College of the Atlantic Viewbook

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Overview Global Issues

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Carbon Emissions and Climate Change

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Hydropolitics: Water and Public Policy

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Environmental Intersections: Biodiversity and the Ocean

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Economics and Social Justice

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Student Life at COA Current Students Alumni Profiles Admission at COA COA Quick Facts

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Introduction

If you think that the world is a simple place, that justice is uniformly served to people around the globe, that the environment can take care of itself, or that there is no connection between a morning commute and conflicts in another hemisphere, then College of the Atlantic is not for you.

On the other hand, if you have sat in your high school classes and been bored or frustrated with the slow rate of change or lack of discussion, then COA might well be your place.

We believe that the world is complex and interconnected. We believe that taking care of people and the planet is not just the right thing to do but that it is our moral responsibility. We believe that fulfilling this responsibility can empower individuals with a sense of joy and accomplishment.

We only have a single major: human ecology. Our lack of academic disciplines should not suggest a lack of discipline. Our students grapple with serious academic issues. Our single major, however, exposes them to the world in a comprehensive way, not in a segmented way. It also allows them the opportunity to create their own unique educational experience within a flexible, but demanding educational framework.

When you read what colleges and universities say about themselves, they all inevitably deliver the same message: they offer a rigorous education, they care about each and every student, and their faculty are engaged and highly educated.

These things are all true about many places and certainly about College of the Atlantic. How are prospective students to distinguish what makes our school unique? What makes the COA experience distinctive?

There are several short answers to these questions. We honestly believe we can change the world. We actively seek to build consensus on campus and around the globe. We want to maintain a high degree of curiosity about the world. We want to appreciate the arts, rely upon the sciences and never forget about the needs of humanity.

This booklet expands on these answers. We’ll discuss some real world issues and how the COA community is grappling with them. We’ll highlight some actual student experiences to demonstrate the opportunities provided by the human ecology major. Finally, we’ll share stories of alumni who continue to make a difference in our world.

We welcome any questions you might have about the college.

People here operate on a first-name basis, so give us a call and introduce yourself. We look forward to getting to know you as you get to know us.

Sincerely,

Sarah G. Baker, Dean of Admission

The very production of this publication highlights some of our distinctions. We use only 100% post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based, rather than oil-based, inks. We strongly encourage you to reuse this booklet when you’re done – either by passing it along to someone else who might be interested in COA or by ensuring it gets recycled.

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OVERVIEW

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The World of Human Ecology Human ecology integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate, and ultimately improve, the relationships between human beings and our social and natural communities. We seek to do more than just provide a powerful educational experience. We seek to change the world.

David Hales, College of the Atlantic’s president, says that COA is a group of like-minded people gathered to achieve an uncommon goal: “By the end of this century, we will live in a world that is sustainable, peaceful and just, or we will live in a world that is unstable, violent and insecure. We have the opportunity to make the choice, and thus we have the responsibility to do so wisely and well.”

Human ecology is a living, breathing discipline that is constantly evolving.

The challenges that face us today are very different from the challenges that will face us in twenty years. “A strange hybrid between the sciences, arts and humanities, human ecology offers a way out from the constrained boundaries of traditional disciplines,” writes John Anderson, COA’s William H. Drury, Jr. Chair in Evolution, Ecology and Natural History. “It suggests not a contentious bridge between what Is and what Ought, but rather a hopeful reaching between what Is and what Might Be. What distinguishes human ecology, and hence a college devoted to its principles, is the forward-looking nature and notion of responsibility inherent in the Art of the Possible.”

Simply, this means we want to have a clear understanding of the way things are. We will develop the skills to analyze our current situation. We will be creative in developing solutions to the world’s problems. We will engage all people everywhere to effect positive change.

Most importantly, we accept these challenges with optimism and energy. There is no reason to believe that we cannot, collectively, solve all the major issues facing humanity and the earth.

Overview

With few exceptions, COA faculty don’t teach classes that would often be found in the catalogs of other small schools. A sample of the courses offered in the fall of 2008 include: Ecology: Natural History • Invertebrate Zoology • Contemporary Women’s Novels • Buddha in the Himalayas • Collaborative Documentary Workshop • Landscape Design Studio • Theory and Applications of Complex Networks • Marine Mammals and Sound • Polar Ecology and Exploration • Philosophy of Nature • Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy • Chemistry I •

Ecology and Biology of Fungi • Constitutional Law • Native American Literature • Applied Amphibian Biology • History of Filmmaking • Global Environmental Politics • Political Campaign Communication : Messaging and Advertising • New Forms in Western Art from Impressionist to Present • World Ethnography in Film • Geographic Information Systems •

We also strongly encourage students to pursue independent projects throughout their time on campus. for a closer look, visit:

www.coa.edu/html/academics.htm

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GLOBAL ISSUES

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Carbon Emissions and Climate Change You are probably already familiar with the basic causes and consequences of climate change and are undoubtedly doing something to reduce your impact on the earth. In recent years, concern about climate change has spread from a relatively small group of scientists and public officials to become a major global issue.

The change that even a small increase in global temperature can have on the earth is surprising. It is estimated that a three-degree increase in global temperature, a change small enough that many of us would barely notice it in our houses, will result in a 30- to 40-foot rise in sea levels. This, in turn, will create massive numbers of refugees, in places from New York City to Mumbai.

Ironically, the rising sea level will mean diminished inland water supplies, which will result in increased loss of arable land, increased desertification and dwindling food supplies. Serious social conflicts, like the genocide in Rwanda, can be directly tied to unusual strains placed on land use.

But this issue is complicated by several key factors, not the least of which is the political maneuvering of a small number of public figures who are either blind to this issue or beholden to interests that depend on a continuation of current policies and consumption levels. The development of new green industries will necessarily cause painful adjustments in the world’s current economic systems, as always happens when new technologies replace existing structures.

It is also complicated by natural human desires to improve our lives. As the developing world seeks to attain a quality of life similar to that enjoyed by

to learn more and calculate your impact, visit:

www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator

COA’s new residence halls, opened in Fall 2008, were built to meet high environmental standards, both in terms of energy use and construction materials. Post-production wood waste, reconstituted as high-density pellets, are burned to produce all the heat in these halls.

Produced right here in Maine, this material would otherwise be wasted.

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those of us in the developed world – with our heavy use of energy, freedom to travel, access to expensive educational opportunities, clean water and ample food supplies, to say nothing of our material consumption – the limited resources of the earth will be put under further strain.

Global climate change is created by each of us and impacts each of us. Its causes are many, so resolving this issue will require creative, consistent and comprehensive approaches.

COA: Carbon Neutral At COA, we understand that, in the long run, a successful transition to a carbon-neutral, and therefore sustainable, economic and societal model is not a zero-sum game. We can simultaneously increase the quality of life for everyone on the planet and sustain the environment. In order to do so, however, investments must be made to develop the systems we need to accomplish sustainable growth.

One United Nations task force estimated that the total economic impact of carbon-emission elimination could be as little as one-half of one percent of future economic growth. Paying less than a penny per dollar to ensure that the very air we breathe and water we drink remains clean is not an unreasonable burden.

At the most basic level, there are only two ways to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The first is to reduce energy consumption and the second is to change the ways in which energy is created.

The college has made a concerted effort to reduce its consumption in immediate ways. We may be one of the few college campuses you could visit and see naturally lit rooms. Our students and staff alike are vigilant about turning off lights when they’re not needed. We also replaced incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescents wherever it was feasible to do so.

On November 1, 2007, we switched to 100% renewable energy, purchased through a three-year contract with Maine Renewable Energy in Portland, Maine. This resulted in a reduction of our carbon emissions by 70 tons during the 2007–2008 academic year.

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Alternatively, there are several ways to mitigate an organization’s energy use.

