COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC Starniwoves - bars- right curren Th Mour Barchan self dina 1986-1987 ECOLOGY HUMAN ECOLOGY WHAT IS IT? From their initial discussions, the founders of COA had committed College of the Atlantic to the study of ecology. Such a focus would draw on the Island's natural resources- the Atlantic Ocean and Acadia Na- tional Park-and would address environmental and ecological concerns. Ed Kaelber, COA's first president, added "human," for "we were par- ticularly emphasizing the human in- volvement in this relationship. This college was going to stress the inter- relation and interdependence of things, living things one to another, people to people, people to other things. I felt that part of the style of people teaching here should be gen- "COA has its roots in the erosity. I guess I meant intellectual humanistic and scientific tradi- generosity as much as anything. In tions of the past which inform the other words, a real sympathy and ef- present and shape the future." fort to try to understand other ideas, a willingness to give of yourself and to take from others." - -Lou Rabineau, president From its founding in 1969 as a school of human ecology, COA had a mission: to equip students with the knowledge, understanding, enthusiasm, and sensitivity to solve complex environmental and social problems from a multiple and humanistic perspective. COA 1986-1987 CONTENTS 2 Introduction 13 COA Student Profiles 15 COA Academic Profiles 21 The Academic Program 23 Resource Areas 24 Interdisciplinary Programs 31 The Campus and The Island 32 Facilities and Resources 35 Admission and Financial Aid 39 The Faculty at COA 51 Course Descriptions 52 Courses: Environmental Science 59 Courses: Arts and Design 63 Courses: Human Studies College of the Atlantic THORNDIKE LIBRARY 109 Eden Street Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 1 AT COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC, STUDENTS PLAN with faculty and peer advisors an individualized course of studies EXAMINE ideas in seminar-style classes LIVE in a tight-knit, self-governed residential community LEARN to respect and appreciate the opposite viewpoint wes - bars-nf - KPS ch d &Sand is ownes - Barcham Little Da andmal dunes - mor Junes - bloos outp 3 COA, STUDENTS SEEK creative solutions to problems DISCOVER and explore the multiple ways humans and the natural environment interact AND JOSHUA'S DELIGHT COMMUNICATE freely and easily with faculty both in and out of the classroom TEST their knowledge in field or applied research riant 5 AT COA, STUDENTS HoweBall WARTES THE WORLD said THE PARTICIPATE in problem-solving sessions and hearings on environmental, political, and social issues INTERN with businesses, government, schools, or research institutions to test learning in the marketplace COMPLETE a senior project-an independent piece of work under the guidance of a faculty member as . EXPLORE landscapes of the mind 7 WHY CHOOSE COA MAINE "I chose COA because when I came to visit the campus I felt welcomed, as if somehow I belonged here. The students in the house where I stayed chatted freely with me, in- vited me to eat with them, to go to class, and in their classes there was a freeness and equality I hadn't seen before. Everyone didn't always agree with one another or with the teacher, but that was ok. Actually the teacher seemed to kind of like it. Students were forced to back their opinions with facts. People here support one another, they look for ways ideas interconnect, they let you become you. You can learn a lot at a place like this about ideas, yourself, the world we live in " - -Eric Roos '87 8 A COA EDUCATION IS SUPPORTIVE, INTEGRATED, SELF-DIRECTED with the necessary intellectual and personal support, they can test the hypothesis and write up the results. My experience is that if you assume students have the capability and they sense that, they grow into the role." Not all students can undertake independent or applied research when they enter COA, but with an 8-1 student-teacher ratio, faculty can nurture a student's desire to learn. Here students receive the knowledge and support they need to pursue their own interests. "It's hard for the conscientious student," says Carl Ketchum, faculty member in mathematics and the physical sciences, "to fail one of my courses. I assign regular problem sets and if they are having difficulty I know it and can reach out to help. We bring students along at COA to a point A COA Education is Supportive where their confidence and com- Whether the class is a lab, studio, petence is high.'' or seminar, two factors make the This development of confidence COA approach distinctive: the fac- and competence is also evident in ulty and students' commitment to the way COA approaches writing. individualized learning and the Many courses require papers, and at freedom to digest information in any stage of the writing process, your own way and at your own you are free to talk over ideas or pace. Here as a team, students and drafts with individual faculty or go faculty investigate assumptions, to the Writing Clinic and work with examine theories, and are engaged a trained peer tutor. In evaluating in a continuing dialogue about his peer tutor, one student com- knowledge, ideas, and how students mented, "Janis Steele '86 helped me best learn. with the process of brainstorming "We all do the readings and in and organizing. She made me com- class discuss the material," says fortable with the fact that I was not Bill Drury, faculty member in the a bad writer but that I did need to biological sciences. "I like to prod work on my writing, especially the my students to find relationships on technical aspects. She was positive their own, to discover what in the and supportive." theoretical is really practical or It is not just its small size and applied. To do that in my field special mission that make COA means a great deal of field research. unique, but the atmosphere of And if students have a well-defined supportiveness-faculty of students problem and if we provide them and students of faculty. 9 Students in Stewart Brecher's Architectural Design course spent winter term helping the local YMCA develop long-range building plans. At the end of the term the Y was presented with actual blueprints of their current facility as well as blueprints for implementing some of the suggested changes. A COA Education is Integrated perspectives and to seek solutions "When I first came to COA," said that reflect an integrated perspec- Katrin Hyman '84, "I took Third tive. Although students are exposed World Literature from Bill Car- to this integration in many of their penter. For the first time I had a courses and particularly in the professor who was acutely conscious Human Ecology Core Course, they of the interconnectedness of the are encouraged to actively pursue it past and the present, of the relation- in independent studies, residency ship between history, art, literature, programs, internships, and senior and philosophy. Professors at my projects. former college had alluded to these In her human ecology essay, a and expected us to be intuitively graduation requirement, Jane Win- aware of the relationships ourselves, chell '82 noted that her internship but Bill showed how essential this in Newfoundland with a group awareness is for the creative doing biological studies on whales process." caught accidentally in inshore This is not a characteristic of just fishing gear proved an important one faculty member; rather all fac- testing ground for her human eco- ulty look for and point out ways logical training at COA. Through their discipline relates to or sup- her contact with fishermen, Jane ports another. They encourage stu- realized that the only difference be- dents to examine issues from many 10 tween herself and these fishermen was heritage and lifestyle: she had not grown up in a culture that was economically dependent on fishing and whaling. By the end of the summer, she realized two measures had to be taken to partially resolve the dilemma of the whales: finding a solution for entrapment that would not jeopardize fishing but would discourage whales from col- liding and initiating informed dis- cussion about subsistance whaling. COA's emphasis on problem solving and its interdisciplinary curriculum give students the background and A COA Education is Self-Directed capability to approach and resolve In a school where questioning ideas problems from a multiple perspec- and seeking out relationships are tive. And such a facility is critical encouraged, faculty believe that in a highly technological society, for each student has the potential to do complex ecological and technical significant work and that part of problems seldom have a simple or their role is to help students be single solution. creative about the direction of their Recently in addressing prospective education. students at a reception in Boston, When you first arrive, we don't Glen Berkowitz '82 (MPA, Harvard expect that you will necessarily '84) described how the fundamental know what specific courses you premises of human ecology influ- should take or what background you ence his work as a special assistant need for some advanced work. Some for finance and capital planning courses have prerequisites and fac- with the Massachusetts Department ulty are there to advise you on the of Transportation. "Human ecology choice of appropriate courses and gets you to look at different areas as sequencing. After you have taken you solve a problem. And I'm the Human Ecology Core Course as amazed at how often I use this well as courses in each of the three perspective. In resolving traffic con- resource areas, you will probably gestion around Boston, for example, begin to define your interests and to I need to be aware of what we can see a developing pattern that will afford, what will entice people to guide your choice of courses. If you give up driving, and what tech- are a student who is coming to nology offers, so I'm combining COA for a specific program, you financial, sociological, and technical along with your advisor will select factors. COA also taught me to be courses that integrate human innovative when I seek solutions, ecology with the specific program. and I was comfortable working with And such decision making does not a group who implemented boat stop with courses. At COA students transportation as one way of reduc- are encouraged to look for ways ing traffic congestion." both to practically apply their 11 Students and faculty watch as a baby sperm whale, stranded in Rockport, Maine and rescued by COA students and others, is hoisted from the water for its trip to the New England Aquarium and rehabilitation. knowledge and to bring another We want students to perceive dimension to the college how practical experience enhances community. education, and we encourage stu- A 1986 graduate, Chiara Dolcino, dents to seek out appropriate assumed responsibility for planning experiences. And at COA the com- and organizing a conference on mitted, responsible student has Career Paths in the Environmental many options-to write and edit and Public Interest Sectors. As a press releases and grants, to edit a follow-up to the conference, Chiara weekly newsletter and annual liter- and COA economist Steve Andersen ary magazine, to peer tutor in edited the proceedings. With writing, math, and word processing, another student, Barbarina Mitchell to write a manual for using a word '87, Chiara researched and prepared processing system, to coordinate a a series of readings for participants Distinguished Visitors Series, to in a conference on Divestment in organize and present an exhibit for South Africa, led by COA trustee an Environmental Conference, to Maureen Rothschild, a member of conduct the COA chorus, to be a the investment committees of the lab assistant in chemistry or Fund for Peace and Radcliffe biology, and to monitor whale College. migrations. 12 COA STUDENT PROFILES Profile of a Freshman: Paul Adler "I haven't really changed my focus since coming to COA as a freshman in 1982. I've just learned to artic- ulate an idea, to be an effective activist, to see beyond the simple cause and effect relationship. And most importantly, I've learned to be adaptive, to temper my idealism and skepticism with realism. COA has been a place for me to expand we can learn to make collective my vision-in the classes I've taken decisions in a supportive environ- and in my personal relationships." ment. The faculty are there, not Courses in history, literature, always to agree with you, but to philosophy, psychology, public support you as you work through policy, writing, music, science, an issue." computers, and education have As an intern with The Project for given Paul the perspective to see the Present Danger (a nonprofit social/political problems in a wider organization in Cambridge whose framework. In courses like Third purpose is to better inform people World Development, Teaching Con- about the way Congressional lobby- troversial Issues, and the Peace ing can influence military and Studies and Mono Lake Workshops, foreign policy), Paul coordinated a he has been able to examine com- phonathon and fundraising cam- plex problems from different points paign, managed the office, and of view and to work as part of a devised and wrote strategies for group in resolving these. educating the public. At COA faculty, staff, and "From this experience, I gained students all share in the decision- an important perspective on peace making process. Students are ex- and social change work and my pected to actively participate on place in that profession. I had the administrative committees whose unique opportunity to watch the decisions are ratified at the bi- tenuous development of a peace weekly All-College Meeting, COA's education organization from an ad version of town meeting. "I'm com- hoc group running day to day on mitted to collective decision mak- initial energy to a more stable ing," notes Paul, "not only because organization with a long-term it produces well thought-out deci- strategy and funding. I learned that sions but because it builds com- it is the people who make an munity. We respect decisions which organization and that there is no we had a part in making. We work substitute for their commitment." and we fail, and we keep working At COA Paul is focusing in public until we come to consensus about policy. Following graduation, he issues. The educational and personal plans to pursue graduate work in value of our governance system lies management consulting for grass- in the process, not the outcome. At roots and environmental COA we are small enough so that organizations. 