEN CALDICOTT M.D members take the chance to appreciate it from the perspec- College of the Atlantic Blum Gallery action tive of the sea as often as they can. The College's 38-foot research vessel, Indigo, is used for field trips and research If projects along with other smaller craft. WELCOME TO BURNETURNiP OUR While it is true that students don't come to COA for the BASEMENT Core Southern Old Time Music nightlife, Bar Harbor still packs a lot of culture, especially during the warmer season. The Island is home to several Tuesday, April 17 accomplished artisans, musicians, and performers. A spirit 8:30 pm of inclusion permeates. COA students are more likely to house create a venue for artistic expression than to bemoan its Video Screening absence. Each term finds students busily organizing Open Mic Nights, poetry readings, Coffeehouse Performances, Spinning this Fridan movie series, and participating in the COA original, Free! 24-Hour Plays. When all you want is to just relax in the afternoon or evening, a potluck dinner and conversation Lecture Hall June Annual Friday Exhibit with friends is always a good choice. No matter what lb II the season, COA students make the absolute most of # their free time. I 33 careers Occupations of COA Graduates 1974-2001 architect, animator, acupuncturist, art therapist I alumni botanist, biologist, A A Business 13% H B Art/Design 18% curator, comedian, computer analyst, B doctor, dog sled racer, C Social Serv/Govt. 12% F engineer for NASA, ethnobotanist, D Natural Science 19% E environmental engineer, entrepreneur, c E Medical Professions 9% D forest manager, F Homemaker/Parent 2% graphic designer G Engineering 2% hydrologist, herbalist, ichthyologist, H Education 21% journalist, jet pilot, jockey, I Communication 4% kayak guide, kindergarten teacher, lawyer, landscape architect, luthier midwife, musician, museum director, marine biologist, naturalist, nurse, organic farmer, obstetrician, puppeteer, public relations specialist, psychotherapist, peace corps volunteer, quantum physicist, rabbi, restauranteur senator, social worker, sculptor, solar designer, teacher, therapeutic riding instructor, unitarian minister, upward bound instructor, veterinarian, vice president of outward bound, writer, weaver, Waldorf school instructor, xylographer, yachtsmen, yoga instructor, zoologist 34 LIFE AFTER COA What can you do with a degree in Human Ecology? This question is easily answered with another question: What attended can't you do with a degree in Human Ecology? What you can do is an exhausting array of professions, as evidenced University of Pennsylvania by our alphabetical sampling of careers. In the history of Columbia University the College, we have had alums who span professions from Yale University A-Z across the globe. Harvard School of Law There aren't many colleges where undergraduates are continuously engaged in field experiences, independent experiences, along with the internship, Senior Project, thought is abundant. Two of the attributes most common graduate schools Tulane University University of Maine at Orono research, or one-on-one collaboration with faculty. These Rutgers University Washington University community service, and self-designed curriculum coax Harvard Medical School the natural interests and talents inherent to COA students Purdue University and often serve as stepping stones towards their future Duke University employment. University of Minnesota It is difficult to typify a COA student, as diversity of Clark University Rhode Island School of Design to COA students are passion and motivation, and these New York University qualities enable each person to follow a goal through to Cornell University completion. The most astounding things are undertaken Rochester Institute of Technology with amazing "elbow grease of the mind". This is not to Antioch imply that what one student comes to College of the Wesleyan University Atlantic wanting to do is fixed during the course of four Boston University years-there is broad opportunity to explore and integrate. Case Western University That's what interdisciplinary learning is all about. Tufts University Because this is not a school where majors are declared University of California-Berkeley and exploration is discouraged in the name of structure Middlebury College and one-dimensional progress, students can effectively Johns Hopkins University combine their academic interests to ultimately create a Northeastern University unique and individualized course of study. At the end of Waldorf Institute at Sunbridge College four years, you won't only have the skills and knowledge Sarah Lawrence College you intended to acquire, you'll have a grasp on how to Harvard Graduate School of Design implement those skills in the real world, and how to merge your interests into a variety of different environments. 