Typically, this is accomplished through the purchase of offsets – essentially where one organization invests in the reduction of carbon emissions from another or the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Ensuring that the college actually purchased real and unique offsets, though, required significant research. There is not a clearly defined market for such tools. Unlike a physical object, for example, it was possible that offsets could be sold multiple times – and therefore our investment would make no positive contribution. We wanted to ensure that our investment was having a real and measurable impact on the reduction of carbon in our atmosphere.

Faculty and students researched a wide variety of options, from the protection of forest land to the development of sustainability initiatives around the globe. Ultimately, we funded a long-term study of traffic patterns in Portland, Oregon, that has as its purpose the reduction of auto emissions.

These reductions, when realized, will more than offset the amount of carbon the college generated in the 2007–2008 academic year. What’s more, the ongoing savings will continue to benefit the planet for years to come.

Several COA students are in the process of installing a wind turbine on campus. Projected to produce about 2,000 kilowatt-hours per year, it will be designed, built and maintained by current and future students.

Global Issues

Hydropolitics: Water and Public Policy Every human being is composed of 60- to 70-percent water and each of us needs between one and seven liters of water every day to stay healthy. Despite the fact that the majority of the planet is covered in water, only three percent of the world’s water is drinkable.

COA SPOTLIGHT Neith Little ’09 and Anna Perry ’10 were awarded Goldwater Scholarships in the spring of 2008.

The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year, and was created to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.

Increased human population has put corresponding pressure on limited freshwater supplies. The amount of water required for agriculture is staggering. Over 70 liters of water are needed to produce a single apple, and one 200 milliliter glass of apple juice is the product of 190 liters of water. A single cup of tea requires over 30 liters of water. As is often the case, the smallest and simplest things that we take for granted require a massive investment of scarce resources.

One way of studying this problem is termed virtual water. Every pound of food transported carries, in virtual form, the amount of water it took to produce it. A single coconut exported from Hawaii to Japan carries the equivalent of 2,500 liters of water. It is estimated that the trade in virtual water exceeds nearly one trillion cubic meters – or over 100 days worth of discharge from the Amazon River.

There are significant costs to these transfers, both human and environmental.

Wealthy countries are effectively draining aquifers in poorer nations as they import food. Importing nations include some fairly obvious countries like arid Saudi Arabia, but also include some surprises such as rainy Great Britain, which imports over 700 tons of virtual water per capita every year.

As with our current petroleum consumption, the world’s current water consumption model is not sustainable. History teaches us that societal and political instability inevitably follow scarcity of water and food, so the development of a peaceful and just world depends, in part, on the development of sustainable water use patterns around the world.

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COA: Ken Cline’s Hydropolitics Class

COA SPOTLIGHT Ken Cline’s class, Whitewater and Whitepaper, evolved out of a senior project completed by Darron Collins in the early 1990s.

“It’s a terrific example of how students and faculty at COA are truly partners,” he says.

“The theories of river ecology, economics and politics really come alive when we’re on the water, and Darron helped structure this in an effective and exciting way.”

To give you a sense of the kinds of things COA students read in a course like Ken Cline’s, here’s a partial list of works he has used in recent classes: When the Rivers Run Dry; Fred Pearce; Beacon Press, 2006.

Deep Water: The Epic Struggle over Dams, Displaced People and the Environment; Jacques Leslie; Picador, 2005.

Dams and Development: A New Framework for DecisionMaking by The World Commission on Dams; Earthscan Publications, Ltd., 2001.

Marine Conservation Biology; E.A. Norse and L. B. Crowder (eds.); Island Press, 2004.

The Future of U.S. Ocean Policy; B. Cicin-Sain and R. W. Knecht; Island Press, 2000.

Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature; Sandra Postel and Brian Richter; Island Press, 2003.

The Canoe Handbook; Slim Ray; Stackpole Books, 1992.

Feel free to read them before you come to campus. You’ll be a step ahead in classroom discussion.

Every other year Ken Cline teaches a course in hydropolitics – the study of how societies use water resources. In recent years, he has directed class attention to the politics of water. Dam construction provides a focal point for discussion about larger issues.

“Dams have an incredibly large impact on communities and local ecosystems, both positive and negative,” he explains. “While they are often advertised as cheap sources of renewable electricity and flood-control systems, they can also do significant damage to local inhabitants, both human and environmental.”

A recent international project is the much-publicized Three Gorges Dam, which was completed in 2007 in China. It provides a perfect case study for the complexity and interconnectedness of any major undertaking. The pressing demands for power and a desire to provide a consistent source of water for agriculture helped galvanize national support for construction. Dams can also be visible expressions of national pride (witness the pride many in the United States still take in the Hoover Dam).

When the Three Gorges Dam was completed, over one million people were displaced by the rising water. The natural flow of waters suffered significant impairment. One of the most beautiful waterways in Asia was plugged. The lack of public discussion in the process meant that local ecological needs were not strongly voiced. The potential positive economic impact was not carefully weighed against these other considerations.

“We ask our students to seriously consider the perspectives of everyone involved in such a project,” Cline says. “It’s relatively easy to consider the viewpoints of those who were displaced. But how did officials in Beijing, nearly 900 miles away, come to view this project as imperative? What motivated critics of the dam to speak out despite significant government repression? Did the development make economic sense?”

The purpose of our education is not to apply critical thinking skills in the assignment of blame. It is to solve real problems. This can only be done by considering all aspects of an issue, determining what alternatives might be ideal for a broad array of stakeholders, and working to build consensus for a practical solution. Cline says, “Studying, careful analysis, thoughtful consideration, the development of consensus, the application of practical solutions – this is the way we try to make a positive impact on the world.”

Global Issues

Environmental Intersections: Biodiversity and the Ocean The intersection of land and sea is always full of energy, from the impact of waves upon the shore to the intricate and amazing life forms that grow and thrive in a dynamic environment. The ocean also performs two important and contradictory functions for the human population: it is a significant food source and the final receptacle for many chemicals and pollutants dumped into the earth’s waterways.

As proof of the interconnectedness of nature, changes in the atmosphere have an impact on the world’s oceans. Oceans absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which ameliorates some of the impact of carbon emissions – but at a huge and growing cost. The acidity of the ocean is increased when carbon dioxide is absorbed. This rising acidity, in turn, impacts the development of shellfish and plankton, and therefore affects the entire marine food chain.

Roughly one third of the world’s commercial fisheries have collapsed, and unless current trends are reversed, all of the world’s commercial fisheries are likely to have collapsed in less than 50 years. A 2006 study conducted by a group of internationally known marine scientists and economists revealed that a variety of factors including overfishing, the destruction of marine habitat, pollution, and alterations in the ocean’s biogeochemistry caused by climate change, are taking a dramatic toll on life in the sea.

As it happens, Maine is the site of some terrible ecological failures, but also some terrific sustainability success stories. Early European visitors to the waters off the coast of Maine reported seeing massive numbers of fish, so many, in fact, that they facetiously suggested it would be possible to walk upon them from ship to shore. This natural resource has been severely depleted. Decades of overfishing have greatly reduced these stocks and even completely eliminated some species from the area.

Conversely, though, there is good news for the marine life most often associated with Maine: lobsters.

Just as thoughtful governance reduced acid rain, it has increased the sustainability of this fishery.

Through careful public policy, planning and implementation on the part of the state government and thousands of local citizens, lobster stocks are sustainable and provide a renewable economic resource for the state and local communities.

COA SPOTLIGHT Professor Helen Hess studies multicellular invertebrates, from clams to mussels, starfish to snails. Her research takes her and her students from rivers to tide pools. In recent years, she has team-taught a biology and water politics course with Ken Cline. “Everything we do here is interdisciplinary,” she says. “We study certain problems in collaborative ways and the direction of our courses is driven by students as much as it is by faculty, which is just the way we want it.”

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Over 200 million people worldwide depend directly or indirectly on fishing, and billions more of us enjoy the benefits of the world’s oceans. Careful management and planning can give the oceans’ natural resiliency time to act, waters to be cleaned and fisheries to recover.