13 "I chose to do a final project on wood burning and wood gasification to understand the processes and differences in the conditions and products of these energy resources. Profile of a Transfer: notated audio/visual master list, Lauren McKean and wrote and edited materials for "I've encountered apathy and en- energy consumers who may or may thusiasm, structure and freedom not have had technical knowledge. and I'm influenced by the attitudes In evaluating Lauren's performance, around me. I am ready to take con- Brian Kent, an architect and Solar trol and enjoy my education, and I Resource Planner for Maine, noted can work positively toward these that Lauren's best asset was "her ideals at a place where similar at- diversity of interests and abilities." titudes prevail," wrote Lauren This diversity as well as her abil- McKean in her COA admission ity to integrate previous interests application. and job experience was evident in After two years at a small Ivy the design of her senior project. In League school and a year working in her last year of high school at a half-way house and sailing on a Northfield-Mt. Hermon, Lauren research vessel, Lauren transferred completed a required one-term ap- to COA. "Sailing inspired my in- prenticeship with Linden Gardens in terest in wind power," she wrote in Brattleboro, VT. She had also a self-evaluation for Energy Studies, worked summers as a gardener and and as a final project for that while out of school had managed course, Lauren researched theories organic gardens and a passive solar about and possibilities for wind- greenhouse at a facility for recover- generated power. In her second term ing mental health patients. Lauren at COA, she studied qualitative and combined her interest in gardening quantitative descriptions of chem- and greenhouses with her interest in ical reactions; again other interests solar energy to generate her senior and previous course work deter- project: "The Feasibility of Com- mined her selection of her final pro- mercial Solar Greenhouses in ject. "I chose to do a final project Northern New England." on wood burning and wood gasifica- Following graduation from COA, tion to understand the processes and Lauren worked for two years as a differences in conditions and pro- weatherization specialist for the ducts of these energy resources. Cambridge Office of Community This was hard to generate with a Development, as an energy auditor limited background, but with my for Mass Save, and as an office professor's help I was able to use manager for the Urban Solar Energy several course topics like stoich- Association. A research assistant in iometry and thermodynamics to ad- the Department of Landscape Archi- dress and evaluate the problems." tecture and Regional Planning at the As an intern with the State of University of Massachusetts, Lauren Maine's Office of Energy Resources, is training people to use computers Lauren wrote fact sheets, worked on for planning projects. In 1987, she several graphic projects, designed will receive a masters degree in posters and ads, developed an an- regional planning. 14 COA ACADEMIC PROFILES At COA there are as many programs as there are students. These eight students designed individualized programs that allowed them to pur- sue their own interests and to in- tegrate these with human ecology. Law School Student, Franklin-Pierce (transfer credits) Principles of Economics Composition I, II Intermediate French Modern European and World History American Politics Introduction to Graphic Arts I Internship: Law Firm in Ellsworth, French Aural-oral Development ME Conversational French Senior Project: River Defense Western Civilization II Methodology Modern Japan Off-campus Education MA Candidate in Anthropology, U. General Biology I of San Francisco Environmental Geology Year 1 American History Since 1865 Music and Motion United States History: 1945 to Present Bar Harbor History and Architecture Planet Earth Elementary Italian The Celluloid Eye I, II Year 3 Energy Studies Plant Taxonomy Methods of Knowing History of Anthropological Theory Radical Thinking Law and Society in the US: Private Independent Study: Film Property and Public Policy Year 2 Philosophies of Human Nature Gardens and Greenhouses Physics, Metaphysics, and Human Ecology Mysticism Horticultural Science River Development and Conservation Ornithology Independent Study: Aging in Cultural Ecology America Mathematics and Physics I, II Foundations in the Visual Arts Year 4 Independent Study: Speaking Group Study: Choral Works of Bach Spanish International Peace in Theory and Weaving Handskills and the Textile Practice World Roots of the Modern World Anthropological Approaches to Watercolor Painting Documentary Film 15 Year 3 Student Practicum Visual Elements II Park Landscaping Advanced Filmmaking Archaeology Internship: Independent Artisan and Wildlife Management Member of Marketing Cooperative Year 3 Intensive Spanish Language Training in Antigua, Guatemala-transfer Ecology Quantitative Thinking Year 4 Introduction to the Legal Process Ecology The Future Physical Properties of Matter Journalism and Community Affairs Writing Seminar I Environmental Education Independent Study: Diet of Angotere Land Use and Real Estate Law Secoya Indians of Eastern Peru Statistical Reasoning Animal Behavior Year 4 Senior Project: Textile Designs in Batik Public Policy: Philosophy of the Constitution Advanced Ornithology Natural Resource Manager, National Functional Anatomy of Vertebrates Park Service Acid Precipitation Workshop (transfer credits) Independent Study: Photography Botany Senior Project: Kent Island's Field Biology I, II Guillemots: A Narrative Communications II, III, IV Math 13, 23 Director of Public Relations, Game Animals Manomet (MA) Bird Observatory Technical Drawing Year 1 Zoology History and Philosophy of Science Ohio Trees Ecology of Natural Systems Cartography Landmark Cases in Environmental Environmental Problems Law: Introduction to Legal Wilderness Investigation Techniques Process Surveying Crime and Society Geology Cormorant Research Group Nature Interpretation Human Effects on Natural Systems Introduction to Wildlife Economic Anthropology Management Independent Study: Effects of Salt Introduction to Forestry Spray on Coastal Plants Special Problems: Fish Management Soils Cormorant Workshop Economics: Issues and Problems Year 2 Problems of Ecology Maine Coast Culture Speech Diversity of Life Investigations World Political Environment Management/Maintenance of Functional Vertebrate Anatomy Recreation Areas Independent Study: Spanish Appalachian Ohio Modern Architecture and Ornithology Environmental Design 16 In design studios, students work on a variety of projects from graphics arts to designing buildings and playground equipment. Internship: Feeding Behavior and Food Habits of the Boat-billed Heron Year 3 at the University of Michigan Physical Geography: Air, Water, and Land Plant Biology: An Organismic Approach Biology of Mammals Low Energy Living Independent Investigations in Biology: Avian Zoogeography Tropical Habitats and Organisms Animal Behavior and Evolution Year 4 General Genetics Mathematics and Physics I, II Personal Transitions in Fiction Theories of Law and Morality Marine Biology History of Anthropological Theory Structural Design Animal Behavior Energy Studies Independent Study: Humorists and Humorists Writing Year 3 Senior Projects: The Black Fly and Three-Dimensional Design II Humans in Maine Calculus/Physics I, II Public Policy: Congress and the 1984 Watson Fellow, Graduate Presidency Visual Elements II Student in Architecture at MIT Chemistry I (transfer credits) Independent Study: Calculus II General Biology I, II Internship: Staff Member with City Communism and Social Change of Boulder Energy Office and Philosophy and the Arts Boulder Energy Conservation Theater: Technical Practicum Center Principles of Anthropology Principles of Economics I Year 4 at University of Colorado Introduction to Fiction Fundamentals of Computing Introductory Logic Analytical Geometry and Calculus Urban Design Studio Year 2 Introduction to Linear Algebra and Literature and Ecology Differential Equations Morphology and Diversity of Plants Engineering Thermodynamics I Foundations in the Visual Arts Practicum: Appropriate Technology Independent Study: Vegetation Year 4 at COA Analysis in Acadia National Park Senior Project: House Design for a Greenhouse Workshop Low-income, Energy-efficient Three-Dimensional Design I House 17 COA ACADEMIC PROFILES Teacher of Special Needs Children Independent Study: Curriculum (transfer credits) Development, Maine Studies Curriculum Project Photography: Creative and Applied The Wooden Actor Independent Study: Teaching First- Environmental Education Workshop and Fourth-grade Ecology Year 4 Year 1 Algebra and Trigonometry Towards a Philosophy of Ecological Education Introduction to Plant Biology Foundations in the Visual Arts Personality and Social Development Education in History Year 2 Year 4 at University of Maine Introductory Zoology Field Observation Ornithology The Nature of Relationships in Teaching Language Arts in an Fiction Elementary School Humans in Nature Teaching Reading in an Elementary School Ecology: Landforms and Vegetation Senior Project: Education: A Forum Comparative Animal Physiology For Our Knowledge of Nuclear Biology of Mammals Arms and Our Concern for the Chemical Properties of Matter Future Independent Study: Taxidermy Year 3 Ph.D. Candidate in Ethnobotany at Internship: Environmental Teacher NY Botanical Gardens/CUNY and Naturalist at an Audubon Day Year 1 Camp Cell Structure and Function Medieval History Education Seminar I Learning Environments Workshop Mime Theatre Planning Theory Plant Taxonomy True, Plum, and Level II Planet Earth Education Seminar II 18 "At COA I discovered how to learn with my hands as well as my head-something which public high school and a year at a traditional college didn't show me." The Celluloid Eye Evolution Year 2 Radical Thinking Law and the Family Economic Development and Cultural Change in Latin America Ornithology Environmental Economics Mathematics and Physics I, II Writing Seminar I Year 3 Anthropological Approaches to Documentary Film Survey Courses in American History Year 2 Advanced Filmmaking Introduction to Environmental Internship: Centro Amazonica de Studies Antropologia y Aplicacion Practica Writing Seminar I Alternative Energy Year 4 Independent Study: Cetacean Field Ecology Research Foundations in the Visual Arts Nature of Relationships in Fiction Physical Properties of Matter Advanced Animal Physics Animal Behavior Chemical Principles Plant Identification Human Nature Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, Quezaltenango, Year 3 at the Guatemala: Intensive Individual University of Rhode Island Instruction in Spanish Fish Stock/Ecosystem Management Senior Project: Report on Fieldwork Skin and Scuba Diving I, II on Traditional Pharmaceutical Internship: Whale Research Medicine, Diet, and Health of the Technician Angotere Secoya Indians of Internship: Marine Research Northern Peru Specialist Internship: Chief Scientist Status for Freelance Writer and Whale CETAP Researcher Year 4 Year 1 Public Policy: Philosophy of the Nutrition Constitution Frontiers of Physical Theory Calculus/Physics I, II Theories of Human Nature Personality and Social Development Isolation Independent Study: Underwater Marine Biology Photography Elements of Statistical Reasoning Independent Study: Calculus II Animal Physics Senior Project: Report of the Gulf of Computer Modeling in Natural Maine Whale Sighting Network Systems for 1979-1981 19 In addition to understanding the subject matter, writers need space to compose. THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Unlike other colleges, COA grants only one degree-the Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology. "At every stage in a human ecology educa- tion," notes Bill Carpenter, faculty member in literature, "you are en- couraged to talk back: to challenge authority, investigate assumptions, enter into dialogue with expert teachers who are all engaged in questioning accepted knowledge and making innovative connections to other fields. At COA we are creating a new perspective on liberal educa- tion, and you will find that your ideas count." Evaluation and Grades Advising COA's narrative evaluation gives Because of the flexibility students the student two distinct advantages: have in designing individual pro- it most accurately reflects the stu- grams of study, the relationship be- dent's individual performance and tween student and advisor is an im- gives the student the option of tak- portant one. With academic counsel ing a challenging course simply for and personal support, advisors guide credit since a letter grade is students in developing coherent and optional. individualized programs of study Rather than simply assigning a which draw from the three resource letter grade, the instructor writes a areas and interdisciplinary programs. detailed evaluation which charts the Upon entering the college, student's performance throughout students are assigned a team of two the course. Since the student's advisors-one faculty or adminis- measure of achievement will be trative staff member and one stu- what he or she actually gains from dent. At least three times each the course, not only how he or she term, students meet with their performs in relation to other advisors to plan and evaluate their students, COA students frequently studies. At the end of the first take courses which stretch their im- academic year, students choose a aginations and capabilities. permanent advising team, comprised The second part of the evaluation, of one faculty member, one student, written by the student, assesses the and an optional third member of the value of the course in relation to COA community. The advising the student's intellectual develop- team is responsible for approving ment. This self-evaluation also completion of degree requirements helps the student in planning future and for monitoring a student's courses. progress. In addition to a narrative evalua- tion, many students, particularly those considering graduate study, re- quest a letter grade. 