35 COA alumna now living on Mount Desert Island, Maine Josie is currently going to grad school at UMO, where she has created a new interdisciplinary curriculum and is focusing on creative writing. She was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize in Poetry. "COA is one of the few places where so many important forms of growth are integrated: academic, spiritual, ethical, and personal growth. I have never been surrounded by so many people who cared so much for so many-their problems and their desires. At COA, you'll trade in all of your one-sided, half-baked notions of the world and figure out what you really think. Be prepared to use all five senses, to listen more carefully than you ever have before. Be prepared to have what goes on outside the classroom be just as important as what goes on inside it." FORGETTING SMALL We forget how small we are, how easily lost. Regret, like memory, is fused into our subatomic particles. My father once, years ago, sat next to me and taught me to gut a fish. The silver side of that bluegill was bigger than my hand. I knew that I was small. Small was a kid that sat next to me in second grade. His mother was blind, and each day he led her across the street, holding up one hand to traffic, leading her with the other. I'd forgotten Small until last December when standing in the Post Office I saw his face on a poster of missing children. I've found you, Small, I thought. I stood staring into his age progression, smiling like an idiot until it hit me. Small was lost. And Small's mother, who had never seen him, could not tell anyone what he looked like. My own hands, which had never touched his face, remembered it suddenly. I wanted to look his mother up, go sit in her living room and drink tea, tell her a story about Small, about how he was always polite, how he always washed his hands after recess. And I had forgotten, until now, the way my father taught me to gently remove the eyes of a fish to use as bait next time. And now that fish would fit squarely in my palm because I am not Small, my father has seen the exact shape of my hands growing. ADMISSION and FINANCIAL AID The charges for tuition, room, board and fees for the College of the Atlantic approaches the Admission process college year 2002-2003 are as follows: much as it approaches learning: we focus on the individual Tuition $22,266 strengths of the student, we encourage creativity, and we Fees $270 hope you will both ask lots of questions AND share your ideas with us. Room $3,777 We believe the first step in applying to COA is actually Board $2,310 getting to know the college. Is this the kind of place where Total $28,623 you'd be happy? Would you want to live here for several years? More importantly, is this where you would want to If you are unable to make it to Maine to visit COA, we LEARN for several years? Will the college help you to tap encourage you to visit our website at www.coa.edu; take the into your passions and provide you with the resources to campus tour, explore the academic offerings, review student further explore ways in which you can affect humans' projects and check out campus activities. We are happy to relationship with the environment? If you are filling out put you in e-mail or phone contact with a faculty member an application to COA, we want it to be because you are or current student if you have further questions. excited about the college. To that end, we invite you to visit COA. THE ADMISSION APPLICATION Once you've gotten a good sense of COA and recognize VISITING COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC that it suits your interests, style of learning, and personal We welcome and encourage prospective students to visit the philosophy, we hope you will apply for admission. The campus. You may schedule a tour of the college, have an application process is a personal and highly individualized admission interview, sit in on classes, meet with professors one. If you need help, you may reach us by phone five and students, eat some of our top-rated college food, and days a week during normal business hours, e-mail us at participate in campus activities. Parents are also welcome. inquiry@ecology.coa.edu or write to us. We encourage you to schedule your visit Monday through We respect individuality and our application review Friday when classes are in session. Students may stay is characterized by a personal approach. In arriving at a overnight in a campus residence and we can provide decision, the admission committee (made up of admission parents with a list of suggested hotels and inns (as well as counselors, faculty and students) looks for evidence of suggestions for activities and restaurants). We can provide the following: you with driving directions as well as information on air and bus transportation and we'll be pleased to pick you up academic preparation and achievement at the airport or bus stations. Please call COA's Office of intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning Admission to arrange your campus visit. We look forward a desire to be a part of a small college with a human ecology focus to showing you this amazing college on the coast of Maine. a tendency to seek out intellectual and personal challenges 37 An application for admission is complete when the Office of Transfer Admission has received all of the following: Admission application due by April 1 1) a completed application form and $45 application