COA: Marine Research Partners As befits a college that sits upon the ocean shore, COA has two affiliated programs that focus on aspects of marine life. The first of these is Allied Whale, a non-profit organization specializing in training and research in marine mammalogy; the second is the Island Research Center, which focuses on the flora and fauna on and around the Maine coastline, especially the offshore islands.

Allied Whale Founded in the early days of the college, Allied Whale is COA’s marine mammal research institute. Allied Whale is involved in field research projects that are far ranging, both scientifically and geographically. Our biologists and students study whales not only in the Gulf of Maine, but often work in other areas of the world on collaborative projects with both American and foreign institutions.

In recent years, our researchers’ studies have taken them to Canada (finback, humpback and right whales in the Bay of Fundy, finbacks off Nova Scotia, and humpbacks off Newfoundland); the Antarctic (humpback whales); New Zealand (Hector’s dolphins); Dominican Republic (humpback whale breeding and calving ground); and Bermuda (humpback whale migration).

Allied Whale is the primary response agency for marine mammal strandings from mid-Maine to the Canadian border. While most responses are for young seals, dolphins and whales can also require assistance.

Students are trained to participate in the rescue and recovery of marine mammals.

Allied Whale also houses the largest collection of photo-identified humpback and finback whales in the world. Photo-ID allows scientists around the world to track individual whales on the basis of visual sightings. Allied Whale researchers were among the first to successfully use this technique to study whales.

Many COA students study marine biology and make use of Allied Whale’s resources. The courses of study they devise are primarily science-based, but they often combine these interests with courses in policy, cultural anthropology, education and art.

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Island Research Center The Island Research Center (IRC) is home to several initiatives focused on the study of marine life and island ecologies. Islands provide special opportunities to closely observe the interactions between sea and shore and the sea and the air.

Our “home away from home” is the Great Duck Island Light Station, now converted to the college’s Alice Eno Research Station. The station provides our community with the opportunity to study island ecosystems. It also gives our students and alumni the foundation to continue their work around the world.

Alumni of the Island Research Center have also worked on French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii, the Barren Islands of Alaska, and Machias Seal Island, Canada, researching birds from Florida Scrub Jays and Wild Turkeys to Caspian and Arctic Terns.

The IRC gives our students numerous chances to get their hands dirty (or wet, as the case may be). Recent projects have involved studies of predation and the effectiveness of in-situ sensor networks for habitat monitoring. Ongoing work allows students to learn effective means of censusing wildlife, how to run a research station and how to apply new technologies to real-world conservation projects.

Great Duck Island is a 220-acre island that COA shares with the Nature Conservancy and the State of Maine.

COA owns twelve acres, including the original lightstation property and the lighthouse itself.

Through funding from the College of the Atlantic Green Technology Initiative and the Luce Foundation, the college’s Alice Eno Station provides a demonstration project in sustainable energy. The island tractor and boathouse hauling gear run on biodiesel, while electricity at the station is generated by a solar array.

COA community members conduct ongoing research on a variety of species, including migratory populations of Leach’s Storm-Petrels and Black Guillemots, as well as Herring and Black-Backed Gulls. Students interested in island ecology can develop research projects through the Island Research Center and spend significant time on the island. for a closer look, visit:

www.coa.edu/html/greatduckisland.htm

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Economics and Social Justice The widening gap between rich and poor in the United States is mirrored around the globe. While economic development is never perfectly even, a staggering 1.5 billion people live on less than a single dollar a day. People living in poverty, even when they are able to obtain clean drinking water and enough food, have limited access to education and health care. They often live under corrupt governments.

Last year’s human ecology core course focused on the problems of wealth. “Typically one hears about the problems of poverty,” says Gray Cox, one of the faculty members who developed the class. “But wealth also has its impacts on gender issues, class structure, social justice and environmental stewardship.”

Even in wealthy countries, such as the United States, serious injustices remain. Prevailing winds blow from west to east across this country, and they carry pollution in the same direction, which explains, in part, why poor neighborhoods are often east of major cities. Children born into poverty are much less likely to seek or receive advanced education, the very tool which would most improve their lives.

There is a strong correlation between strong economies, strong democracies and sustainable societies. Democratic systems allow individual viewpoints and insights to influence public policy. Strong systems of laws and thoughtful regulation provide businesses and entrepreneurs the framework to build economies from the ground up. Countries with strong economies and effective democracies make greater investments in education, health care and other sustainable initiatives.

Very few countries have had a smooth path from dictatorial governments or agrarian economies to robust, sustainable democracies and economic systems, and no country has yet achieved a comprehensive success with environmental sustainability. However, democratic governments have, in general, achieved

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the greatest success in protecting natural resources and in building sustainable systems. Freedom of speech affords great power to even a small number of people, provided they are informed and dedicated.

Thus, a focus on human ecology must take a broad view. If we all require clean water, adequate food and breathable air, we must ensure that systems are in place to deliver them. If open and democratic societies allow for the greatest expression of the human spirit, they also provide for a free interchange of ideas and the development of life-sustaining or life-changing technologies.

Educated people have the greatest opportunities to positively influence their lives and the lives of people around them. None of us could take advantage of educational opportunities if we were unable to eat, or if our health was too poor to make it to school. A virtuous cycle exists when we can begin to positively affect communities by helping to improve any aspect of this cycle – and this is where a small number of individuals can have a disproportionate impact on the lives of others.

COA: Transforming the Liberal Arts Social justice and economics are terms that define broad swaths of human behavior. Every financial transaction, be it electronic, paper or barter, is an economic exercise. Every interpersonal interaction, direct or indirect, could be defined as an element of overall social justice. How we communicate with one another as human beings, how we utilize the scarce resources available to us all, and how we establish social structures that promote sustainable and long-lived systems – the very ways in which we lead our lives – should be guided by thoughtful consideration of our impact on those around us.

The concepts are complex and interrelated. In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of them on an individual and global basis, we study them from many angles. The problems the world faces are equally complicated and interdependent. The human ecology major – the entire COA experience – is designed to provide a broad framework to develop the deep skills needed to address and solve these problems.

COA SPOTLIGHT Fair Trade is the loosely organized social movement that takes a market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. One of its intents is to build sustainable markets for indigenous farmers in developing nations. COA students Oliver Bruce and Matthew McInnis (who took the picture above, right, during his research trip) spent three months in Guatemala studying how the trade in organic, shadegrown coffee that offers a fair deal to its producers really works. They discovered problems with the process, and researched and presented alternative models of direct trade on campus in May 2008.

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From its humble beginnings in a building salvaged from Acadia National Park, the Dorr Museum has expanded to provide large areas for displays focused on human ecology.

All exhibits are designed and produced by COA students.

Human ecology extends the reach of a traditional liberal arts education. We believe that students need to develop practical skills to complement the analytical thinking skills they will develop in the classroom. In a time when technologies have made information almost universally available, the skills of critical thinking, consensus building, problem solving and creativity become even more important.

So how does COA grapple with big issues like social justice? We do it by looking at the issues through as many different lenses as possible. For example:

“There certainly can be the notion that the human ecology course of studies is impractical.

However, our students rarely write a term paper. Instead, they learn how to write proposals, business plans and legal briefs to make a case, gather resources and solve a problem. While our ideals might be lofty, our daily work is imminently practical.”

–Karen Waldron, faculty

In the classroom: The course Practical Activism is taught by Doreen Stabinsky.

It is one thing to know an issue of inequality exists. It’s another to develop the skills to resolve it. This class gives students the practical experience they’ll need to prepare them to work in advocacy positions for environmental and social justice organizations.

In the museum: The George B. Dorr Museum provides students with two opportunities. First, they have the chance to experience the ongoing exhibits that cycle through the museum. Second, and perhaps more important, they have the opportunity to construct exhibits of their own. This requires broadbased thinking about research, presentation design and interpretation, and thereby develops invaluable skills for work beyond college.