21 Changes in a beach after a winter storm allow students in the Landforms and Vegetation course to examine the relation between wave energy and particles. Degree Requirements understanding of basic mathematics 36 COA credits (or the equivalent of and physical, biological, and 120 semester hours or 145 quarter cultural systems, perceptual acuity, hours) including the Human and health and nutrition. Ecology Core Course; 18 of these may be transferred in In order to foster an inter- at least two courses in each of the disciplinary, human ecological three resource areas perspective, academic activities at participation in a problem-focused the college are arranged into three group study resource areas-Environmental serving on a committee or Science, Arts and Design, and volunteering in the community Human Studies-which together a Human Ecology essay relating the represent the collective vision of the student's development as a college and provide a framework for human ecologist and demon- academic planning. strating writing competency The lack of departments not only a three-credit internship of at least encourages strong interaction among one term in a job related to the closely related disciplines but also student's academic interest or enables faculty to easily cross occupational goals resource area lines. Creativity, a a three-credit senior project-this is course that explores the creative a major piece of independent process of scientists and artists, work reflecting the student's would traditionally be taught by a primary field of concentration humanities professor. At COA it is team taught by a scientist and a In addition to the above re- poet; this blending of perspectives quirements, students are encouraged helps students to perceive parallels to take courses and initiate projects in the evolution and development of which will allow them to demon- science and the creative process of strate competence in verbal and artists and writers. nonverbal expression, manual skills, 22 RESOURCE AREAS Environmental Science The environmental science cur- riculum brings together the bio- logical and the physical sciences in exploration of the earth's systems by using the scientific method for identification and investigation, tracing ecological and evolutionary patterns, studying natural com- munities as ecological systems, and understanding the interactions of people and natural systems. The college's setting, bordering the Gulf of Maine and Acadia Na- tional park, provides rich outdoor laboratories for field research. In ad- dition to laboratories, our facilities include two research vessels, two greenhouses, and a computer system. Students preparing for graduate school or work in plant and animal ecology, physiology, and most fields perrialba of the applied environmental sciences receive both a broad-based knowledge of ecological principles find the capacity not only to in- and preprofessional training in their fluence their environment in a chosen areas of concentration. useful and creative manner but also Students interested in health to understand the processes and sciences or specialized areas of complexities involved in the de- chemical and physical science sup- velopment of that environment. At plement their studies at the college COA the design faculty stresses that with additional course work else- the goal of the built environment is where. Our cross-registration ar- the well-being of its inhabitants, for rangement with the University of design does not exist in a value-free Maine and our academic relations context. Rather we view design as with The Jackson Laboratory and the bridge between the built and The Mount Desert Island Biological cultural environment. In courses Laboratory enable students to ranging from 2D design to art strengthen their skills in areas not history, students develop the man- offered at COA. ual and critical skills as well as the ability to evaluate different ap- Arts and Design proaches to problem-solving. The Art, architecture, building, and dual approach of arts and design in- planning are integrative, problem- tegrates design methodology into solving activities in which students the liberal arts. 23 THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Human Studies Marine Studies By synthesizing the humanities Marine studies brings a human with the social sciences, the human ecological focus to one of COA's studies resource area provides major resources, the Atlantic Ocean, students with a wide and diversified and gives students the background perspective on human nature which to study the marine environment helps to break down the artificial from multiple perspectives. distinction inherent in specialized Oceanography, one aspect of branches of knowledge. Through marine studies, has its roots in team-taught human studies courses, biology, chemistry, physics, and students focus on aspects of the mathematics. The complexity of contemporary human condition and oceanographic problems and the per- are challenged to blend ecological vasive political, social, and concerns with classical humanistic economic importance of oceans in studies. Courses in philosophy, recent years have extended these history, literature, and art relate the roots into the areas of engineering, past to the present. With the hu- public policy, law, economics, and manist's consciousness of one's resource management. place in time, students examine Marine biology, another aspect of issues in political science, marine studies, examines the economics, psychology, and an- biology and ecology of the plants thropology. This combination of and animals of the sea and requires knowledge and perspective equips a working knowledge of biology, the human ecologist to address in- chemistry, and physics, plus some dividual and cultural problems. aspects of mathematics, statistics, and computers. INTERDISCIPLINARY At COA experience in the field or PROGRAMS in a laboratory is an important part Because of repeated student interest, of the marine studies program. Here certain interdisciplinary themes students have the opportunity to have emerged-marine studies, assist staff on continuing research public policy, education, fine arts, projects. Qualified students may environmental design, environmen- work with the COA Natural History tal writing, consciousness and Museum and its Outreach Pro- culture, and environmental and grams, Mount Desert Rock Whale biological science. In response to and Seabird Observation Station, the this, the college developed inter- Atlantic Humpback Whale Fluke disciplinary programs which rein- Catalogue, the Finback Whale force and complement one another. Catalogue, or the Gulf of Maine These, however, are not the only Whalesighting Network. themes. Some students choose not Graduates have pursued further to follow a program. Rather they study or careers in coastal resource prefer to be generalists in human management, marine mammal re- ecology; and at COA that is possi- search, fishery science, museum ble, for one student's set of courses curation, education, oceanography, is seldom the same as another's. and boat building. 24 "Although our library is small and we are looking forward to the construction of the new library, the smallness is minimized by the help of the library staff and the extensive interlibrary loan facilities." Public Policy and Social Change Through study combining social science, humanities, ecology, and communications, students develop the analytical and political skills needed to address contemporary en- vironmental and social problems from a human ecological perspec- tive. This perspective fosters sen- sitivity to individual, cultural, and political values, an understanding of the interdependence of ecological and social systems, and an apprecia- tion of the appropriate use of tech- nology. Problem-solving workshops, policy study seminars, internships, and senior projects put classroom theory into practical use. Students also develop change-oriented skills educational theory and practice. so that they may improve the organ- COA's excellent working partner- izations in which they work and the ship with the local public schools- communities in which they live. one of the strengths of the pro- Graduates from this area have gram-enables students to practice gone on for advanced degrees in what they learn. policy, law, and planning while With support from the US Depart- others work with environmental ment of Education's Fund for Im- organizations and government provement of Postsecondary Educa- agencies. tion and in cooperation with local schools, COA is developing an in- Education novative program for teacher cer- The aims of human ecological tification. New Maine guidelines for education are to define, understand, certification stress the need for a and express the problems that must broad-based, interdisciplinary liberal be solved in order to secure a education-a premise implicit in livable and enjoyable future. This COA's philosophy. The State Board program prepares students to put of Education site visiting team re- human ecology into action through affirmed the importance of this teaching. In science and environ- philosophy: "As a Board and as mental education, alternative educa- policy makers, we have often talked tion, arts education, and social about excellence At College of the studies education, COA graduates Atlantic we experienced excellence teach elementary and secondary in education." school students to examine the con- Approximately fifteen percent of sequences of human action within COA's graduates are engaged in the natural world. Through courses, graduate studies or are employed in practica, independent studies, and a the field as naturalists, environ- range of teaching experiences, COA mental educators, and classroom students gain an understanding of teachers. 25 "I had no previous experience in sculpture, but with Melita's help I developed a sense of form and proportion." Fine Arts This goal is achieved by developing A new program in 1986, Fine Arts is aesthetic values and an understand- concerned with the relationship be- ing of ecological, economic, and tween design and culture. This pro- energy constraints. Designers are gram has two goals: to encourage problem solvers who must work students in drawing and painting to under limitations. Within bounds develop their own visual expression imposed by materials, aesthetics, or and to use art as an expression of resources, the design student must social criticism-a function of art develop solutions to problems. until the postwar period. In addition COA is not a professional design to studying visual arts-drawing, school, but instead promotes a painting, and ceramics-students multidisciplinary approach to design develop visual acuity and critical and construction as part of a general analysis. This emphasis combined education in human ecology. The with studies in art history, course offerings in Environmental town/country planning, ecology, Design provide training for a stu- and landscape design allows the dent planning advanced work at a human ecologist to question and professional graduate school of ar- make perceptive statements about chitecture, environmental design, the juxtaposition of the natural landscape architecture, planning, or world and the built environment. urban design. Environmental Design Writers in Their Environment The goal of most students pursuing Despite the predictions that the a concentration in environmental printed word would become ob- design is to promote environmental solete, writing has remained our harmony, energy efficiency, and primary means of communication beauty in the built environment. and persuasion. Through this pro- 26 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS gram, students pursue a variety of team taught while others share writing courses: exposition, argu- common vocabulary and metho- ment and persuasion, creative dology. writing, autobiography, environmen- tal journalism, and technical Environmental and Biological writing. But effective writers need Science more than the ability to craft a Encompassing the study of plants, piece. They need an understanding animals, and habitats as well as of their subject matter. COA's inter- coastal ecology and marine science, disciplinary curriculum helps pro- the environmental and biological spective writers develop the broad- sciences provide another window based knowledge to perceive and ar- through which human behavior can ticulate ecological and environmen- be better understood. Many of our tal relationships. By designing their best students are natural historians, own programs, students acquire men and women whose interest in knowledge and understanding that plants or animal behavior was allow them to communicate infor- kindled early in life through direct mation clearly and concisely to lay and satisfying experiences with and professional audiences. nature. Students have pursued graduate We encourage students to observe study in fields as diverse as theology nature directly in order that they and creative writing and have may perceive structures and pro- followed careers in journalism, cesses, record them accurately, and public relations, freelance writing apply their imagination in inter- and editing, teaching, and public preting these observations. Not only administration. does our field-oriented approach to the biological sciences appeal to Consciousness and Culture such creative individuals, but our Social progress must be rooted in an location also offers phenomenal op- understanding of its historical and portunities. The coast and islands philosophical context. Drawing on are a natural laboratory. faculty from literature, psychology, But the biological and en- philosophy, and anthropology, Con- vironmental science program at sciousness and Culture, a new pro- COA has still another distinctive gram in 1986, locates the human in- characteristic. Students are en- dividual in the history, develop- couraged to maintain their interest ment, and future of our society. By in learning and to improve their examining classic and contemporary ability to make reasonable choices sources, students reflect on ways and decisions on their own human ecology is manifested in the throughout their lives. Often this is world. This self-reflection leads to done by employing students as responsible and creative human associates in field research. They action-the goal of a human define the problem they will address ecological education. and assume responsibility for resolv- Consciousness and culture are ing it. The results of their studies, shared ways of knowing and lend some funded by agencies like the themselves to a multidisciplinary National Park Service and US Fish approach. Some of the courses are and Wildlife Service, affect the 27 Through extensive reading and research, students gain an understanding not only of the orientation and methodology of the particular resource area but also how these coalesce to provide students with an integrative and cross-disciplinary outlook. policy making process in manage- dynamic picture of the greater com- ment of public lands. munity in which human action In addition to continuing their takes place. studies, graduates of this program, By taking general and foundation which puts equal emphasis on the courses in each of the resource theoretical and practical aspects