College of the Atlantic DECEMBER 1, 1972 NEWSLETTER College of the Atlantic's first term ran from September 13 to Novem- ber 22. An attempt to describe everything of significance that occurred during those ten weeks would take much more space than is available here. The first term was a challenging, frustrating, rewarding, exciting time. Brief descriptions of some of its highlights appear below. The college's academic program was the subject of continual scrutiny and discussion for several years prior to opening day. This scrutiny in- tensified upon the arrival of students and teachers and first term classes were marked by frequent and stringent evaluations of both structure and content. The flexibility of the curriculum means that these evaluations can lead to (and in some cases already have led to) constructive modifica- tions. The first-term curriculum consisted of four courses and three workshops. One of the former, Ecology of Natural Systems, was required of all students in preparation for the second term's Human Effects on Natural Systems. The other courses, in literature and aesthetics, law and anthropology, were de- signed to supplement one another and to provide in-depth study in areas re- lated to workshop projects. The three workshops - Humans and the Great Whales, The Future of the Maine Coast, The Maine Oil Controversy - spent most of the term in planning, organization and preparation, and will commence full-time activity in January. Regularly scheduled activities included ceramics, spinning and weaving, folk-dancing, photography instruction, and modern dance. In addition, the college sponsored a film series (Wild Strawberries; The Seventh Seal; Why Man Creates; Sad Song of Yellow Skin) and a program of weekly colloquia. Colloquium speakers in the first term included Martin Meltz, a Brunswick photographer and film-maker; Maine Times editor John Cole; and Colby pro- fessor Gustave Todrank. Students created a college art gallery, arranged a concert by Gordon Bok, and organized all athletic activities. In addition to academic and cultural pursuits, students played a significant role in the daily maintenance and governance of the college. Cleaning, grounds-keeping and kitchen work were all student responsibilities, as was membership on the different policy-making committees. Students init- iated a series of dialogues, open community meetings for the airing of grievances and discussion of problems. Perhaps most importantly, all members of the college community agreed early in the first term that the traditional distinctions between students-faculty-staff should be broken down as much as possible, freeing people from the narrowly-defined roles which are too often a part of college life. Curriculum modification was one of several topics considered by the Academic Policy Committee in its weekly meetings. Other areas of concern included graduation requirements, independent study guidelines, methods of evaluating student work, and academic standards. Designed to function in the role usually held by an academic dean, the committee had as its primary responsibility the maintenance of a flexible yet rigorous curriculum. The interdependency of courses and the effectiveness of the committee are in large part due to the small number of people involved; the entire faculty (six in number) is on the committee, and faculty members find it relatively easy to sit in on one another's courses. Faculty selection for 1973-74 is one of the responsibilities of the Personnel Committee. Like the APC, the Personnel Committee is composed of faculty, students, and trustees. During the first term, three meetings were held to consider several of the most promising applicants. Approximately 500 applications have been received since the beginning of 1972; three new appointments will be made. Areas of high priority include botany, oceano- graphy, economics, environmental design, math, philosophy, and psychology. The Personnel Committee determined these priorities, and arranged for several prospects to visit the college late in the first term. Students are the primary concern of the Committee on Admission, Financial Aid, and Student Affairs. In its three first-term meetings the committee de- voted most of its time to discussion of recruiting, financial aid, and selec- tion procedures. The admissions operation is approximately three months ahead of the 1971-72 schedule; the catalogs were ready by the end of August, and have been mailed out to 750 student inquiries and 300 secondary school counselors. Melville Cote has visited schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Maine; further visits are planned for December. As of mid- November, 120 preliminary applications have been sent out, beginning a process which will result in the September 1973 enrollment of between 40 and 50 new students. Strawberry Hill, site of the college's new campus, was blanketed by 8 inches of snow on November 15, temporarily halting a comprehensive ecological survey. The Building Committee met several times during the first term, after confirming Edward Larabee Barnes as the architect for the campus master plan. Town officials attended one meeting; at another, Mr. Barnes and two associates presented ideas for experimental and practical energy applications on the new campus. Students plan to survey the hill for possible sites for wind-powered pumps and generators, and a second-term workshop will consider a number of different questions and problems arising from the initial campus planning. Evaluation