In the world: COA enrolls a significant number of students from around the world. We also encourage our students to study abroad – and not to traditional places where most colleges have programs, but in hard-to-reach locations like the Yucatan Peninsula or rural India. Social justice, like most human ecology issues, is both local and global. Developing a global view requires that we engage people from far beyond Bar Harbor.

Student Life at COA

Student Life at COA You probably have already gotten the sense that the academic approach at College of the Atlantic isn’t typical. The same thing is true of student life. We take community seriously, but it is not built in a structured or formal way.

Living on campus, getting involved with your fellow students, relaxing and thinking about something other than your classes or big world issues – these are all integral to everyday life. Our academic focus spills over into students’ extra-curricular lives – community activism is at COA what varsity sports are at many small colleges.

As befits a community composed of independent thinkers, the vast majority of student activities are unstructured. Students take advantage of our location and take hikes through Acadia National Park or sail in Frenchman Bay. Pickup Ultimate Frisbee games happen on the front lawn. There are plenty of chances for musicians to perform around campus, or for groups of students to pursue other activities.

In addition, our students are deeply involved in the management of the college community.

If you’ve never warmed to the notion of student council at traditional high schools, but wish you could actually have a real voice in school-wide decisions, then COA has a spot for you. There’s a lot happening on campus. Most of it is developed from the ground up – like many things at COA there’s very little pre-determined direction imposed by the college’s administration and a lot of input from students.

New Student Orientation: OOPS It’s important that our new students feel at home upon arriving at COA. For thirty years, incoming students have participated in a variety of outdoor trips designed to introduce new students to classmates, faculty and staff while exploring the stunning landscape of Maine’s mountains, rivers and coastline.

Trips are led by returning COA students, faculty, staff and alumni, all of whom know the college well. You’ll also get an introduction to (or a refresher course on) the ethics of “leave no trace” experiences. You’ll return to campus knowing your new friends and your new school, and ready to start your official college experience.

OOPS (Outdoor Orientation Programs) include: Canoeing on the Allagash River Backpacking on the Appalachian Trail Sea Kayaking around Mount Desert Island Rock Climbing on Mount Desert Island Day Hiking in Baxter State Park Bike Trekking around Mount Desert Island

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International Students, International Perspective We don’t just head out into the world to take on challenges; we also bring students and scholars from around the world to Maine. College of the Atlantic has a significant international student presence on campus. Twenty percent of our student body comes from almost forty foreign countries (in addition, we have students from nearly every state in the U.S.) When discussions turn to global issues, it’s a huge advantage to have students from around the world involved. If conversations turn to the effects of climate change in developing nations, we’ve got students from Latin America, Africa and southeast Asia who can provide details of their first-hand experience in such nations. We have students from countries with emerging democracies in eastern Europe who can talk about the struggles inherent in creating democratic structures where none have existed before.

Living on Campus We’re right on the shore of Frenchman Bay. The small size of our main campus means that you won’t have any problem getting to know your way around. It also means you’ll really get to know the people here since you’ll see nearly everyone every day.

In recent years, we’ve added some new options to our campus housing. You’ll have a variety of offerings to consider, from more traditional residence halls

to smaller houses (with names like Seafox). We’ll make sure you’re on campus for your first year as you get comfortable with the college. In future years, you may choose to live off campus (and out of the country for a term or a year, too, we hope).

Our classrooms, labs, studio spaces, computing centers – all the things you’d find on any college campus – are all within an easy walk. We have a single dining hall, called Take-a-Break, and finding any administrator you need from the Dean to the Registrar is as easy as heading across the corridor or fifty yards down the hill to Turrets, our administrative building.

What else is going on? Well, it depends on the day, and frankly, on you. There are international potlucks, broomball games, ice skating, movies and food at Reel Pizza (great pizza and comfortable couches instead of confining chairs).

There’s a rope swing on the north lawn. There are plays and musicals. There are SCUBA classes. There are trips to Ellsworth for bowling. There are open mic nights.

There are plenty of other things happening away from our main campus.

Acadia National Park is within walking distance. Beech Hill Farm, our organic farm, is a short drive away. COA is a door to a broader world and is designed to encourage exploration. We expect you to head out – and to come back and share your experiences with the community.

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Governance Nearly every college has a student government – at COA we actually have campus governance, in which students play a significant role. A key component of human ecology is the development of responsible citizenship. We expect our students to make real contributions to the college, both in terms of day-to-day management as well as in helping to determine our long-term direction.

This system has been a very effective way of creating consensus and in setting high goals. Our decision to become the first carbon-neutral college in the country was made as a group. Achieving this goal was made easier because it enjoyed widespread discussion and support from across our community.

While this approach is good for COA, we believe this kind of decision-making process has deep value for our students. Nearly every major issue facing our global community will require leaders to develop consensus and build broad support across international lines. As our students leave campus and continue their work beyond Bar Harbor, their experiences with campus governance will give them the special skills needed to achieve great success.

Students may serve on all college committees, from Student Life to Personnel, and their input is given the same weight as faculty and staff. They work closely with community members to tackle the important issues facing the college.

Wednesdays are reserved for COA’s All College Meeting. The work done by the various committees is reviewed as a collective whole. As decisions are discussed, input is solicited from the breadth of our community.

A sampling of college committees includes: Academic Affairs Admission Campus Planning and Building Campus Committee for Sustainability International Studies Personnel Publications and Communication Student Life

Wednesdays are not a day away from classes. Instead, they are a day of hands-on learning about group dynamics, diplomacy, communication and public speaking – all things you’ll need to know to achieve your goals upon graduation. for a closer look, visit:

www.coa.edu/html/clgovernance.htm

CURRENT STUDENTS

20) College of the Atlantic

Brett has spent significant time studying vernal pools, sections of land that fill with water in the spring and provide unique places for many species to reproduce. Since they drain in the summer and fall, they are not technically wetlands and no major legislation provides for

Sustainable Development The traditional paradigm of commercial development often sets the economic interests of some against the present or future environmental, social and/or cultural interests of others, for a win-lose outcome. The vision of sustainable development attempts to balance all of these interests in order to enable beneficial development in the present while ensuring the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Development is considered sustainable by measures that may depend to some extent on the circumstances at hand but generally must show that the enterprise confers benefits without unduly degrading the environment, exhausting resources, or damaging social and cultural capital.

their protection. Brett’s research has focused on identifying those species that depend upon vernal pools for their survival, so that public awareness and protection can be provided for them.

Brett Ciccotelli ’09 and Jasmine Smith ’09 In the fall of 2006, the Introduction to Human Ecology course taught by Professor Ken Cline focused on public policy as it relates to the environment and economic development. At the same time, Plum Creek Corporation, a major landowner in Maine and timber company with interests across the country, announced plans to develop a resort community near Greenville, Maine.

These plans offered a perfect opportunity for students to study the development process firsthand. State and local officials would be involved in the approval of plans. The local Greenville community, which had for years suffered economic decline after logging operations had closed, had a great interest in Plum Creek’s proposal, which they hoped would provide a financial boost to the town.

Human ecology is centered upon ideas of sustainability. The sustainability of the local community, schools and jobs are important. The sustainability of the local ecosystem is also important. The economic investment made by Plum Creek also had to be respected.

On a broader scale, important questions about responsibility for the land and for development on a statewide and even national basis were also raised. What is the best balance for the state, between job growth and natural lands? What is the responsibility of local citizens in the development process? What compromises needed to be made to ensure that the interests of all parties be recognized?

Ken and his class went to Greenville. They interviewed people from around the community, both those in favor of the development and those who were opposed to it. They interviewed staff from Plum Creek.

They considered the many impacts of the proposed development. They struggled with real world issues and how best to influence the outcomes.

Current Students

“There was a lot of work to do but it was also inspiring to have a chance to change things for the better,” Jasmine Smith ’09 says about the experience. Jasmine has family members who work in the logging industry, so she is personally aware of the positive economic impacts these companies provide for their employees and communities.