of areas, students gain an understand- natural history, work as resource ing not only of the orientation and management specialists, environ- methodology of the particular mental educators, and science resource area but also how these journalists. coalesce to provide students with an integrative and cross-disciplinary Undecided? outlook. For some students this Many students come to COA-or background points them toward a any college for that matter- particular program. undecided about the direction they Others, however, remain want to go in. They like a wide generalists throughout their four variety of courses ranging from years here. These students, who math to literature and want to sam- take more than the minimal course ple all of these areas and perhaps requirement in each of the three ones they haven't yet thought resource areas and assimilate the about. perspectives of many of the pro- We think COA's interdisciplinary grams, have gone on to careers and approach and emphasis on problem graduate study in such areas as solving make this a particularly theater, writing, law, small business good place to gain a liberal educa- administration, social work, com- tion. For a human ecology educa- puter science, curriculum develop- tion broadens the relevant context ment, and education. of liberal education by presenting a 28 THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM Individualized and Applied Learning At College of the Atlantic, we believe that a variety of learning op- tions is as important as the variety of courses offered. Acknowledging that students learn in many dif- ferent ways, we award equal credit for theoretical and practical learning. Courses Small, informal courses are the foundation of COA's curriculum. With a student-faculty ratio of 8-1, individualized attention and a seminar format are the classroom norm. Tutorials Faculty-initiated studies for one to five students, tutorials cover specialized material not available within the regular curriculum. They differ from independent and group studies in that faculty members, not students, are responsible for design and implementation. Group Studies Practica Student-initiated, one-term proj- On-going, intensive study projects ects, group studies provide students in outreach education and museum with the opportunity to pursue a preparation, practica aid students in specific problem or issue and aid developing practical and applied students in learning how to work skills. cooperatively and effectively in a team effort. With a faculty sponsor, Internships students develop educational goals, A graduation requirement, intern- establish a timetable for achieving ships are work experiences which objectives, and determine criteria allow students to apply knowledge, for evaluation. develop skills, and clarify career goals. Independent Studies Whenever students' needs cannot Senior Project be met through courses or tutorials A major piece of independent students may initiate independent work, the senior project is the studies which are carried out under culmination of a student's program the supervision of faculty sponsors. at COA. 29 "My main goal in Ornithology was to refine my observation skills through field recognition of birds and their songs." Practical Experience Mt. Desert Island Schools At COA our students intern or do The Smithsonian field work in a number of areas and Society for Human Ecology a number of challenging places. National Journal Christian Science Monitor The Peregrine Fund Hubbs Marine World Institute Acadia National Park Allied Whale National Film Board of Canada Friends of the Earth Critical Areas Program (ME) Royal Botanical Gardens Solar Energy Research Institute Consumer Energy Council of Wilderness Society America Board of Jewish Education The Land Trust Exchange Professional Designs Cornerstones Whale Research Group National Institute of Occupational (Newfoundland) Safety and Health Audubon Day Camp COA Admission Trinity Square Repertory Theater Bureau of Land Management Emery Brothers, Boatbuilders Congressional Research Service, Washington Zoo Library of Congress The Present Danger The Jackson Laboratory Manomet Bird Observatory New Alchemy Institute Marine Resources (ME) Walker and Ross Law Firm Boston Ballet The Chewonki Foundation American School for the Deaf Greenpeace, New England Family Service League Hulbert Outdoor Education Center US Fish and Wildlife Service Maine Times Allegheny Repertory Theater Perce National Forest (MT) Baobab Farm, Kenya 30 THE CAMPUS AND THE ISLAND College of the Atlantic's campus oc- ventories of islands in the Gulf cupies 25 shorefront acres overlook- of Maine. ing Frenchman Bay on Mount Many COA students have found Desert Island, Maine. It is located their studies in Bar Harbor enriched within walking distance of the town by volunteer work within the local of Bar Harbor and Acadia National community. They have led outdoor Park. education programs, organized Connected to the mainland by a children's dramatic classes, founded permanent causeway, Mount Desert a preschool play group, volunteered Island lies 300 miles north (or at homes for the elderly, sponsored "downeast") of Boston and 45 miles the Red Cross Blood Mobile, and east of Bangor. worked with OPTIONS, a com- Acadia National Park offers a munity teaching program. Students wide range of recreational activities. and staff also help coach and teach Mountain trails and carriage paths gymnastics, softball, soccer, and crisscross its 150 square miles while swimming. In return, MDI com- lakes and streams provide excellent munity members have worked with swimming, fishing, and canoeing. students on projects, provided job In addition to the park's recrea- opportunities, and shared their tional facilities, the college and the knowledge of Maine coastal living. park have an agreement which COA students also benefit from enables faculty and students to con- two other island facilities-The duct research within the park and to Jackson Laboratory and The Mount study problems unique to Acadia. Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Because of past glacial action, the The world's largest center for mam- park contains both arctic and malian genetics research, The temperate zone plants. Research Jackson Laboratory provides projects include native wild plant students with research opportunities studies, moss and lichen identifi- and access to seminars and library cation, land and sea bird ecology, facilities. Founded in 1898, The beaver dam management, intertidal Mount Desert Island Biological organism distribution, pollination Laboratory examines biological and ecology, and vegetative species in- environmental problems. 31 "At COA we're small, but our smallness allows us to make connections-with faculty and other students. We share resources, tutor one another, support each others' projects, and most importantly this sharing and support let us grow intellectually and personally." Art Studios Painting Ceramics Photography Sculpture Weaving Career Planning Internships Career Counseling Graduate School Information Computer Facilities 3 IBM PC's 1 IBM XT 20 PC's (administrative/faculty) Pascal, Basic, Fortran, Assembly Software: Word Perfect, Turbo Pascal, Lotus 1-2-3, Autocad, Statgraphics, COAstat, dBase II and III, Logo, F-zero, and other COA-developed programs Film and Audio Visual Portable equipment Slide library on art and architecture Films Weekly film series Canadian Film Board's Series on FACILITIES AND Women RESOURCES Gallery Housing Student and faculty exhibitions The college's five on-campus houses serve 30 percent of the students. Music Three are former shorefront summer COA Chorale estates refurbished for college use. Graduate Program Each has its own cooking and din- Science education (summer) ing facilities and students plan and prepare meals. Entering students Library have priority for this housing. Open stacks Because of the departure of summer 17,000 + volumes Reference works residents, off-season housing in the town of Bar Harbor is available for Language tapes returning students. Students have OCLC-inter-library loan found the experience of sharing Areas of specialization: evolution, responsibility for housing an impor- natural history, and gardening tant part of their educational ex- Publications perience and a valuable preparation Weekly newspaper for post-graduate life. Literary magazine 32 Recreational Facilities Environmental Education Program Biking The Jackson Laboratory Canoeing The Mount Desert Island Biological Cross-country skiing Laboratory Hiking The Mount Desert Island Public Rock climbing Schools Scuba diving University of Maine at Orono Snow shoeing Aerobics Speakers' Series and Conferences Basketball Water Resources and Quality (1985) Career Paths in the Environmental Swimming and Public Interest Sectors: A Volley ball Symposium (1985) Science Center Divestment in South Africa (1986) Allied Whale Research Group International Congress on Human Biology, botany, physics, chemistry, Ecology (1986) and taxidermy laboratories Physicians in the Public Interest 2 Greenhouses (1986) Herbarium Ecology and Religion (1987) Natural History Museum Speakers: Allan Smith (1986) One-half acre organic garden Maxine Green (1986) Shared Resources Robert Trivers (1986) Acadia National Park Leonard Silk (1986) The Chewonki Foundation's Roger Payne (1986) 33 Designed as a summer "cottage" in 1893 by Bruce Price for John Emery of New York, The Turrets, restored in 1977, is on the National Register of Historic Places. ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL AID The Admission Application Admission to the college is a per- sonal and highly individualized pro- cess. If you need help, you may reach us by phone five days a week during normal business hours at (207) 288-5015, or write to us: The Admission Office College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME 04609 This same personalism character- izes the way we review applica- tions. In arriving at a decision, the admission committee looks for evidence of the following: -an enthusiasm for learning -academic preparation -desire to be part of a small col- lege with a human ecology focus -a tendency to seek out intellec- tual and personal challenges. Your application for admission is ready for a decision when the ad- mission office has received all of the following: 1) a completed applica- Please call the admission office two tion form including answers to all weeks in advance to schedule your short questions, 2) an application visit. Parents or friends are invited essay, 3) at least two recommenda- to join you; however, we cannot tions (see application for details), 4) house them on campus. transcripts of all academic work, and 5) a personal interview- Recommended Deadlines and Ad- although not required we highly mission Notification recommend it for all candidates. Under no circumstances will an ap- Standardized test scores (SAT or plication be turned down simply ACT) are optional. because it arrives after a recom- mended deadline. However, you are The Campus Visit encouraged to apply by April 1 if You should visit the college when you wish to be considered for Fall classes are in session (see academic admission. This is especially true if calendar below). You're invited to you are applying for financial aid. tour the campus, spend up to two You should apply by December 1 nights on campus, attend as many and February 15 for Winter and classes as possible, meet with the Spring terms, respectively. financial aid office, talk informally COA uses a rolling admissions with faculty and students, and tour process. A decision is usually made Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Island. within one month of receiving a 35 completed applications admitted contacting the registrar. students wishing to accept an offer Students who wish to spend one of admission and reserve a place for or more terms at COA and transfer themselves in the class should pay a college credit to another institution $100 nonrefundable tuition deposit should apply as Visiting Students. by May 1. Those admitted after The appropriate application form May 1 or for Winter or Spring terms may be obtained by contacting the are required to pay a deposit within admission office. 30 days if they wish to accept an of- fer of admission. How to Get Here By Car: Driving from Boston, take Transfer or Visiting Students Interstate 95 North to Bangor, College of the Atlantic welcomes Route 1A North from Bangor to applications from transfer students. Ellsworth and Route 3 East from Between 40 and 50 percent of all Ellsworth to Bar Harbor. College of new students annually are transfer the Atlantic is on the left side of or visiting students. Route 3 (traveling east) about 19 A student can transfer a max- miles from the Ellsworth shopping imum of 18 credits to COA (the district and one-quarter mile beyond equivalent of 60 semester hours or the Canadian National Marine Ferry 72 quarter hours). Although an Terminal. For a more scenic route, evaluation of credit is not final until take Interstate 95 to Brunswick and after enrollment, students may coastal Route 1 to Ellsworth, and so receive preliminary evaluations by forth. 