of all aspects of the first term is the responsibility of the Evaluation Committee, which will function on a daily basis during the first half of December. Members of the committee created a detailed questionnaire covering curriculum, personnel, habitat, and community relations, and organ- ized small-group interviews for every member of the college community. In addition, each student wrote course and workshop evaluations and faculty members prepared paragraph reports on each of their students. Once all this information is assembled, the committee will be in a position to make recommendations for the second term and beyond. Accreditation, granted by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, is an important goal. Also important is the legal authority to grant degrees. In early November the college was visited by representa- tives of the Maine State Board of Education and the New England Association. The visitors attended classes and met with students, staff, and trustees. Among their primary concerns were financial stability, curriculum planning, academic standards, and student/faculty morale. The recommendations of these visiting committees will be acted upon (by the Maine legislature and the NEASC) in the near future. If approved, the college will have degree-granting authority by spring, and will hold the status of Corres- pondent with the regional accrediting agency. The college's concern with community relations is reflected in the catalog: "College of the Atlantic began as a community effort, and remains an integrated part of the community within which it grew." During the first term, this integration, or blurring of the traditional "town-gown" distinc- tion, took a number of different forms. Students and staff members live in eleven island communities (and two off-island); college people own homes in Salisbury Cove, Northeast Harbor, Hulls Cove, Bar Harbor, Somesville, and Manset. The wives of both married students are employed locally, one as a nurse's aide, one as an elementary school teacher, several other students hold part-time jobs on the island, and one is developing a program of environmental education for the island's elementary schools. Most of the college's activities in the first term - concerts, films, lectures - were open to the public and were well attended by island residents. The college art gallery was open daily during the week. Community members audited some first-term courses; others have been involved in. the work of the evaluation committee and building committee. Related to this area is that of publicity, a vital part of the college's development. Local media coverage has been good. During the first term, stories and articles on the college appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and World magazine; news of the college's opening was carried by the wire services, and a description of the college was included in a new book, This Way Out. Articles will be appearing soon in Not Man Apart, a Friends of the Earth publication, and in the journal of Environmental Education. December 1972. The second term begins on January second. During the 512/2020 week break, students and faculty members will engage in a variety of different activities (including, perhaps, some vacation time). The evaluation committee will be assembling and correlating all the information received from question- naires and interviews. Committees on academic policy and personnel will be meeting. Prospective students will be interviewed, and applications processed. Several students will be staying in Bar Harbor; some to help with evaluation, others to work full-time on building maintenance and repair. Faculty members will travel to conferences in Portland, Montreal, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Then, with the passing of the holiday season, the fifty-one people who are College of the Atlantic will come together again to begin the second term. Prayer at first Convocation of College of the Atlantic September 12, 1972 0 thou nameless Being, we who have felt the impulse to create, we who have known the freedom of trusting in the truth, we who have been tied together with others in one bundle of affection and loyal- ty, we who have called injustice by its rightful name, we bless thee for those occasions, mysterious and fascinating, when deep within us we have known thy name, for we have felt thy power: Creator, Spirit of Truth, Love, Good-will, Enable us to discover - to re-discover, our issue, the cause for which we are here in this world, so that we may no longer, dull-spirit- ed, bob about on the surface of life like driftwood upon the sea. Save us from never getting beyond just the reading of the minutes of the last meeting. May our love of the earth and our love of mankind, like two hands, wash each other and keep both clean and sweet. Save us in the days ahead from using our equipment of education and culture and friendship just for our own advancement and amusement. Prepare us to place these gifts of ours at the service of our less endowed and less fortunate fellow men and women. Accustom us as members of this College to plan not only for our own profit or interest but also for the larger concerns of these com- munities and for the happier destiny of mankind. Thou, Alpha and Omega, who art the beginning of all good begin- nings and the end, the goal, of all good endings, Harbor and Horizon, for this new beginning here together, in pride and thankfulness we bless thy holy name. Arthur Cushman McGiffert