fee, COA responds to applicants by April 25 Enrollment deposit due by May 15 2) a personal statement as well as answers to all the short Financial Aid essay questions, FAFSA filed by February 15, 2001 3) at least two teacher recommendations, Institutional Financial Aid form and Non-Custodial 4) official transcripts of all academic work, Parent's Statement due at COA by February 15 5) a personal interview - although not required we COA responds to first year applicants by April 1; strongly recommend one for all candidates. If you transfer applicants by May 1. are not able to meet with us in person, you may ADMISSION PLANS request an alumni, off-campus, or telephone interview. College of the Atlantic offers several admission plans for Standardized tests scores are not required, although they prospective students. Applicants for the fall term must can be helpful in assessing the academic ability of students apply under one of the these plans. from schools which do not give grades or have nontradi- Students who have come to the decision that COA is their tional programs. Approximately half of the applicants to first choice are invited to apply under either one of COA submit either SAT or ACT scores. Should you wish the College's Early Decision plans. Students who file Early to submit scores, our CEEB code is 3305. We accept the Decision I applications with all accompanying credentials Common Application and ask that you fill out our supple- by December 1 will receive a decision by December 15. mental form in addition to the Common Application; a Those filing Early Decision II applications with all supplement is available by calling the Office of Admission accompanying credentials by January 10 will receive a or downloading it at www.coa.edu. decision by January 25. In submitting an Early Decision application, a student APPLICATION DEADLINES AND enters into an agreement whereby, if admitted, she or ADMISSION NOTIFICATION he will enroll at COA and immediately withdraw all First year students must apply by March 1st in order to applications to other colleges. be considered for fall admission. One must apply by An applicant wishing to apply as either an Early Decision November 15 and February 15 for winter and spring I or Early Decision II candidate should check the appropri- term admission, respectively. ate box on page one of the COA application or on the Admitted students wishing to accept an offer of Common Application supplement. They should also initial admission and reserve a place for themselves in the class the Early Decision agreement above the signature on page must pay a $300 non-refundable enrollment deposit by two of the COA application form or on the Common May 1. Those admitted for winter or spring terms are Application supplement. required to a pay a deposit within 14 days if they wish to accept an offer of admission. TRANSFER or VISITING STUDENTS College of the Atlantic welcomes applications from transfer Early Admission Deadlines students. About 20 percent of all new student annually are Early Decision I transfer or visiting students. Admission application due by December 1 A student may transfer a maximum of 18 credits to Estimated Financial Aid due by December 10 COA (the equivalent of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter COA responds to applicants by December 15 hours). Although an evaluation of credit is not final until after enrollment, students may receive preliminary Early Decision II evaluations by contacting the registrar. Admission application due by January 10 Students who wish to spend one or more terms at Estimated Financial Aid due by January 20 COA and transfer college credit to another institution COA responds to applicants by January 25 should apply as a visiting student. Applications for Regular Admission Deadlines visiting students are available by calling or e-mailing First Year the Office of Admission. Admission application due by March 1 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COA responds to applicants by April 1 COA welcomes applications from highly qualified interna- Enrollment deposit due by May 1 tional students. Applications for international students are the same as those for first-year and transfer students. 38 Application requirements are identical, except that interna- CONTACTING THE OFFICE OF ADMISSION tional students are also required to submit one of the fol- Please reach us by phone, toll free at (800) 528-0025 lowing: TOEFL score, SAT verbal score, SAT II Writing test (207) 288-5015 score, predicted IB score for English. International students E-mail are also required to submit a Declaration of Finances Form. inquiry@ecology.coa.edu We are proud to offer the Davis Scholarship to students Web www.coa.edu who graduate from the United World Colleges and are Mail Office of Admission admitted to COA. College of the Atlantic ADULT STUDENTS 105 Eden Street Older students of non-traditional college age wishing to Bar Harbor, ME 04609 take courses or pursue a degree are invited to inquire and become better acquainted with the College. Adult students ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL AID STAFF