36 By Plane: Call Eastern Express (800) Test of English as a Foreign 343-3210 (if dialing from 617 area Language (TOEFL) and a Declara- code, (800) 732-3770). Regularly tion of Finances Form. scheduled flights are available from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia Adult Students as well as Burlington, VT, Man- Older students of nontraditional col- chester, NH, Worcester, MA, Hart- lege age wishing to take courses or ford, CT, Albany, NY, and Portland, pursue a degree are invited to in- ME. Delta and United provide quire and become better acquainted regular service to Bangor, ME. with the college. Adult students are encouraged to contact the admission Advanced Placement office early in the admission process College credit may be given for to arrange a personal interview. superior performance in the CEEB advanced placement examinations Financial Aid or the College Level Examination Although COA recognizes that the Program. Scores should be sent family is primarily responsible for a directly from the testing source. student's education, it awards finan- cial aid based on the level of finan- Deferred Admission cial need when students and their The college will grant deferred ad- parents are unable to meet educa- mission to candidates who are ac- tional costs. Approximately 60 per- cepted and pay a tuition deposit; cent of the college's students matriculation will be postponed un- receive financial aid. Financial need til the following year, subject to the is determined by subtracting the review of any college study com- total student and/or parental finan- pleted during that time. cial contribution from the college's costs. This need analysis is con- Early Admission ducted by the College Scholarship Extremely capable students may be Service (CSS), Princeton, NJ, who ready for college before they have provides the results of the need completed the normal four-year analysis to COA. secondary school program. The ad- The Financial Aid Form (FAF) is mission office welcomes inquiries the only application required by from those who feel they are COA to determine eligibility for scholastically prepared and suffi- assistance. The FAF can be obtained ciently mature to undertake college in December from secondary school work. guidance offices or college financial aid offices. Applicants for financial International Students aid should submit completed forms COA welcomes applications from as early as possible, preferably by international students. Application February 15. deadlines for international students Complete information concerning are the same as those for freshmen the college's financial aid program or transfer students. Application re- is contained in a financial aid quirements are identical, except brochure available from the COA that international students are also admission or financial aid offices. required to submit scores from the 37 Students Receiving Aid in 1986-87 at COA Average College Family Income Receiving Aid Total Aid Gift Aid $ -$19,999 29 $8,463 $2,667 $20,000-$29,999 14 $7,698 $2,462 $30,000-$39,999 11 $6,986 $2,086 $40,000-Over 9 $3,100 $ 500 Median Income of family receiving Academic Calendar financial aid: $22,714. Outdoor Orientation Program- Average aid package, all sources September 1-6 (gift, loan, and work): $7,269. Fall Term-September 8-November Percentage of student body receiving 21 financial aid: 60%. Winter Term-December 29-March 6 Fees and Expenses 1986-87 Spring Term-March 23-May 29 Tuition $7200 Graduation-May 30 Student Activities Fee $ 75 Elderhostel-June 16-July 4 Campus Rooms $1650 Field Studies by the Sea-July Estimated Board $1000 13-August 22 Miscellaneous Costs $1025 Total $10,950 38 THE FACULTY AT COA Janet Andersen (right) B.A. Botany, University of Califor- nia at Berkeley, 1970; M.S. Plant Pathology, University of California at Berkeley, 1973; Ph.D. Plant Science, University of Maine at Orono, 1981. Course areas: botany and organic horticulture. On leave in 1986-87 with the En- vironmental Protection Agency, Janet's research includes urban forestry, acid precipitation, and maintaining wild plants in native habitats. Elmer Beal (left) B.A. Music, Bowdoin College, 1965; M.A. Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 1977. Course areas: ethonology, an- thropological theory, and traditional music. Elmer's teaching focuses on how cultural and environmental relation- ships affect individuals. Formerly a member of the Peace Corps in Bolivia and Executive Director of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Elmer is known locally for his song- writing. Richard Borden (right) B.A. Psychology and Anthropology, University of Texas, 1968; Ph.D. Psychology, Kent State University, 1972. Course areas: environmental psychology, personality and social development, contemporary psy- chology, and philosophy of human ecology. President-elect of the Society for Human Ecology, Rich conducts research in the development of ecological thinking and con- sciousness. In Fall, 1986, he will host an international conference on human ecology. 39 "As a student at COA, I interacted with a special group of people-the faculty-people who have extraordinary breadth of knowledge, are willing to collaborate on research, and are committed to their students." John Buell (left) B.A. American Studies, Amherst, 1967; M.A. American History, Columbia, 1968; Ph.D. Political Science, University of Massachusetts, 1974. Course areas: political theory, political economy, and history of ethics. John brings his experience as an associate editor of The Progressive to his classes at COA, for many of the themes are similar and his work in one area reinforces that in the other. Stewart Brecher (right) B.S. Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design, 1964; Ph.D. can- didate, Center for Policy Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo. Course area: environmental design. Cognizant of the reciprocal rela- tionship between design and humans, Stewart and his students have worked on projects ranging from playgrounds to housing for the elderly. 40 JoAnne Carpenter (right) B.A. History, University of Massachusetts, 1962; M.A. Art and Architectural History, University of Minnesota, 1970. Course areas: art, architectural history, and Maine coast history and architecture. Through the teaching of art criticism, theory, and history, JoAnne emphasizes the balance be- tween natural elements and built structures in the environment. William Carpenter (left) B.A. English, Dartmouth College, 1962; Ph.D. English, University of Minnesota, 1967. Course areas: literature, creative writing, comparative mythology, and Maine coast history and architecture. In his courses and writings, Bill is concerned with the relation of literature to nature and the history of consciousness. A faculty member at the Robert Frost Place, Bill recently received a National Endow- ment for the Arts grant as well as several national awards for poetry. Donald Cass (right) B.A. Chemistry, Carleton College, 1973; Ph.D. Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, 1977. Course areas: chemistry, physics, and mathematics. In his classes, Don promotes an understanding of the values and limits of qualitative and quan- titative descriptions and explains how materials act and react. Don's research includes acid precipitation and water quality. 41 "What strikes me most about faculty interaction is the collegiality-we're not afraid to venture into another's area or to seek another's perspective." III THE FACULTY AT COA Peter Corcoran (right) B.A. Antioch College, 1972; M.Ed. University of Maine at Orono, 1980; Ed.D. Science and Environmental Education, University of Maine at Orono, 1986. Course area: ecological education. With his background in nature study and environmental and science education, Peter has worked as an interpretive naturalist, teacher, principal, and program ad- ministrator, and is on the boards of several environmental organizations. William Drury (left) B.A. Biology, Harvard University, 1942; Ph.D. Botany and Geology, Harvard University, 1952. Course areas: ecology, botany, or- nithology, natural history, and geomorphology. With research interests ranging from studies of Alaskan ecosystems, including the study of shore and marine birds, to inventorying plant communities on coastal Maine islands, Bill provides field ex- perience for many COA students. He will be on leave for the 1986-87 academic year. Marcia Dworak (right) B.A. History, M.S. Library Science, California State University, Fuller- ton, 1972, 1973; M.A. Administra- tion, Sangamon (IL) State Univer- sity, 1979. Course areas: children's literature, government, and legal research. In addition to being librarian, Marcia works with students on developing study skills, time management, and library research and frequently sponsors independent studies and senior projects. 43 "Because we advocate many of the same concepts and share not only knowledge but a common focus and methodology, we work well together on many levels.' Craig Greene (left) B.S. Biology, State University of New York at Syracuse, 1971; M.Sc. Plant Taxonomy, University of Alberta, 1974; Ph.D. Biology, Har- vard University, 1980. Course areas: botany, evolution, and plant ecology. Craig's research in plant migra- tion and distribution, reproductive biology, and chromosomal evolution of plants combined with his exten- sive fieldwork provides a base for students who, in field-botany courses, examine the plant life of the region. Harris Hyman (right) B.S. Engineering, Massachusetts In- stitute of Technology, 1957; F.K. University of Stockholm, 1961. Course areas: mathematics, com- puters, energy studies, and struc- tural design. Harris believes in a "hands-on" style of teaching and his students have designed a number of solar- heated buildings, including two residences on Mount Desert Island. Harris also writes for The New England Builder and develops com- puter systems. Steven Katona (left) B.A., Ph.D. Biology, Harvard University, 1965, 1971. Course areas: ecology, zoology, and marine biology. Steve is involved in a number of marine research projects, including the Mount Desert Rock Whale Watch and the Gulf of Maine Whale-Sighting Network. He also leads whale-watching trips in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 44 THE FACULTY AT COA Carl Ketchum (right) B.S. Mathematics and Physics, Bates College, 1962; M.S. Ocean- ography, New York University, 1967; Ph.D. Oceanography, Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, 1968. Course areas: physics, computers, mathematics, and oceanography. By incorporating group process and problem solving skills into his courses, Carl helps students over- come their math anxieties and ap- preciate basic mathematics. Carl's courses in oceanography reflect his research on the physical processes of the coastal zone. Anne Kozak (left) A.B. Salve Regina College, 1959; M.A. St. Louis University, 1962. Course area: writing. A free-lance editor and writer, Anne coordinates the human ecology essays and writing clinic and is faculty advisor for the peer tutoring program in writing. Susan Lerner (right) B.A. English, University of Cincin- nati, 1969; California Institute of the Arts, 1971. Course areas: literature and women's studies. In addition to dancing and paint- ing, Susan teaches courses in women's history and contemporary literature which examines the changing role of women and the ways in which men and women interact. 45 "With our interdisciplinary approach and willingness to examine issues from many perspectives, we bring a collective vision to the academic program. Donald Meiklejohn (left) A.B. University of Wisconsin, 1930; Ph.D. Philosophy, Harvard Univers- ity, 1936. Course area: public policy. Professor emeritus and former director of the undergraduate pro- gram of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Don has published articles on the First Amendment, education, and political theory. Ernest McMullen (right) Art, University of Maryland, Portland Museum School, Portland State University, Oregon, 1965-1970. Course areas: ceramics and visual studies. Designer of three solar- and wood- heated houses on Mount Desert Island, Ernie is interested in com- bining art and technology to create a more energy-efficient and beautiful environment. John Visvader (left) B.A. Philosophy, CUNY, 1960; Ph.D. Philosophy, University of Minnesota, 1966. Course areas: philosophy, philosophy of science, and history of ideas. John's courses in philosophy in- tegrate his interests in Chinese philosophy, eastern religions, western civilization, and natural history. 46 ADJUNCT FACULTY addition to exhibiting weavings and Melita Brecher, B.A. University of baskets throughout New England, Industrial Arts (Helsinki), 1973; Joli teaches at COA and Haystack. M.A., SUNY at Buffalo, 1982. Melita has exhibited sculptures and Daniel Kane, Jr., B.A. Physics and drawings internationally. Philosophy, Yale, 1962; J.D. Har- vard University, 1966. A patent Norah Deakin Davis, A.B., M.A. lawyer in Bar Harbor and a COA Philosophy, Washington University, founding faculty member, Dan 1965. Currently an editor for teaches courses in physics, Downeast Magazine, Nora has writ- philosophy, and invention. ten about solar homes and the cultural and natural ecology of the Robert Meltz Mississippi. B.A. Physical Anthropology, Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, 1966; M.A. Stephanie Fisher, B.A. Philosophy, Psychology, University of Penn- Colorado College, 1972; M.A. sylvania, 1967; J.D. Georgetown Philosophy, University of California University, 1975. With ten years of at Berkeley, 1978. At COA, experience as an attorney in the Stephanie regularly teaches courses environmental division of the Con- in writing. gressional Research Service, Rob helps students to understand the Joli Greene, SUB Arts and Crafts intricacies of environmental legisla- Center, University of Alberta, tion with particular emphasis on 1971-1974; Mannings School of the Clean Air Act and Superfund. Handweaving, 1977; Haystack Mt. School of Arts and Crafts, 1982. In 47 Getting to know the faculty is more than getting to know the teachers. It is getting to know people who are likely to become good friends. William Booth, B.S. University of Maine; B.D. Hartford Theological Seminary; graduate study at Cam- bridge University and Yale Divinity School. Rev. Booth has taught and been a minister in Maine and South Africa. Stanley Grierson, Coursework at Columbia University, New York University, School of Modern Photography. Before "retiring" to Mount Desert Island, Stan, a key person in the success of COA's Natural History Museum, worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Joan Sanchez, Moore College of Art, 1967-1970 and Parsons School of Warren Hill, B.A. Gorham State Design, 1970-1971. Joan College; Ed.M. Boston University; choreographs, performs, and teaches Ed.D. Columbia University. modern dance and creative move- Honorary degrees from the Universi- ment at COA as well as at other ty of Maine, University of Southern schools and in dance companies Maine, Bowdoin College, and throughout eastern New England. Franklin Pierce College. Dr. Hill has held various positions in Clinton Trowbridge, B.A. English, education. Princeton, 1950; Ph.D. English, University of Florida, 1956. The Walter Litten, B.S. Institute of Op- author of three books and numerous tics, University of Rochester. Walter scholarly and popular articles, Clint worked for over thirty years in in- teaches environmental journalism at dustry and advertising before mov- COA. ing to Maine, where he concentrates on his research in mycology. FACULTY ASSOCIATES COA has formally recognized these Sentiel "Butch" Rommel distinguished individuals as faculty B.S. Physics, U.S. Naval Academy, associates who are invited to teach M.S. Electrical Engineering, courses at any time. University of Maine at Orono, Ph.D. University of Maine at Stephen Anderson Orono. Although primarily a B.S., Ph.D. Agricultural and Natural teacher of anatomy and animal Resource Economics, University of physiology, Butch encourages and California at Berkeley. In addition sponsors research projects in any to teaching, Steve, a former research area of zoology. economist for the Sierra Club, is currently an economic specialist with E.P.A. 48 FACULTY ASSOCIATES Elizabeth