The conclusions drawn by the group led them to oppose the development as it was originally planned.

Local sustainability would not be served as the resort was to be built for vacationers, trees would be harvested, water quality impaired and ecosystems disturbed. “When all was said and done only one group would be well served by this development,” Brett Ciccotelli ’09 says. “So we decided to act.”

Jasmine and Brett’s motivation spread throughout campus. The passion the students in the class had for the issues inspired other students to become involved. COA students attended hearings held around the state, and in part, due to their suggestions and critiques, the original development plans were twice revised.

Nine COA students – not all of whom were in the original human ecology class – attended one of the final hearings and each of them addressed the public commission. “We weren’t trying to tell people what to do,” Brett says. “We just wanted to solve the problems we saw.”

Brett appreciated the opportunity to connect with COA alumni who also attended the public hearings.

“They’re still really involved in these issues. It wasn’t like they stopped caring about them just because they’d graduated.”

“I think we did exactly what COA students are supposed to do,” Jasmine said. “We listened and we got to understand the issues. We drew conclusions. We made use of the democratic processes that are in place to try and make things better.”

“I’m looking forward to being like those alums we met,” Brett says. “They are happy because they’re doing something they want to do and are staying involved.”

Public officials are still considering the input they received from around the state and have not yet made a final decision about the development project. Regardless of the final outcome, Brett and Jasmine believe the collective input provided by COA students helped to direct the project to a more sustainable path.

Jasmine is working towards completing COA’s Educational Studies curriculum and will be certified to teach upon graduation.

“I don’t want to just spend time in front of a classroom,” she says. “I’m learning skills that can help me educate people in lots of different ways.”

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22) College of the Atlantic

International Relations and Climate Change The challenges of climate change call for local, national, and international action and cooperation. As the history of the Kyoto Accord amply demonstrates, achieving worldwide cooperation against a threat as diffuse as climate change has been difficult indeed. Established habits, alliances, and protocols in the field of diplomacy and international relations are proving insufficient in the face of these challenges. Finding lasting solutions, or at least forging a largely united front in attempting to do so, will require new approaches to international relations.

Matt Maiorana ’10 On many campuses, there is a natural hierarchy of leadership positions, with first-year students waiting patiently before they can take a leadership role.

Matt Maiorana ’10 found the exact opposite to be true at College of the Atlantic. By the start of his sophomore year he was presenting at a United Nations summit.

“Seniors pulled us right in,” he says. “No one waited to see if we were ready to get involved. They assumed if we came to COA it meant we already were active.” Other students on campus got him involved with an organization called SustainUS, which is focused on promoting sustainable social, political, economic and environmental policies around the world. It has an age limit for members: everyone must be younger than 26. Members of the organization often represent young people at national and international events.

At the same time that his fellow students were encouraging him to get involved outside of the classroom, Matt’s human ecology core course was exploring how sustainability and economic development can best be combined. It was taught by Doreen Stabinsky, who works half-time for

Current Students

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Greenpeace and teaches half-time at the college. “She was great,” Matt says.

“She made us think about issues from a lot of different angles.”

In part, the course focused on how public policy at national and international levels impacts development, and how, in turn, development impacts human and ecological sustainability. “There’s a lot to balance,” Matt says, “and because of that there are no easy answers to any questions.”

He had initially been interested in the sciences at COA but the breadth of his classes helped him realize that “I was really interested in the interconnected nature of things – science, public policy and economic development – so my passion was broader than I had known.” His continued involvement with SustainUS deepened his desire to develop a broad understanding of global issues. In 2007, he was chosen as one of the students who would represent the United States at the U.N. summit on climate change in Indonesia.

Helping a large organization with many moving parts and disparate interests move forward was a challenge. In some important ways, though, Matt explains, “We became a model for what the U.N. could be.” Students understood the urgency of global issues and actively sought to come to effective compromises. Matt cites his experiences at COA as the perfect foundation to help affect change, since he had already worked with students from around the globe and had an understanding of the breadth and depth of environmental issues and public policy.

He returned to campus with renewed energy. “There’s a lot to be done. COA is a small place. But we can lead, and we do.”

for more about SustainUS, visit:

www.sustainus.org

In the spring of 2008, Matt and fellow COA student Lauren Nutter were both awarded Morris K. Udall Scholarships. The Udall Foundation awards 80 scholarships annually to students who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to the environment. Lauren and Matt join several recent COA grads, including: John Deans’ ‘07 senior project was “The Spinster Cottage,” an architectural design for a small retirement home for a resident of Bar Harbor.

Henry Steinberg ‘06 researched the recent paradigm shift in international conservation policy for his senior project. Focusing on Costa Rican conservation law and policy, he conducted a case study of Costa Rica’s Ballena Marine National Park.

24) College of the Atlantic

Social Justice and Public Awareness Social justice encompasses such issues as equitable treatment across economic, social, racial and cultural divisions; the rule of law; human rights; and poverty. Because so many of these issues are deeply concerned with how human beings treat each other – personally, institutionally and politically – raising awareness of social justice issues can start ripples of attitudinal and behavioral change that may grow to a wave of progress and reform. Whether in the form of public speech, writing, art, photography, film-making, websites or other vehicles, communication skills and media are indeed tools for changing lives and changing the world.

Margaret Longley ’10 Bar Harbor is on an island off the coast of Maine. Margaret Longley grew up on an island on the other side of the country. Friday Harbor is the largest town in the San Juan Islands, nestled about four hours northwest of Seattle. Her path to college was anything but typical. It included time at the public high school close to her home and then a senior year at Nova Alternative High School in Seattle. Nova shares certain characteristics with COA, particularly an interest in developing independent thinking and social responsibility among its students.

In the spring of 2008, Margaret received a $10,000 grant from the Davis Projects for Peace fund to make a documentary film about homelessness and voting rights.

She’ll spend three months interviewing homeless people in Seattle and use film to chronicle their struggles to participate in the essential democratic act of casting a vote for a public official.

After high school, Margaret went to northern Iraq and assisted in the creation of the award-winning film Iraq in Fragments. This documentary featured a series of portraits of Iraqis from a variety of backgrounds and with a wide range of perspectives about the American-led invasion. “I think,” she says, “that my experience in Iraq means I try to approach everything from a global perspective and that I try to factor in as many viewpoints as I can.”

When she was considering her college choice she used similar criteria. She considered several liberal arts schools across the country. “But the very idea of human ecology was interesting to me, and I knew that COA would give me the freedom to explore multiple – and in my case very divergent – disciplines: film and medicine. COA would help me to tie things together under the framework of human ecology.”

Her interests in medicine do not end with an M.D., however. She is currently considering a career in public health, and is planning to study in China in an upcoming term to focus on traditional Chinese medicine. At the same time, her love for film and social justice remain unabated. Her senior project – for now, still two years away – might be a documentary, or a documentary photo essay accompanied by written work.

Current Students

One of the three resource areas of the human ecology degree is Arts and Design, which covers everything from music to ceramics to film-making. “The arts are core to the human experience, and therefore to the study of human ecology,” says Dru Colbert, one of COA’s arts faculty. “On one hand, the highest expression of any person comes through the arts. On the other, the arts encourage students to consider the world in new and exciting ways.”

Navigating the human ecology major and balancing her many interests has not been easy, but she has received tremendous help and support from others at COA. “The faculty and staff are always willing to help you, spend extra time making sure you understand course material or talk to you about things outside of your COA education. They’re at COA because they want to be, they know it’s a unique place and they care about the students.”

for a closer look at Margaret’s film:

www.iraqinfragments.com

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ALUMNI PROFILES

26) College of the Atlantic

Local Action and Climate Change While much attention has been paid to the need for global action on climate change, local action can in many cases be more swiftly galvanized and more easily tailored to the needs and constraints of local geography, economies and ecosystems. As the Pew Center on Global Climate Change reports, cities have the ability to effect reductions in greenhouse gas emissions – for example, through the availability of public transportation, through contracts with energy companies that require greater reliance on sustainable energy sources, and through land-use and development-permit decisions. In many cases, such decisions immediately benefit the local population in the form of better air quality, improved green spaces and lower energy costs. National governments may be slow to act, but thousands of local communities on six continents are moving forward and taking positive actions.

Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica

Recent Research Travel: Fiji, Vietnam, Cambodia, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Egypt

College of the Atlantic Senior Project: “Changing Climates: Exploring Adaptation to Climate Change in the International Legal System”

“I found COA to be a place for people ready to engage with their peers, community and world.”

Juan Pablo Hoffmaister ’07 Juan grew up in the central valley of San Jose, Costa Rica. He attended a United World College in British Columbia for his last two years of high school. The twelve UWC schools were founded to promote understanding between different nations through education and the interactions of young people from different countries living and working together.

He first learned of COA through a friend.

After further exploration, he decided it was the place for him because it would allow him to explore both the hands-on and theoretical aspects of sustainable human

Alumni Profiles

“When I started this journey I naively expected to find the perfect place and the perfect story. In a way, I hoped to find paradise. I never found it. Instead, I found that as long as someone is willing to stand up and show that something else is possible, there are reasons for optimism.”

development, his interest at the time. Despite the prospect of Maine winters, he made his way to campus in the fall of 2003.

However, like many COA students, he did not spend his four years solely studying on our campus. It was during a meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba, Brazil – which he attended as part of a class – that he witnessed negotiations regarding agricultural diversity and the use of restrictive genetic technologies. The formal meeting was interrupted by local farmers who took the microphone.

–Juan Pablo Hoffmaister

“I realized, listening to them,” Juan says, “how far disenfranchised people are from the big decisions being made.” That space between local and national or global politics became his core academic focus and, more than that, his passion. “That gap between policy makers and civil society threatens our ability to address global challenges. After graduation, I wanted to narrow that gap.”

In the spring of 2007, Juan was awarded a prestigious Watson Fellowship, which provided him with the resources to engage in a year-long global course of study and exploration. His research focused on the lessons that small communities and organizations learned as they confronted weather challenges, particularly those related to water and its effect on biodiversity and agricultural production. His travel took him to Fiji, Vietnam, Cambodia, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa and Egypt. He synthesized those lessons and presented them to ministers from around the world at a U.N. meeting in Germany.

Juan Pablo begins his advanced studies on ecosystems and governance at the University of Stockholm in the fall of 2008. He will develop the scholarly foundation to help him explain the phenomena of adaptive governance of complex systems he witnessed first-hand during the past year.

In 2008, COA student Ana Maria Martinez won a Watson Fellowship for a year of travel. Her project is “Testimonials of Former Coca Growers in Peru and Bolivia.”

She will research the impacts of illegal drug cultivation on the societies of producing countries, and collect life histories and testimonies of farmers in Vietnam, Thailand, Bolivia and Peru in an effort to develop a deep understanding of an underreported aspect of this ongoing problem.

to learn more about Juan’s research, visit:

www.changingclimates.info

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28) College of the Atlantic

Local Farms and Sustainable Communities Over the past century, our food has tended to come from locations further and further from where we live.

Much of it now comes from large-scale producers, often at great distances from the point of consumption, rather than traveling modest distances from local farmers. An oft-cited statistic states that the average packaged food item now travels some 1,500 miles before it arrives at the dinner table. Of course, a focus on “food miles” alone is overly simplistic; at times, it is more environmentally-friendly to grow food under prime conditions and transport it efficiently by boat or train to points of consumption. However, it is clear that as we anticipate increasingly limited access to petroleum products and recognize the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption for environmental reasons, strengthening the viability of local farms in suitable environments is essential.

When local, sustainable farms thrive, less fuel is expended, food dollars stay within a community contributing to a stronger local economy, people have reliable access to fresh and more nutritious food, and agricultural land is preserved for food production – and continues to provide valuable habitat for wildlife – rather than being lost to development.

Kerri Sands ’02 “At COA I was able to recognize and articulate my skills, and I learned how to apply them to the work that matters most to me. Now, I’m making my living doing just that. That’s what I asked from college and that’s what I got.”

–Kerri Sands

Kerri first set foot on the COA campus when she was in seventh grade. During her visit she ate lunch on the pier, assembled a whale skull with her classmates and wandered around the campus. Then she forgot about us and started her college career elsewhere. As she began her studies she found that she had a clear sense of her interests, which included agriculture, community-based food systems and consumer education tools, particularly graphic design and marketing. She also discovered that a traditional liberal arts curriculum was not the perfect way to align her strengths and interests.

Luckily, she stumbled upon a COA class and realized that the specialized niche she was trying to create existed within the human ecology framework. “I considered the academics, plus the fact that COA had a farm and a graphic design lab, and said hello to my new school,” she says. She transferred at the end of her sophomore year and thrived in what she describes as a “freedom-within-structure” educational model.

The work for one of her classes at COA included extensive meetings with organic farmers around Maine. She also created an independent study course in which she researched and designed a guide for all the organic farms and farm

Alumni Profiles

products in the state. Her senior project included interviews with producers and consumers of products associated with Maine – everything from foods to toothpaste.

Donated to the college in 1999, Beech Hill Farm is a handson educational resource for students, farmers and community members. The farm includes

Through her time at COA’s Beech Hill Farm, five acres of organic farmland, where she managed the farm stand for a several acres of apple trees and summer, she got hands-on experience with the 65 acres of forest. It produces intersection of production and consumption. She certified organic food for COA had a first-hand look at how people, equipment, and the Mount Desert Island weather and organic farming techniques resulted community. in thriving crops and positive community interactions. Collectively, her academic and off-campus experiences coalesced around a common theme: she learned she enjoyed being engaged in real service and in real projects for the long haul.

She feels that every student’s success at COA depends on the student. “If you thrive on exhilarating pressure, then COA is for you. If you want to slip down in your seat and hope that no one notices you, COA is not for you.

You can certainly be shy or quiet at COA – it’s not all prodigy loudmouth overachievers – but you must be engaged.”

Kerri is currently the director of Maine’s Farms for the Future (FFF) program, which helps small- and medium-sized farms that are trying to innovate or reach new markets. Indirectly, the FFF program also seeks to help preserve farmland, increase consumer purchasing of local farm products, raise awareness about community food security, and create positive changes in state and federal agricultural policy.

Kerri’s work revolves around the notion of “farmer preservation” as much as it does preservation of the land they work by uniting business planning with farming. Small farms have traditionally been the backbone of local economies and communities worldwide. Supporting local farmers and encouraging local consumption ensures an investment in local communities, both in terms of food production but also in the greater community’s economic and political health, as farmers remain engaged citizens.

Hometown: Carmel, Maine

Current Home: Portland, Maine

College of the Atlantic Senior Project: “Marketing Maine: An Exploration of Maine’s Images and Their Roles in Product Marketing.”

“I had a really hard time choosing my senior project but when I finally sorted it out, I felt the ecstasy, confidence and single-minded focus of one’s true intellectual passion.”

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30) College of the Atlantic

Hometown: Morris Plains, New Jersey

Current Home: Decatur, Georgia

College of the Atlantic Senior Project: “Whitewater-Whitepaper”

“I was the first Collins to go to college. COA wasn’t exactly what my parents thought college would look like.

But for me, it was magical. I can’t put my finger on it, but the combination of the ocean, the students, the faculty and Acadia was perfect.”

“Everybody changes the world in their own way – I’m always taking measure to see if I’m making things better.”