are encouraged to contact the Office of the Admission early Sarah G. Baker Director of Admission in the admission process to arrange a personal interview. Bruce Hazam Director of Financial Aid/ Admission Counselor ADVANCE PLACEMENT / INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Donna McFarland Assistant Director of Admission College credit may be given for superior performance in Blaise Maccarrone Admission Counselor the CEEB advanced placement examinations or the College Level Examination Program. Scores should be sent directly FINANCIAL AID from the testing source. COA credit normally will be The Higher Education Act of 1965 was created to help granted for scores of '4' or higher. For International make post-secondary education accessible to a wider port- Baccalaureate (IB) work, two COA credits will normally ion of the population. The underlying principle is that the be given for scores of '5' on higher level exams. A full student and the student's family share the primary respon- year's credit is awarded for a score of '34' or higher on the sibility for funding the student's higher education, while the comprehensive exam. These credits are officially recorded government provides assistance to those with demonstrated only following successful completion of the student's first need. Additionally, institutions such as COA are taking on year at COA. greater levels of support to help students narrow the gap in paying for their education. DEFFERED MATRICULATION Assessing financial aid eligibility starts with filing the Free Students wishing to defer Fall matriculation may do so Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is avail- prior to June 1 by sending a written request to the Director able at high schools or college financial aid offices. COA of Admission and paying a $400 non-refundable deposit also requires that its own short application be completed. ($200 of which will be applied to the student's first term The information on these forms helps to establish the tuition bill). Matriculation will be postponed for up to a expected family contribution, or EFC. Subtracting the EFC full academic year, subject to successful completion of any from COA's cost of attendance determines the student's academic work completed during that time, as well as unmet need. This is where the financial aid department continued confidence in the quality of the student's comes in, putting together a package of aid that may include personal character. assistance such as a COA grant, a federally subsidized 2002-2003 SCHEDULE Stafford Student Loan, and a work study award. COA is also proud to award a small number of merit-based Presidential Fall Term Begins September 11 Scholarships to those students exhibiting exceptional Classes end November 22 academic achievements and citizenship qualities. Winter Term Begins January 6 The FAFSA usually becomes available by December and Classes end March 14 needs to be submitted by February 15 (but no sooner that January 1). The college's Title IV code is 011385. COA's Spring Term Begins March 31 deadline for all financial aid materials is also February 15. Classes end June 6 It is important that families keep this in mind and get their Fall Tour tax information filed as early as possible. Late applicants Open House for Seniors October 14-15, 2002 risk receiving smaller awards. More information about Contact the Office of Admission for details. financial aid is available on our Web site or from the Financial Aid Office. 39 Elizabeth D. Hodder Neva Goodwin Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts Sherry F. Huber Polly W. Guth Falmouth, Maine Corning, New York Susan Storey Lyman Katherine Hazard '76 Charleston, South Carolina Washington, District of Columbia Life Trustee Philip Kunhardt '77 Casey Mallinckrodt Waccabuc, New York New York, New York Carl Little Charlene D. Marshall Mount Desert, Maine New York, New York David E. McGiffert Suzanne Folds McCullagh Washington, District of Columbia Winnetka, Illinois Daniel Morgenstern Daniel Pierce Durango, Colorado Dedham, Massachusetts Phyllis A.T. Moriarty Rochelle J. Pingree '76 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts North Haven, Maine William C. Osborn George Putnam Brookline, Massachusetts Manchester, Massachusetts Ambassador Henry Owen Cathy L. Ramsdell '78 Washington, District of Columbia Portland, Maine George Page John Reeves Equinunk, Pennsylvania PRESIDENT OF Bar Harbor, Maine Keating Pepper COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC John Rivers Mount Desert, Maine Steven K. Katona Wellesley, Massachusetts Hamilton and Roxana Robinson Maurine Rothschild New York, New York COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC New York, New York BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2002-2003 Robert Rothschild Life Trustee John N. Kelly New York, New York Portland, Maine Henry D. Sharpe, Jr. Steven B. Savage '77 Chairman North Kingstown, Rhode Island Trenton, Maine Polly Morgenstern Samuel Shaw Edwin Schlossberg Durango, Colorado Southwest Harbor, Maine New York, New York Vice Chair Clyde E. Shorey, Jr. Henry Schmelzer William