S. Russell, B.A. University of Art and acquisitions librarian at of Michigan; M.A. Columbia; Ph.D. American University, Priscilla has University of Chicago. Senior Staff contributed many hours at COA's Scientist Emeritus at The Jackson Thorndike Library. Laboratory, Tibby, an eminent geneticist, is a member of the Na- Marion Stocking, A.B. Mount tional Academy of Sciences, Holyoke College; Ph.D. Duke American Academy of Arts and University. Since 1955 Dr. Stocking Science, and American Philosophical has been the senior editor of The Society. A recipient of the Maine Beloit Poetry Journal. Women of Distinction Award, Tibby at COA teaches courses in global Donald B. Straus, B.A., M.B.A. Har- ecology. vard University. Past president of the American Arbitration Associa- Leonard Silk, A.B. University of tion, past chairman of Planned Wisconsin; Ph.D. Duke University. Parenthood Federation of America, Dr. Silk is an economist and colum- trustee of the Institute for Advanced nist for the New York Times and Studies at Princeton, and consultant Distinguished Professor of to the International Institute for Ap- Economics at Pace University. plied Systems Analysis in Austria, Don in his teaching focuses on deci- Priscilla Smith, B.A. Pembroke Col- sion making involving complex lege; B.L.S. Library Science, Univer- issues and computer-assisted sity of Chicago. A former super- negotiation. visory librarian at the Freer Gallery 49 Violoncello, is 1) COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Part of designing your own cur- riculum is choosing courses which complement one another, provide a diversified but balanced educa- tional perspective, and contribute to your development as a human ecologist. The following abbrevi- ated course descriptions illustrate many of the courses and tutorials that will be offered over a three- year period. Full descriptions of these courses and times they will be offered are available in a course brochure and may be obtained by writing the Registrar, College of the Atlantic. The Human Ecology Core Course, required of all COA students entering after Spring 1984, is a direct approach to the concepts which underlie the human ecological inquiry. The method of the course is to engage faculty members representing the sciences, humanities, and arts in the pursuit of a common ground. Our aim is not to fix a definition of human ecology in this class but to explore the directions and possi- bilities of our central theme. The readings reflect our desire to blend classical and contemporary source materials. Although the readings and teachers change from term to term, the essential feature of the course remains the same-to estab- lish the intellectual foundation of the human ecological perspective. 51 COURSES: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Introduction to Botany emphasizes plant structure and function. Topics include environmental in- teractions, cellular metabolism, reproduction, genetics and evolu- tion, and growth and development of the plant body. Flora of Coastal Maine, a tutorial, embraces diverse aspects of the region's flora. Topics include floristic surveys, vegetation ecology, reproductive biology, her- barium taxonomy, museum cura- tion, monitoring rare or en- dangered plants and habitats, or other topics in plant systematics and ecology. ENVIRONMENTAL Introductory Zoology provides a AND BIOLOGICAL foundation in aspects of cell SCIENCE biology, biochemistry, physiology, INTRODUCTORY anatomy, and behavior necessary Plants touch almost every aspect for further course work in zoology. of our existence. Plants and Humanity: Economic Botany ex- Physiology of Human Exercise, an amines the properties of beneficial introduction to human physiology, and harmful plants and assesses examines the metabolic expenses the roles plants have had in shap- of exercising humans under various conditions. ing cultures and civilizations. Woody Plants, a basic course in Natural History Drawing, intended dendrology, emphasizes identifica- to help students develop their tion and silvicultural character- abilities to observe reliably and to istics of native and introduced record accurately what they see, woody plants, including the uses emphasizes the importance of of ornamental trees and shrubs in knowing how objects are con- landscape design. structed as well as the importance of choice of topics and emphasis. Gardens and Greenhouses, a course in organic methods of hor- INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED ticulture, stresses basic horti- A survey of the major groups of cultural and greenhouse manage- living and fossil plants and their ment skills, including starting evolutionary relationships, Mor- plants from seeds and cuttings, phology and Diversity of Plants pest management, soil improve- elucidates the structural organiza- ments, basic cultural require- tion and reproductive methods ments, and how to plan and plant found in algae, fungi, bryophytes, both ornamental and vegetable ferns, fern allies, gymnosperms, gardens in Maine. and angiosperms. 52 In the Herbarium, students study the research collection of the region's native and introduced plants in preparation for revising the checklist of the island's flora. Plant Taxonomy explores the evolution, classification, and systematic relationships of seed- bearing plants, stressing the com- parative morphology of plant families present in our region's flora. Emphasis is placed on iden- tification in the field and in the herbarium using technical keys. Plant Systematics examines diverse aspects of the evolutionary process in flowering plants, emphasizing patterns of reproduction as related to population structure, speciation, and species survival. Genetics introduces students to the concepts of the gene, the prin- ciples of transmission and expres- sion genetics, and the role of using native plants, designing soil genetics in other life sciences, and energy conservation, selecting agriculture, medicine, and human species for food and fiber, and affairs. locating structures on the land. Topics in Medical Botany include Evolution provides students with historical use of medicinal plants, the opportunity to study in some chemical constituents of particular depth the development of evolu- medicinal plants, mode of action tionary theory from its tentative of botanical substances, and cur- beginnings through Darwin's rent trends in medical botany. England to the present. Biological evolution by natural selection is In Plant Physiology, an in-depth the major theme of the course, but study of plant functions emphasiz- we also discuss the effects of the ing plant-environment interactions, evolutionary paradigm on other students design and conduct indi- spheres of life including phil- vidual research projects on various osophy, ethics, and social thought. members of the plant kingdom. Ecology considers the relationships Urban and Community Forestry between organisms and environ- trains students to manage urban ment. The overall theme is an forests and care for trees and investigation of how physical en- shrubs, to determine plants ap- vironmental parameters and the propriate for the urban environ- interactions between individuals ment, to diagnose and treat tree determine the distributions and problems, and to prune, transplant, abundances of plant and animal fertilize, and care for trees and species. shrubs. Ecology: Natural History em- This course examines Edible Land- phasizes field studies of the scaping/Permanent Agriculture by ecology of Mt. Desert Island. 53 COA's open atmosphere gives responsible students access to labs and equipment virtually 24 hours a day. COURSES: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Ecology: Landforms and Vegetation reviews several samples of the in- teractions between physiographic processes and vegetation. It does not offer a complete review either of physiography or of plant ecology but covers the most useful con- cepts of both. Sociobiology and Human Ecology includes readings that review the arguments of the major proponents and critics of sociobiological theory; this tutorial allows students to speculate on the use of ideas in understanding human behavior and to formulate some biologically based principles of human ecology to complement the socially and philosophically based ones. Mammalogy courses have tradi- tionally concentrated on detailed Invertebrate Zoology is a examinations of skulls and skele- phylogenetic survey of the major tons, both to teach classification groups of animals without back- and to reveal evolutionary patterns bones. These animals range in size within this class of animals. Some from single cells to giant squids such work is included in Biology and include the vast majority of of Mammals, but when possible animals on earth. we work from an ecological per- Vertebrate Articulation is a spective and concentrate on the laboratory course in skeleton biology of the animal in its native preparation and articulation. Each habitat. student learns general technique on the rabbit and then selects a This tutorial, Biomechanics: The skeleton from available material to Dynamic Animal, explores the articulate. moving vertebrate. The interplay of a particular animal's anatomy The focus of Comparative Func- and behavior is examined through tional Anatomy of Vertebrates is the analysis of its skeletal evolution and functional anatomy. mechanics. Labs examine various body struc- Ornithology introduces a cross sec- tures in a biomechanical way. tion of biology: physiology, Lectures in Comparative Animal behavior, migration, ecology, Physiology concentrate on the population biology, and system- comparative physiology of animals atics. The unifying themes are with emphasis on bioenergetics; natural selection and the contribu- labs emphasize human tions to general biology made by bioenergetics. those who have studied birds. 55 The interest and support of the local fishermen is central to COA's Marine Studies program. MARINE STUDIES circulation, equations of motion INTRODUCTORY for rotating fluid, and temperature In Introduction to Oceanography, and salinity distribution. we study the physical, chemical, Coastal Oceanography examines and geological structures of the the basic principles of physical world's oceans and the processes oceanography and applies the that act to maintain these results to the study of the circula- patterns. tion of estuaries and coastal oceans. INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED Planet Earth examines the main Marine Biology uses the biology of physical aspects of earth: climate, commercially important species to magnetism, weather analysis, illustrate important concepts in major boundary currents, coastal marine ecology. Emphasis is placed circulations, physical properties of on the life histories of seaweeds, sea water, physical properties of mollusks, crustaceans, baitfish, the atmosphere, basic concepts of migratory fish, and commercial fish. Because of our research in- atmospheric circulation, the con- cept of sea-floor spreading and terests, marine mammals and plate tectonics, and geological seabirds receive special attention. characteristics of the continents Marine Mammals, a tutorial, is an and oceans. introduction to the biology of Physical Oceanography develops an whales, porpoises, and seals that understanding of the physical pro- frequent the Maine coast and to cesses of the world's oceans using the environment that supports them. the concepts of calculus and physics as the starting point. Biology of Fish surveys the Topics include tides, wave motion, physiology, functional anatomy, boundary layers, planetary vortic- evolution, ecology, and behavior of ity, geostrophic flow, large-scale fish. 56 COURSES: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MATHEMATICS, CHEMISTRY, AND PHYSICS INTRODUCTORY Mathematics: Numbers, Trigonometry, and Algebra is designed to help individuals gain a better appreciation for the use, process, and mystery of mathe- matics. The concepts of numbers, trigonometry, and algebra are presented along with the historical evolution of these concepts. Calculus, the mathematical study of change, is the fundamental language of physics and the natural dividual and others at the college. sciences and is rapidly becoming a basic tool in many of the social Chemistry for Consumers surveys our chemical environment: drugs, sciences. Within Calculus I, we discover the basic concepts and foods (production, preparation, and techniques of this remarkable utilization), materials (fibers, invention. plastics, ceramics, and metals), and pollutants (air, water, and Quantitative Decision Making in- toxic substances). troduces students to the main con- cepts in creating relatively simple Introduction to Chemistry I and II, mathematical models which can an annual, two-term course, be used to guide decision making develops qualitative and quan- titative descriptions of the in complex issues. This course uses concepts of linear algebra and stoicheometry, kinetics, and ther- develops the skills necessary to modynamics of chemical trans- formulate and solve basic linear formations. Applications in geo- chemical cycling and biochemistry programming problems. are introduced. Introduction to Statistical Methods In addition to serving as a review and Computers is a hands-on ap- proach to practical problems that of algebra skills, Introduction to can be evaluated by statistical Physics explores the qualitative methods rather than a study of and quantitative applications of dynamics, wave motion, and statistical theory. electricity. In addition to introducing in- dividuals to the use of computers INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED and the basic concepts of computer Calculus II, a tutorial, is an in- programming, Introduction to Pro- troduction to the applications of gramming with Pascal emphasizes integration, the calculus of the ex- structured programming and the ponential, logarithmic, and trig- development of well-designed pro- onometric functions, and various grams that can be used by the in- techniques of integration. 