–Darron Collins

Watershed Protection Watershed protection is the creation and implementation of plans that sustain and even improve life within a drainage basin. These can cover smaller streams, or even an immensely long river (such as the Amur in central Asia). Key aspects of effective protection include managing water supply by ensuring that human usage for industrial or agricultural projects does not reduce water flow to dangerously low levels. Other aspects include maintaining water quality, ensuring that natural habitats for land and river-based species are protected and completing future development in a sustainable way. From a human ecological standpoint, we must engage the people, organizations and government agencies that depend upon, and work within, any given basin to develop comprehensive solutions to the challenges facing each watershed.

Darron Collins ’92 Darron fell in love with the water while he was an undergraduate at COA. From the first time he was in a kayak he knew it would be more than a hobby. For his undergraduate thesis he created and taught a class that combined whitewater boating with a study of river conservation techniques. After graduation he

Alumni Profiles

enrolled at Tulane University and received his graduate degree in Latin American Studies. Not content with two degrees, he completed his formal education with a doctorate in Anthropology, also from Tulane.

In 2001, he joined the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as the regional forest coordinator for Latin America.

He then served as a senior conservation advisor, where he played a key role in developing WWF’s 2015 goals and strategy. An expert in ethnobotany, he now manages a conservation program that encompasses vast areas of Russia, China and Mongolia. The watershed includes the 3,000-mile-long Amur River – the largest undammed river in the Eastern Hemisphere – as well as a host of endangered species.

How did he get from Morris Plains, a suburb of New York City, to fly fishing in Mongolia? His four years at College of the Atlantic were transformative. He thought about being a field biologist, or a professional river guide, an environmental lawyer or even a rock star. A combination of experiences at COA helped to shape his outlook on life, himself and his career.

His Writing Seminar 101 course, which he took his first term at COA, remains memorable. “I got a ‘see me’ note on my first-year writing assessment,” he remembers, “and not the good kind.” Professor Anne Kozak taught him to be a better writer. His field supervisor on a project taught him that even the smallest details are important, and that dedication to small tasks and attention to detail are important qualities to develop.

When he was planning his senior project, he wanted to combine his desire to build something with the desire to teach. He worked closely with Ken Cline to design and teach a class called “Whitewater-Whitepaper” which looked at river conservation and whitewater paddling skills. Building an actual boat fell behind designing the class. But, Darron says, “Knowing that I had the support of a faculty member to do something creative and way outside the box is something that will stay with me forever.”

“I love being able to fly fish for Taimen in Mongolia and know that trying to catch the fish is part of trying to save it.”

–Darron Collins

Graduate school was a challenge. It was not patience, nor dedication, nor memory skills that Darron believes made him a successful student. He finished, he says, “Because COA taught me how to think creatively. A Ph.D. demands original thinking – you have to design an idea, sell an idea to get support, work through logistical hurdles and think creatively from start to finish. That’s what you get from COA probably more than anywhere else in the world.”

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32) College of the Atlantic

It would be possible to fill several books like this with stories and information about human ecology and College of the Atlantic. We hope, though, that what you have read here has taught you new concepts, informed you about new issues, and inspired you to further explore the unique opportunities offered by a college on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

If you’re ready to study these issues and others in more detail, then COA might be the place for you. If you’re ready to get your hands dirty, untangle complicated issues and change the world for the better, then COA is definitely the place for you.

We’re truly excited about the many opportunities that exist for us and for our students to make the world a better place. Whether it’s the advancement of social justice, caring for biodiversity or effecting positive environmental change, our students are digging into the issues and finding ways to improve our world. The goal of ensuring a world that is sustainable, peaceful and just is a huge endeavor for a small number of people, but it’s one that we’re eager to undertake.

We hope you’ll join us in our efforts.

Admission at COA College of the Atlantic approaches the admission process much as it approaches learning: we focus on the individual strengths of each student, we encourage creativity, and we hope you will both ask lots of questions and share your ideas with us.

We believe the first step in applying to COA is actually getting to know the college.

Is this the kind of place where you’d be happy? Would you want to live here for several years? More importantly, is this where you would want to learn for several years? Will the college help you tap into your passions and provide you with the resources you need to affect humans’ relationship with the environment? If you are filling out an application to COA, we want it to be because you are excited about the college and the particular opportunities you’ve identified here. To that end, we invite you to visit COA.

Visiting College of the Atlantic We welcome and encourage prospective students to visit the campus. You may schedule a tour of the college, have an admission interview, sit in on classes, meet with professors and students, eat some of our top-rated college food and participate in campus activities. Parents are also welcome. We encourage you to schedule your visit Monday through Friday when classes are in session. Students may stay overnight in a campus residence and we can provide parents with a list of suggested hotels and inns. Please call COA’s Office of Admission to arrange your campus visit.

We look forward to showing you this amazing college on the coast of Maine.

If you are unable to make it to Maine to visit COA, we encourage you to do research from afar. Please visit our website at www.coa.edu; take the online campus tour, explore the academic offerings, review student projects and check out campus activities. We are happy to put you in e-mail or phone contact with a faculty member or current student if you have further questions.

34) College of the Atlantic

The Admission Application Once you’ve gotten a good sense of COA and recognize that it suits your interests, style of learning and personal philosophy, your next step is to apply for admission. As a small college that is deeply committed to the success of each and every student and to the process of preparing each person to make a real difference in the world, our application process is extraordinarily personal and highly individualized.

We want to help you navigate the application process, so if you need help, you may reach us by phone five days a week during normal business hours, e-mail us or write to us.

We respect individuality and our application review is characterized by a personal approach. In arriving at a decision, the admission committee (made up of admission counselors, faculty and students) looks for evidence of the following:

•

academic preparation and achievement

• intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning • a desire to be part of a small college with a focus on environmental sustainability and social justice • a tendency to seek out intellectual and personal challenges

Complete Application An application for admission is complete when the Office of Admission has received each of the following: • a completed Common Application, the COA supplemental form and a $45 application fee;

•

a personal statement;

•

at least two teacher recommendations;

• official transcripts of all academic work from high school and college; and • a personal interview – while an interview is not required for admission we strongly recommend one for all candidates.

Phone interviews are available for those unable to schedule an on-campus interview.

Standardized tests scores are not required.

Approximately half of the applicants to COA submit either SAT or ACT scores. Should you wish to submit scores, our CEEB code is 3305.

COA accepts the Common Application. Our supplemental form provides us with additional information about you. It is available on the Common Application website, by calling the Office of Admission or downloading it at www.coa.edu. Visit www.commonapp.org to get your application started.

If you are looking for further inspiration – beyond the ideas listed on the Common Application – for possible personal statement topics, here are additional suggestions: • Maps serve as a guide to where one can go, while also providing a record of the landscape.

Landmarks, geological history, and cultural details can all be found on a map. At COA, students use mapping technology to understand the relationships between individuals and their communities, and between communities and their land. Create a map of your life, using whatever media you prefer, charting the highlights that indicate your history, influences and future. Landmarks can range from people to events to places.

• Comment on the following: “It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin barefoot irreverence to their studies. They are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.” (Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man, 1975) Is this true? Why or why not?

• For many years, science has been the preferred approach to addressing environmental problems.

Significant progress has been made in many areas, but there remains a myriad of environ mental issues that need to be addressed and science is only one part of any overall solution.

Comment on the role of the arts and humanities in the effort to create a better relationship between humans and their environment.

Admission at COA

Application Deadlines and Admission Notification Admission Plans College of the Atlantic offers several admission plans for prospective students. Applicants for the fall term must apply under one of three plans.

Students who have come to the decision that COA is their first choice are invited to apply under either one of the college’s Early Decision plans.

Students who file Early Decision I applications with all accompanying credentials by December 1, will receive a decision by December 15. Those filing Early Decision II applications with all accompanying credentials by January 10, will receive a decision by January 25.

In submitting an Early Decision application, a student enters into an agreement whereby, if admitted, she or he will enroll at COA and immediately withdraw all applications to other colleges.

An applicant wishing to apply as either an Early Decision I or Early Decision II candidate should indicate their choice on the Common Application and should also submit the Common Application Early Decision Agreement Form.