V.P. Newlin Washington, District of Columbia Mount Desert, Maine Washington, District of Columbia Donald B. Straus Peter Sellers Vice Chair Mount Desert, Maine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Leslie C. Brewer Life Trustee Theodore A. Sizer Bar Harbor, Maine Ann F. Sullivan Harvard, Massachusetts Treasurer Rye, New York Thomas Stephens Thomas, IV Edward McC. Blair, Sr. John Wilmerding Bowdoinham, Maine Chicago, Illinois Princeton, New Jersey Marc A. Tucker Mabel H. Cabot Washington, District of Columbia Cambridge, Massachusetts COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC Richard J. Warren Kelly Dickson '97 COUNCIL OF ADVISORS Bangor, Maine Bar Harbor, Maine 2002-2003 Alice Eno Maurine Rothschild Carol Wishcamper Scarborough, Maine New York, New York Freeport, Maine Chairman William G. Foulke, Jr. Bedford, New York Polly Morgenstern For a listing of COA's faculty and staff, Durango, Colorado please consult the college catalog. James M. Garnett, Jr. Vice Chair Darien, Connecticut John N. Kelly In its employment and admissions Jill M. Goldthwait Yarmouth, Maine practices College of the Atlantic is in Bar Harbor, Maine Ex Officio conformity with all applicable federal Philip Geyelin and state statutes and regulations. H. Keith Brodie, M.D. Washington, District of Columbia It does not discriminate on the basis Durham, North Carolina of age, race, color, sex, marital status, James M. Gower Barbara Danielson religion, creed, ancestry, national or Bar Harbor, Maine Northeast Harbor, Maine ethnic origin, or physical or mental Life Trustee Shelby M.C. Davis handicap. However, The College is George B. E. Hambleton Jackson, Wyoming a dynamic community and must Mendham, New Jersey reserve the right to make changes in David and Judith Fischer Samuel M. Hamill, Jr. course offerings, degree requirements, Wayland, Massachusetts Princeton, New Jersey regulations, procedures, and charges. College Pier Nature Trails Herb Garden Turrets Beatrix Farrand Gardens Kaelber Hall H Pea Admission Office H Thorndike Gates Library Community Center Blum Gallery Newlin Gardens Maintenance Shop McCormick Lecture Hall I Artist Studio ADD Arts and Sciences Blair/Tyson Student Housing 1111= IIII 1111EMI Community Gardens Ceramic Studio Museum of Natural History ROUTE 3 Main Cottage Entrance N ARTS & SCIENCES GATES COMMUNITY CENTER TURRETS ANNEX Lower Level Taxidermy Lab First Floor Lobby Business Office Biology Lab Meeting Hall Public Affairs Eno Greenhouse Green Room Faculty Offices Computer Services Faculty Offices Student Services Faculty Offices Graduate Students' Office Faculty Offices Ground Geographic McCormick Level Information Systems Lecture Hall KATHRYN W. DAVIS CENTER Graphics Lab Second Balcony FOR INTERNATIONAL AND Darkroom Floor Faculty Offices REGIONAL STUDIES Second Chemistry Lab Blum Gallery First Level International Studies Floor Botany Lab Resource Room (level 3) Faculty Offices KAELBER HALL Classroom Third Floor Art Studios Lower Student Mailboxes Common Room (level 4) (Studios 3 & 4) Level Goodwin Computer Second Island Resource Center Writing Center Room Level Center for Applied Faculty Offices Language/Music Lab Human Ecology First Floor Blair Dining Hall Faculty Offices MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Admission & Financial Aid Third Level Faculty Offices First Floor Admission Desk Second Thorndike Library Gift Shop Floor Seminar Room MAINTENANCE SHOP Exhibits TURRETS Campus Safety Second Offices Great Hall Buildings and Grounds Floor Classroom President's Office Special Projects Development Faculty Secretary STUDENT HOUSING Allied Whale Seafox Registrar Sea Urchins H Handicapped Parking Summer Program Cottage Please call for assistance Administrative Dean Peach House Academic Dean Blair/Tyson Internships, Career and Alumni Services Driving from Boston, take Interstate 95 north to Interstate 395 in Bangor, Route 1A from Bangor to Ellsworth, and Route 3 east from Ellsworth to Bar Harbor. Keep left after crossing the bridge onto Mount Desert Island. This drive usually takes from five to six hours. College of the Atlantic is on the ocean side of Route 3, about 19 miles from the Ellsworth shopping district and one-quarter mile beyond the Nova Scotia Ferry Terminal. Turn left at the COA entrance and park in the provided areas. Regularly scheduled flights are available to Bar Harbor Airport and Bangor International Airport. Bus service is available to Bangor and Ellsworth. CREDITS Editors: Sarah Baker, Heather Candon, Joseph Kiernan, Michael Mahan, Donna McFarland Photographs: Doug Barkey, Paul Davis, Jon Hatch, Richard Hill, Marvin Lewiston, Story Litchfield, James Marshall, Fielder Mattox, John McKeith, Phil Schofield, Randy Ury Design: Mahan Graphics, Bath, Maine Printing: J.S. McCarthy, Augusta, Maine This publication is printed on recycled paper. Chlorine free, acid free manufacturing process. www.coa.edu inquiry@ecology.coa.edu (207) 288-5015 (800) 528-0025 COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC Non Profit Org. 105 EDEN STREET U.S. POSTAGE BAR HARBOR, MAINE 04609 PAID Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Permit #47