57 The study of mathematics combines structure and the beauty of aesthetics. The Calculus III tutorial in- Chemistry examines the links be- troduces students to the basic con- tween the structures and properties cepts of three-dimensional cal- of organic chemicals and prepares culus. Specific topics include students for more advanced work parametric equations, vectors, in organic chemistry. functions of several variables, par- Through lab analysis of a local tial derivatives, multiple integrals, stream, this biannual course, line integrals, and vector calculus. Analytical Chemistry, introduces In Ordinary Differential Equations, students to modern (gas chroma- another tutorial, students are tographic, atomic absorption, etc.) introduced to the basic concepts of and traditional (titrimetric, elec- ordinary differential equations: trochemical, etc.) analytical nature of differential equations, methods and error analyses. first order equations, second order Chemical Pollution, a tutorial, ex- linear equations, oscillation theory plores the sources, effects, and and boundary value problems, methods of controlling important power series solutions and special types of air and water pollution. functions, and either special func- tions of mathematical physics or Biochemistry examines the Laplace transforms. molecular basis of metabolism and as such, should be valuable to Graphical Methods in Science those interested in nutrition, covers a visual and graphical ap- agriculture, and drug action. proach to finding a mathematical description of one's observations- The goal of the Quantum this is in contrast to statistical Mechanics tutorial is to enable methods such as regression. students to better understand the literature of contemporary medi- In System Dynamics, techniques cine, analytical techniques, and for analyzing complex physical, energy technology that is based on biological, and social systems are quantum phenomena (laser ther- developed using a system with apy, spectroscopy, photovoltaics, feedback and computer models. and superconductivity]. Quantitative Methods of Ecology Modern materials design is a blend shows how computer models can of empirical experience and answer questions of ecology that theoretical prediction. More and are phrased, "How many? How more the atomic structure of much? Is this important? How long metals, ceramics, and plastics is do we have? What policy should intentionally modified to produce we adopt?" desired changes in mechanical, Through industrial and biochem- optical, thermal, or electrical ical examples, Organic Chemistry properties. Thermodynamics, a explores the links between the tutorial, is aimed at giving structures and behaviors of organic students an understanding of how molecules. macroscopic properties reflect molecular structures. Through a study of the biochem- istry of metabolism, Bio-organic 58 COURSES: ARTS AND DESIGN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN INTRODUCTORY In addition to tracing the develop- ment of construction techniques and materials from early shelters through multi-story office build- ings, How Buildings Are Built emphasizes contemporary buildings. Three-dimensional Design I, a studio course, explores the con- cepts of design, proportion, space, volume, plane, and surface. Course work in Carpentry/Con- struction I consists of actual con- struction projects and is sup- plemented by text and field trips to nearby construction sites. Students are introduced through practical and theoretical methods actual boats from plywood and to the use of shop machinery, fiberglass. hand tools, and many phases of residential construction. INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED In Energy Studies, a course in the Your House, a course directed basic physics of energy systems, toward present and future home- we examine the principles of ther- owners, gives an introductory look modynamics and heat transfer and at the design, construction, and apply them to the design of oil, workings of a house. solar, wind, wood, tidal, and Shelter explores various concepts nuclear power sytems. of and solutions to shelter from The Way Things Do or Don't primitive societies to modern times. Work is a survey of the various mechanical and electrical systems Architectural Design I, a studio that surround and support daily course, focuses on the design of life. Emphasis is given to develop- buildings and the techniques used ing a general understanding of each in designing and drawing system. buildings. In Boatbuilding Studio, students Through a series of formal inter- begin by learning the techniques actions from preliminary sketches used to draw ships' lines, then to final models and design draw- design small but seaworthy boats ings, Architectural Design II: and build these as half models and Design Projects, an advanced complete models to refine the studio course, focuses on the designs, and finally build the development of a design concept. 59 the water cycle, hydrology, groundwater, use patterns, water supply, sewage disposal, and economics on both global and local levels. FINE ARTS INTRODUCTORY Foundation in the Visual Arts, which has both critical and studio approaches, is an introduction to In Three-dimensional Design II, a art and design. A key concern is second-level studio course, the man-made, from the macro- students undertake design projects scale of suburban sprawl, the shop- such as toys, furniture, temporary ping mall, streets, and highways to shelters, and playgrounds. the micro-scale of the automobile In this skills course, Structural and other smaller, personal Design, students become familiar objects. with problems and solutions Primitive Art focuses on art which relating to the strength of struc- is created by people with a pre- tures: buildings, roofs, floors, and scientific, nonlinear mentality. foundations. Such art is based not on aesthetic Project Management is an in- but on magical principles and has as its intent the creation or recrea- troduction to techniques and tion of the sacred in the cosmos. perspectives that are useful in organizing and executing suc- Architectural Survey: Prehistoric to cessful projects. Renaissance, the first course in COA Planning Studio uses the col- this two-course sequence, surveys lege itself as a laboratory: the key architectural monuments from the Prehistoric to the Renaissance. students do useful work while learning the science and meth- In Architectural Survey: 19th to odology of the planner. 20th Centuries, the second course Surveying, Planning, and Car- in this survey, we study the work of radical architects of the nine- tography combines field and studio teenth and twentieth centuries portions to acquaint students with the preparation and use of plan- who tried to express the develop- ning maps and with presentation ment of a democratic society and drawing and graphics. an informal life style. Wind and Solar Systems involves Two-dimensional Design I gives a the student in the integration of basic working knowledge of visual the theoretical physics of wind and language. Areas covered include: solar energy into workable designs. point, line, plane, volume, shape, size, texture, direction, space, and Water Systems and Resources representation. Pencil, charcoal, surveys water science, ecology, ink, and collage are used technology, and use, and considers extensively. 60 COURSES: ARTS AND DESIGN Watercolor Painting, a studio Two-dimensional Design II ex- course in transparent watercolors, amines the problems and processes investigates color and value and of the education of vision. The experiments with wet-on-wet course is structured around crit- techniques, washes, and glazes. ique and "how-to-look" sessions. Ceramics I is an equal mixture of Painting Studio deals with prob- design theory, critique, and actual lems in painting technique, com- production of pottery. The first position, and color. Half of the five weeks are devoted to hand- course work deals with specific building and the second to the problems such as portraiture, land- fundamentals of wheel-thrown scape, and still life; the other half pottery. is made up of problems. Ceramics II centers around an in- INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED tense exploration of pottery form In Greek Art, we discuss the im- plications of this union between a and technique. Early assignments male- and female-centered society: require substantial work on hand- built and wheel-thrown forms in the Greek's preoccupation with the nude form, their concern for preparation for a show in the col- the relationship of male to female lege gallery. beauty, and their temples and civic structures. 61 COA is a network of concerned people who serve as resources for one another. It was here that I learned to think critically, innovatively, and holistically." COURSES: HUMAN STUDIES CONSCIOUSNESS AND CULTURE INTRODUCTORY Beginning with physical percep- tions of the body and the external world, Consciousness traces both the development of consciousness in the individual and the species and the parallel development of the unconscious psyche. Community introduces students to some of the classics in the humanities while presenting a basic theme in ecology, i.e. the diversity of living communities. Technology and Society examines several questions of persistent in- terest in our culture, e.g. "Has technology really been beneficial in American culture in the last fifty years?" "Has technology come to have an imperative or autonomy of its own, beyond our powers to regulate or control?" Maine Coast History and Architec- ture begins by examining the past Creativity explores several aspects as it is visible in the present of the creative process from in- Maine coast. The second part of dividuals to groups and from the the course is a chronological arts to the sciences. Readings and history emphasizing the relation- discussions are drawn from the ship between people and the reflections of creative individuals, physical environments of ocean psychological studies of the and shore. creative process, studies of the By using the theme of the evolution of scientific thought, historical and current revolutions understanding of human nature, Philosophies of Human Nature ex- in science, and self-examinations plores the central aspects of of the creative process by artists and writers. several major philosophical sys- tems. A theory of human nature In Design/Nature, a "hands-on" involves a vision of the individual course, we study plants, animals, self, its relation to the social com- and humans to see how their munity, and its relation to the design modifications allow them to natural world. This tripartite survive in their environments and theme is traced through a range of explore the differences between philosophies ancient and modern, conscious (human) design and eastern and western, and religious adaptive (natural) design. and scientific. 63 Literature and Ecology uses tion on school-age children. Topics literature to develop a definition of prenatal development and per- and understanding of human sonality disorders are also ecology. The focus is on the in- presented. dividual in context, that is, the structure of relationships that con- Voluntary Simplicity explores the nect a man or woman with the philosophical and practical aspects surrounding world. of the "simple life." Women/Men in Transition uses Aggression, Altruism, and Love combines humanities and social literature, especially fiction, to see how art has absorbed and revealed science approaches to human emo- values of the time. tions and their expressions. Women's History and Literature Environmental Psychology ex- amines the historical roots and combines literature and history to contemporary themes of environ- delineate women's roles, attitudes, and lifestyles in several periods. mental psychology, including en- vironmental stress and human cop- Emphasis is on integrating histor- ical reality and literary perceptions ing processes, crowding, personal of women's identity. space, architectural influences on feelings and actions, wilderness Because much of the work of psychology, the development of Black, Native American, and Asian environmental attitudes, and the women has been discounted, em- determinants of environmental phasis in Women of Color in responsibility. Literature is placed on discovering The Future of Subsaharan Africa: creative and valuable ways of con- Population Growth, Famine, and sidering this literature. Development examines present Wholeself: Literature and An- and potential future problems of drogeny, a reading, writing, and developing Third World countries discussion course, looks at the in middle and southern Africa. principle of androgeny and con- Each student "adopts" a country siders whether it is a model for and studies its economy and human ecologically based behavior. ecology. By examining issues pertinent to INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED the individual, Contemporary Value is an examination of the Culture and the Self focuses on the influence of contemporary culture nature and origin of human values on our attitudes and values. with attention given to the con- tent of differing specific values and Personality and Social Develop- type of value. ment, part of the education se- Order and Disorder is an introduc- quence, provides a theoretical and practical look at the emotional, tion to thinking about ideas and cognitive, social, and behavioral nature with a focus on the prin- development of humans and covers ciples of order and disorder as they the life span of human develop- appear in aesthetics, government, ment with some special concentra- philosophy, psychology, literature, and art. 64 COURSES: HUMAN STUDIES Seminar in Human Ecology traces the development of modern the historical development of democracy. human ecology and reviews seminal works in human ecology, Philosophical Perspectives on Con- contributions from biology, and sumer Economies addresses 1) origins of the modern market development of human ecology as economy, 2) contemporary polit- a multidisciplinary concept. ical and economic approaches to Roots of the Modern World is a market economies, and 3) alter- course in the history of ideas and natives to the consumer economy. institutions that have helped to shape the structure of the modern The aim of History of Con- sciousness is to differentiate the world. The major strands in the idea of "modern" consciousness development of science and tech- nology, economics, philosophy, from earlier stages of our intellect and our awareness of ourselves in and politics are traced from the our environment. 15th and 16th centuries to the present. The major emphasis is on Ritual, Myth, and Tragedy traces the co-evolution of ideas and in- the development of drama out of stitutions and how various areas of its origins in primitive mythology culture acted upon and influenced and ritual. 