Students considering a number of institutions should apply under our Regular Decision process. First-year students must apply by February 15 in order to be considered for fall admission. One must apply by November 15 and February 15 for winter and spring term admission, respectively.

Admitted students wishing to accept an offer of admission and reserve a place for themselves in the class must pay a $300 non-refundable enrollment deposit by May 1. Those admitted for winter or spring terms are required to a pay a deposit within 14 days of their acceptance if they wish to accept an offer of admission.

TOEFL score, SAT verbal score, SAT II writing score, predicted IB score for Higher Level English.

International students are also required to submit a Declaration of Finances Form. We are proud to offer the Davis United World College Scholarship to students who graduate from the United World Colleges and are admitted to COA.

Transfer or Visiting Students

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate

College of the Atlantic welcomes applications from transfer students. Approximately 20-percent of our student body started at COA as transfer students.

A student may transfer a maximum of 18 credits to COA (the equivalent of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours). Although an evaluation of credit is not final until after enrollment, students may receive preliminary evaluations by contacting the Registrar.

Students who wish to spend one or more terms at COA and transfer college credit to another institution should apply as a visiting student.

Applications for visiting students are available by calling or e-mailing the Office of Admission.

International Students COA welcomes applications from highly qualified international students. The application for international students is the same as the one for firstyear and transfer students. Application requirements are identical, except that international students are also required to submit one of the following:

College credit may be given for superior performance on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. COA credit will be granted for scores of four or five. For International Baccalaureate (IB) work, two COA credits will be given for scores of five on higher level exams. A full year’s credit is awarded for a score of 34 or higher on the comprehensive exam. The credits are officially recorded only following successful completion of the student’s first year at COA.

Deferred Matriculation Students wishing to defer fall matriculation may do so prior to June 1 by sending a written request to the Dean of Admission and paying a $400 nonrefundable deposit ($200 of which will be applied to the student’s first term tuition bill). Matriculation may be postponed for up to a full academic year, subject to successful completion of any academic work completed during that time, as well as continued confidence in the quality of the student’s personal character.

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36) College of the Atlantic

College Billed Expenses 2008–2009 The charges for tuition, room, board and fees for the 2008–2009 college year are as follows: Tuition & Fees: $31,467

Room: $5,400

Board: $3,090

Total: $39,957

Financial Aid The Higher Education Act of 1965 was created to help make post-secondary education accessible to a wider portion of the population. The underlying principle is that the student and the student’s family share the primary responsibility for funding the student’s higher education, while the government provides assistance to those with demonstrated need. Additionally, institutions such as COA provide greater levels of support to help students pay for their education.

Assessing financial aid eligibility starts with filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

COA also requires that its own short application be completed. The information on these forms helps to establish the expected family contribution, or EFC. Subtracting the EFC from COA’s cost of attendance (tuition, room, board and fees) determines the student’s unmet need. This is where the financial aid department comes in, putting together a package of aid that may include assistance such as a COA grant, a Federally Subsidized Stafford Student Loan and a work study award. COA is also proud to award a small number of merit-based Presidential Scholarships

to those students exhibiting exceptional academic achievements and citizenship qualities.

The FAFSA usually becomes available by December and needs to be submitted by February 15 (but no sooner than January 1). The college’s Title IV code is 011385. COA’s deadline for all financial aid materials is also February 15. It is important that families keep this in mind and get their tax information filed as early as possible. Late applicants risk receiving smaller awards.

More information about financial aid is available on our website or from the Financial Aid Office.

Deadlines and Notifications Early Decision I • Admission application due by December 1 • Estimated Financial Aid due by December 10 • COA responds to applicants by December 15 Early Decision II • Admission application due by January 10 • Estimated Financial Aid due by January 20 • COA responds to applicants by January 25 Regular Admission First-Year Admission • Admission application due by February 15 • COA responds to applicants by April 1 • Enrollment deposit due by May 1 Transfer Admission • Admission application due by April 1 • COA responds to applicants by April 25 • Enrollment deposit due by May 15

Financial Aid • FAFSA filed by February 15 • Institutional Financial Aid form and Non-Custodial Parent’s Statement due at COA

by February 15 • COA responds to first-year applicants by April 1; transfer applicants by May 1

2008–2009 Schedule Fall Term

Begins September 11 Classes end November 21

Winter Term

Begins January 5 Classes end March 13

Spring Term

Begins March 30 Classes end June 5

Fall Tour Open House for Seniors (High School ’09 Graduates) is October 13 & 14, 2008. Contact the Office of Admission for details.

Admission and Financial Aid Staff Sarah G. Baker, Dean of Admission Donna McFarland, Associate Director of Admission Michael Madigan, Admission Counselor Danielle Meier, Admission Counselor Tony Victor, Admission Counselor Bruce Hazam, Director of Financial Aid Laurie Ward, Assistant to the Director of Financial Aid

COA Quick Facts

COA Quick Facts Founded – 1969, as an alternative to a traditional liberal arts college.

Character – Private; close-knit educational community; coed; non-sectarian; liberal arts.

Degrees Offered – Bachelor of Arts, Master of Philosophy, both in human ecology.

Academics – Unique interdisciplinary learning.

No departments. All students design their own majors. Three main resource areas: Arts and Design, Environmental Sciences and Human Studies.

Learning Approach – Small classes (average size is 12 students) emphasize engaged, interdisciplinary learning. Many classes are project-based, handson and are taught in a seminar format. Student: Faculty ratio: 9:1. Sixty-three percent of our graduating class in 2007 studied abroad as part of their academic program.

Academic Partnerships – Eco League, the University of Maine, Olin College of Engineering, SALT Institute for Documentary Studies, National Outdoor Leadership School, The Landing School of Boat Design and Sea Education Association.

Campus – Thirty-five acres on the rocky coast of Mount Desert Island, Maine, in the seaside town of Bar Harbor. Acadia National Park is minutes away.

Additional Facilities – Beech Hill Organic Farm and Forest (81 acres), Mount Desert Rock and Great Duck Island offshore research stations, Dorr Museum of Natural History.

National Rankings – Named one of the best education values in the country in The Princeton Review 2007 survey. Received The Princeton Review’s top green college rating for environmentally-related policies, practices and academic offerings. Only 2% of our classes have more than 20 students, the second smallest percentage in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. COA also has the second largest percentage of international students – 17% – in the U.S. Accreditation – Fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

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Student Body Enrollment (07–08 school year) 300 undergraduate students 7 graduate students Student:Faculty Ratio 9:1 Average Class Size 12 students Geographic Distribution 49 States and 38 Foreign Countries Middle Atlantic: 15%

Midwest: 11%

New England: 43%

Southwest: 2%

West: 4%

Mountain: 2%

South: 6%

International: 17%

Graduates Fifty-five percent of COA’s graduates attend graduate school within five years of completing a COA degree. Twenty percent of COA graduates become scientists, 12% go into social service or government work, 23% are involved in education, 17% pursue careers in art and

COA’s faculty – Includes Fulbright Scholars, Peace Corps veterans, published authors and active artists. Thirty percent of the faculty are conversant in at least one language in addition to English.

design, and 13% go into business.

Full-time Faculty – 25 Part-time Faculty – 15 Faculty with Ph.D.s or Terminal Degrees – 96%

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, George

Fellowships and Prizes COA students and alumni have received the following national awards: Watson Fellowship, Morris K. Udall Scholarship, C. Marshall Fellowship, Gilman Fellowship and NASA Space Grant.

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lli y by Toby Ho Primary photograhph

105 Eden Street • Bar Harbor, ME 04609 800-528-0025 • www.coa.edu

Contacting the Office of Admission Please reach us by . . .

Phone

800-528-0025 207-288-5015

E-mail

inquiry@coa.edu

Mail

Office of Admission College of the Atlantic 105 Eden Street Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Web

www.coa.edu

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