N COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC 350 STUDENTS ONE MAJOR ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES "How do we help most? How do we best serve this broken world?... The holistic leap we need is within our grasp. And know that there is no better preparation for that grand project than your deeply interdisciplinary education in human ecology. You were made for this moment. II Naomi Klein "Climate Change Is a Crisis We Can Only Solve Together." College of the Atlantic Commencement Address, June 6, 2015. 3 Welcome & Overview 11 Academics 48 Community 62 Life After COA 66 Getting In (Admission) COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC 2016 VIEWBOOK WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOU LOOK OUT ACROSS THE WATER? For College of the Atlantic students, a view like this is commonplace and yet never ordinary. Our campus sits on 38 acres on the coast of Maine, with views across the rocky islands of Frenchman Bay to Schoodic Mountain in the distance. When we look across the water we see ecosystems to study, economic enterprises to develop, policies to pass, lesson plans to teach, food systems to sustain, landscapes to paint, resources to steward, space to think, and beauty to inspire. Students come to COA because they want to be part of creating a more sustainable and humane world. They want to be inspired and challenged by a close-knit community of faculty and peers, and they want to dig into complex questions in the classroom and laboratory, but also in the woods and waters of Acadia National Park, the conference halls of UN climate negotiations, and the corn fields of rural Mexico and Guatemala. Some students come here knowing exactly what they want to do and be; others are drawn in because our academic program allows and encourages the exploration of multiple subjects and interests. All COA students will study across different disciplines and learn to approach each topic from perspectives they previously hadn't considered. View across Frenchman Bay from the Deering Common Community Center 3 OF THE 3 S MISSION College of the Atlantic enriches the liberal arts tradition through a distinctive educational philosophy- human ecology. A human ecological perspective integrates knowledge from all academic disciplines and from personal experience to investigate-and ultimately improve-the relationships between human beings and our social and natural communities. The human ecological perspective guides all aspects of education, research, activism, and interactions among the college's students, faculty, staff, and trustees. The College of the Atlantic community encourages, prepares, and expects students to gain the expertise, breadth, values, and practical experience necessary to achieve individual fulfillment and to help solve problems that challenge communities everywhere. 10 5 Construction of the Thomas S. Gates, Jr. Immunity Center. A History of College of the Atlantic College of the Atlantic was chartered in 1969 by a small group of local community members and educators who saw in Mount Desert Island a great year-round location for learning. COA admitted its first class in 1972. There were only four full-time faculty members that first year (selected from 1800 applicants), and 32 students. The educational philosophy was clear: COA would be the first college in the US to have the relationships between humans and the environment as its primary focus. Learning was going to be active. Together, faculty and students explored the oceans around Mount Desert Island as well as the woods and mountains of Acadia National Park. Together, they studied whales in the Gulf of Maine and discussed the texts of such passionate naturalists as Henry David Thoreau and Rene DuBois. They continued their discussions over coffee in town, and dinner at each other's homes. Over forty years later, the college's focus on exploration and community has not changed. COA's 35 faculty members continually update and change courses to meet students' interests and adapt to a changing world. Our 350 students are encouraged to explore their passions and challenged to think in new ways. As Nell Newman, co-founder of Newman's Own Organics, says of her COA years, "When Pop asked me 'What do you do with a human ecology degree?' I answered him, 'As my student advisor said, human ecologists make their own niche in the world.' To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what that meant at the time, but it is what I feel I have been able to do. My environmental interests go beyond organic food to an awareness of worldwide environmental issues. The foundation for this was laid at College of the Atlantic, where I was given the tools to continue to explore and contribute in my own way." 6 A marine mammal rescue from the 1980s A class discussion in COA's early days. it Saren Peetz 15, pictured with the solar array at COA's Peggy Rockefeller Farms, is working to help local communities better meet their energy needs from renewable sources. Photo by Tristan Spinski 8 "College of the Atlantic is nudging its students to reach outside the school's boundaries and start changing the real world." The New York Times "A College in Maine That Tackles Climate Change, One Class at a Time." July 1, 2015. in SHAHN 10 Every student at COA designs his or her own course of study in human ecology. There is no set path; you give shape to your studies based on your interests, goals, and talents. Are you curious about the math and physics of sustainable energy? Or perhaps you'd like to study environmental law, animation, entrepreneurship, anthropology, botany, literature, or community planning? COA graduates all share a common degree in human ecology, but ask any one of them about the classes they took, their senior project, or how they're using their degree in the world, and you'll realize that this one major is uniquely flexible and tailored by each student. ACADEMICS At COA we don't have academic departments; our faculty members come from a diverse range of fields and bring dynamic expertise, but you won't find the biologists just doing biology. Here faculty and students are encouraged to study and work across multiple disciplines because we believe that the solutions to the world's most pressing problems will be developed by people who are actively integrating perspectives and knowledge from the sciences, arts, social sciences, and humanities.