65 "Literature is a practical application of philosophy and a more accessible way to understand philosophical theory." In The Nature of Relationships in Fiction, we read seven novels in which couples figure predomi- nantly and consider the connection between the form fiction takes and changes in cultural patterns. Explorations: The Literature of Ex- peditions of Scientific Inquiry examines readings from Darwin, Wallace, Cook, Shackleton, Peary, Matthiessen, and others in terms of the experience and the ac- complishments of the voyages. We look at accounts of biological, an- thropological, and geological/ geographical expeditions and con- sider the place of contemporary For human ecologists, Shake- voyages of discovery. speare's stature as a dramatist depends on more than his ability Ever since Homer's Odyssey, the to craft plays well. Primarily ocean has served to represent the through the tragedies-Macbeth, depth and aspirations of human existence. In Literature and the Othello, Richard II, Hamlet, and King Lear-Shakespeare illustrates Sea, central to marine studies at Shakespeare's understanding of the COA, we study major works of literature that use the ocean both whole person and his or her place in and responsibility to the as reality and as symbol. universe. Although Russian Literature has no In the first section of Experiments "direct" political content, it helps in Form: Shaping the Creative Im- to deepen our knowledge of the pulse we read, or otherwise ex- background of the Russian spirit as evinced in some of the best fiction perience, the works of several im- ever written and examines the portant writer-artists-Blake, Lawrence, Woolf, and others-who deep-rooted relation between the mastered a variety of techniques. Russian people and the vastness of In the second section we explore their physical environment. some of the fundamental questions In The Poet's Vision we consider of creativity and expression. poetry not only as a literary form The purpose of Contemporary but as an alternative way of Literature is joint consideration of perceiving and thinking about the new or recent works by authors world as the poet's imagination whose fiction-and criticism transforms it through metaphor. where appropriate-is particularly Lawrence and Woolf, a course in concerned with problems of the these two preeminent British human condition, intimate rela- novelists, compares the masculine tionships, and the quest for and feminine visions in fiction, for identity. both writers use the novel to ex- 66 COURSES: HUMAN STUDIES plore beneath the surface of ordinary human consciousness, and both discover new forms and styles to communicate the nature of new relationships. Literature of the Third World looks at the works of writers who have contributed some of the most brilliant poetry and fiction of the twentieth century and have ex- erted a dominant influence on con- temporary American writing. Small Farming Workshop attempts to give practical experience in planning for the cultivation of a hay crop, including taking soil tests, cost/benefit analysis, and view of human nature and the purchasing of materials. emergent twentieth-century Traditional Music, a survey transcendent/religious view. course, looks at styles and themes in some traditional North In an attempt to identify causes of racist behavior, Racism: An Ex- American music, including, at least, some French, Anglo, and amination of Its Nature, Roots, black music. and History begins by making a general definition of racism as a Cultural Ecology of the Maine pattern of human interaction. We Fishing Industry looks at the then look at selected racist chap- resource and its use, the values ters of world history, including and cultural traditions surrounding cannibalism, genocide, and access to and use of a commonly apartheid. owned resource, and the attitudes, values, and practices of those who In Personality and Individuality hold the public's trust regarding students study a broad range of those resources. theories of personality (Adler, Fromm, Jung, Freud, Rychlak, Ban- History of Anthropological Theory, dura, Lewin, Binswanger, etc.) a course in the history of ideas based on existential, behavioristic, about cultural change in the gestalt, social-learning, human- western world, examines the rela- istic, and psychodynamic orienta- tionships among various ideas tions. which depend, at least in part, on a theory of material causality. Contemporary Psychology explores several emerging and reemerging Everyone mentions Freud and Jung themes in psychology: dialogical but not many spend much time in and dialectical psychology, serious study of their work. Reichian and neo-Reichian Freud/Jung Seminar contrasts the psychology, and transpersonal nineteenth-century material/sexual psychology. 67 "I've sought much solace and shared many experiences drinking tea with housemates. : COURSES: HUMAN STUDIES COMMUNICATION, Outreach Education, a practicum, ACTION, AND combines natural history studies CHANGE and environmental education to INTRODUCTORY provide students with practical ex- Writing Seminar I emphasizes for- perience in teaching science and mal writing based on rhetorical natural history. principles of exposition and con- The purpose of Museum Prepara- centrates on the process of writing: tion, a practicum, is to train prewriting, writing, and rewriting. students in the various skills and Writing Seminar II examines more techniques of exhibit preparation, sophisticated methods of exposi- including taxidermy, habitat tion as well as techniques for ef- preparation, moulding and casting, fective argument and persuasion. graphic layout, and scientific illustration. The level of this tutorial, English as a Second Language, is adjusted Agricultural Economics stresses to the needs of the individual stu- the holistic approach to agriculture dent. Its purpose is to improve a by evaluating the economics of student's spoken and written various perspectives such as agri- English as well as reading business, permaculture, organic comprehension. gardening, and regional self- Education Seminar I: Schooling sufficiency. and Teaching develops an Environmental Economics surveys awareness of contemporary the economic principles involved thought and practice in the field of in efficient utilization and manage- education. Three broad subjects are ment of natural resources. addressed: schooling, teaching, and Principles of Economics considers a survey of content areas in terms the way in which individuals of historical development, key ideas in curriculum/instructional make decisions affecting their in- come and wealth and how firms strategies, and recent research. make decisions affecting profits The major objectives of Education and production. Seminar II: Crisis and Change are Small Business Management in- to develop an awareness of con- tegrates learning through analysis temporary theory and practice in of business profitability estima- the field of education and to tion, start-up skills, personnel rela- develop skills and understandings tions, finance, and management. vital to the teaching process. Using nuclear issues as case INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED studies, Teaching Controversial Autobiography uses this literary Issues: Nuclear Weapons and form to examine the lives of cer- Nuclear Power considers the tain significant people and then to political and ethical dimensions in- examine our own lives, concen- volved in education about sensitive trating particularly on under- and difficult topics. standing the effects of early home and community environments. 69 "Technical writing really reinforces the notion that quality is more important than quantity." tween style, content, and audience. This tutorial, Peer Tutoring in Writing, not only gives prospective peer tutors the knowledge and understanding of rhetorical theory and practice so that they can work effectively with developing writers, but it also provides them with a review of grammar and methods of evaluating writing. Environmental Education, an in- tensive study of philosophy and methodology, considers fundamen- tal questions related to theory and practice in this field. Arts and Humanities Education ex- plores the significance, promise, and practice of the arts in American education and provides an opportunity to pursue one area of teaching/learning about the arts and humanities in depth. Aesthetics in Education prepares students in theory and practice to give aesthetic education the atten- Technical Writing teaches students tion it deserves. A coherent to write clear, precise, and unam- aesthetic theory, based on the biguous memos, reports, and thinking of Suzanne Langer and longer papers from an inter- John Dewey, is presented together disciplinary perspective. with intensive work in the prac- Environmental Journalism prepares tical problems of presenting students to write and market ar- aesthetics in the classroom. ticles on environmental subjects Beginning with a consideration of for a nontechnical audience. the general theory of education Creative Writing concentrates on and of the issues raised in a the theory and practice of poetry. philosophical approach to educa- Its goal is to develop the skills of tion, this seminar, Toward a verbal craftsmanship and self- Philosophy of Ecological Educa- criticism. tion, surveys education's ends and Advanced Composition, a tutorial, means in history. has two goals: 1) to aid the stu- Developmental Psychology of dent in developing and refining a Ecological Perspectives reviews the style and 2) to make the student childhood experiences that create a cognizant of the interaction be- foundation for ecological under- 70 COURSES: HUMAN STUDIES standing. In the class, we review rate reforms, energy conservation, and discuss the literature from nuclear and conventional power psychology and sociology on eco- plants, and various appropriate logical thinking and its develop- technologies. ment. Further insights are gained by examining both the biographies Topics in Forest Economics in- and autobiographies of leading clude principles of planning renewable natural resource use to ecologists and the history of maximize net social benefit. ecological thought in various cultures and times. Macroeconomics discusses and evaluates some possible reasons for The future of a society is often trends in economic fluctuations guided by the vision it has of itself and unemployment. and its possibilities. In Prospects for the Future, we compare and Using case studies, River Develop- contrast the works of several ment and Conservation focuses on futurists who offer critiques of factors affecting private profitabil- contemporary culture and who pre- ity of river development with sent us with novel approaches to public conservation goals. making a livable future. Seminar in Economics, an ad- Focusing on readings that discuss vanced seminar, focuses on con- the adequacy of American public temporary economic issues. policymaking by the Congress and Economics of Regulation involves the President, Congress and the an analysis of the impact of social Presidency considers criticisms of concern on American economic the American political process as enterprise. The major emphasis is well as some specific public policy on benefit-cost analysis, valuation problems such as foreign policy, of resources, welfare distribution inflation, and foreign aid. considerations, and socioeconomic International Peace in Theory and experimentation. Practice is a study of three recent Contemporary Economic Issues for efforts to establish a dependable Human Ecologists is a survey of peace: the Peace Conference at theoretical, historical and institu- Versailles in 1919, the Yalta Con- tional analysis of current prob- ference in 1945, and the contem- lems: poverty, unemployment, en- porary Superpower Balance in vironmental pollution, land use, Europe. housing, public services, etc. Philosophy of the Constitution Statistical Analysis is a non- studies readings in Supreme Court mathematical study of statistical decisions on civil rights and other methods, with emphasis on tech- contemporary issues as well as niques of collection and organiza- essays by Locke, Rousseau, and tion of data, averages, variability, J.S. Mill. and associates. Topics include Energy Economics focuses on the statistical inference, tests of economics of energy policy, in- hypotheses, estimation, and con- cluding concepts and calculations fidence intervals. for optimal solar systems, electric 71 Trustees LIFE TRUSTEE Mr. John O. Biderman, Mr. Robert E. Blum, Lakeville, CT White Plains, NY Mr. Edward McC. Blair, Staff Lake Bluff, IL Louis Rabineau, President Chairman of the Board and of the Steven Katona, Provost Executive Committee Charles Hesse, Vice President for Mr. Leslie C. Brewer, Development and Public Affairs Bar Harbor, ME Carolyn Dow, Assistant Director for Mrs. Frederic E. Camp, Public Affairs East Blue Hill, ME Gary Friedmann, Assistant Director Mr. John C. Dreier, for Development Washington, D.C. Cindie Marinelli, Executive Dr. Samuel A. Eliot, Secretary to the President Cumberland Center, ME Terri Rappaport, Executive Secretary Mrs. Amos Eno, Princeton, NJ to the Vice President for Mr. William G. Foulke, Development and Public Affairs Philadelphia, PA Norene Kuznezov, Receptionist Ms. Neva Goodwin, Cambridge, MA Rev. James M. Gower, BUSINESS OFFICE Bucksport, ME Liane Peach, Business Manager Dr. Thomas S. Hall, St. Louis, MO Sylvia Clark, Assistant Business Mr. John M. Kauffmann, Manager Mount Desert, ME Elaine Tetlow, Bookkeeper Mr. Francis Keppel, Cambridge, MA Ms. Cathy Ramsdell-Sweet, STUDENT AFFAIRS Watertown, MA Lawrence Clendenin, Director of Mrs. Robert Rothschild, Admission New York, NY Donna McFarland, Assistant to the Dr. Elizabeth S. Russell, Director of Admission Mount Desert, ME David Mahoney, Admission Dr. Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen, Counselor Salisbury Cove, ME Theodore Koffman, Director of Dr. Peter H. Sellers, Financial Aid, Housing, and Philadelphia, PA Summer Programs Mr. Clyde E. Shorey, Cathy Kimball, Assistant to Washington, D.C. Financial Aid, Housing, and Dr. Leonard Silk, New York, NY Summer Programs Mr. Donald B. Straus, Pamela Parvin, Director of Food New York, NY Service and Advising Coordinator Mr. Robert S. Suminsby, Sally Crock, Registrar Northeast Harbor, ME Jill Barlow-Kelley, Internship and Mrs. R. Amory Thorndike, Career Services Officer Bar Harbor, ME Mr. Charles R. Tyson, Ambler, PA Dr. James H. Wakelin Jr., Washington, D.C. 72 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS CREDITS Millard Dority, Director of Editor: Anne Kozak Buildings and Grounds Photographers: Marvin Lewiton, Leslie Clark John Long, Michael Meyerheim, John Mitchell Karen Sheldon, David Weiss, and J. Clark Stivers Ken Woizard Design: Michael Mahan Graphics, LIBRARY Bath, ME Marcia Dworak, Librarian Printing and Typography: Marcia Dorr, Assistant to the J.S. McCarthy Co., Inc., Augusta, ME Librarian Candace Macbeth, Evening and In its employment and admissions Weekend Supervisor practices College of the Atlantic is Sandra Modeen, Library Clerk in conformity with all applicable federal and state statutes and regulations. 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