College of the Atlantic Environmental studies which focus only upon the study of the natural world and our physical effect upon it neglect the fact that the problems we face are ultimately human problems. In this century, ecological and social studies have revealed both the extent of our interdependence with nature and the limitations of the world's material resources. Without this recognition, professionally specialized education can become insular and self-defeating through loss of perspective and scope. The problems of Human Ecology are not merely defensive ones of preservation, but creative, active challenges of exploring and defining new paths of human growth, ones which make preservation both possible and desirable. To this end, College of the Atlantic places great emphasis upon the study of ecology within the context of human life, values, and social processes. We seek to achieve diversified individual develop- ment, within a cooperative attack upon concrete problems, as a framework for developing special competence. The college is organized primarily as a place to learn through formally organized programs, but it is also a place to live and develop both new perspectives and the means of imparting those perspectives to society at large. COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC / BAR HARBOR, MAINE 04609 4 INTRODUCTION College of the Atlantic is a small, private co-educational institution awarding the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology. The college provides an education which is both broadly based and carefully focused. Rather than sampling from a ran- dom assortment of disciplines, students participate in an integrated curriculum organ- ized around a central theme, the study of Human Ecology. The college's purpose is to study the various relationships which exist between humans and their environments, including both the natural'world which supports our existence and the society and institutions which we have created. Some of the clear- est examples of this interaction are in the area where people have done or threaten to do harm, both physical and aesthetic, to the natural world. Concern with current and developing problems, matched by an awareness of the forces of change, underlies the flexibility of the college's programs and the possibility for redefinition and modification which exists at all levels of the college's operation. The problem-centered curriculum is designed to utilize the thought and research generated by both empirical and theoretical investigation. Offerings include detailed examinations of specific ecological problems, supplemented by seminars covering a wide variety of related subject matter. The curriculum itself may be regarded as a working system in which all the parts are intended to complement and reinforce one another. There is no rigid department structure, and persons with different back- grounds, disciplines, and experience work together. Some administrators teach; some faculty members share administrative responsibilities. All members of the college com- munity - students, staff, and trustees - share the responsibility for implementing the college's goals. Those goals, and the methods for achieving them, are the objects of continuing scrutiny. The college's dual role, as an experimental institution and as a resource center for the study of human ecology, inevitably creates tensions and frustrations, as well as exciting opportunities for seeing one's ideas implemented. To grow in one direction reflects a decision not to grow in others. As the college grows, and defines itself with increasing clarity, it will to some extent limit the number of expectations it can fulfill. This catalog describes the college at one point in a continuing process of development and change. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM The college's curriculum is based on a conviction that bodies of knowledge are interdependent. Extreme specialization is incompatible with an undergraduate educa- tion aimed at developing an understanding of human ecology. The broadly based, interdisciplinary curriculum may also be described as the study of interrelationships and a constant movement toward synthesis. The tendency to separate the study of man from the study of the natural world is artificial, reflecting the limitations of the human mind rather than the realities of nature. Similarly, the traditional structuring of faculty into separate departments is a product of bureaucratic needs which often ignores the fundamental interdependence of all fields of knowledge. Synthesis, integration, communication, and application are the hallmarks of the curriculum. We offer a series of interdisciplinary workshops, courses and seminars, indepen- dent study, tutorials, specialized skill courses, and supervised internships away from the college. The emphasis is on analyses of human ecology from different perspec- tives, and on understanding the complexities of specific social and environmental problems. Acquisition of research skills and problem-solving techniques are necessary aspects of this type of exploration. 5 We are developing the following four programs of emphasis within the curriculum, which will help students to focus their energies and to integrate their studies in preparation for careers or graduate school. These programs were originally chosen because they represent four main types of problems with which our students and faculty have been concerned and on which we are working. All are mutually-interde- pendent, both philosophically and operationally. They should be regarded not as formal "majors" in the traditional sense, but rather as organizational guidelines to help define the goals and methodologies of each student within the broad area of Human Ecology. Social and Environmental Design and Planning focuses on efforts to create alternative patterns for living which meet human needs in a manner that is both mutually supportive and compatible with the delicate complexities of our nonhuman environment. Human Perspectives inquires into the nature, qualities and expressions of human- ness. Here we try to comprehend the intellectual, emotional, and physiological aspects of individual and group behavior. We try also to understand and learn from the percep- tions of other individuals and cultures, in order to discover more harmonious relation- ships for ourselves. Education and Communication explores the importance of education in environ- mental problem-solving, both in school systems and in public information through various communications media. (This program is under development.) Environmental Sciences brings together the biological and physical sciences in a consideration of the relations between natural systems and human activities. Particular attention is given to marine biology and to the ecosystems of eastern and coastal Maine. (See page 33 for lists of suggested courses). MOUNT DESERT ISLAND Mount Desert Island is a uniquely beautiful combination of forests, lakes, mountains, and ocean, about 250 miles "downeast" from Boston. Connected to the mainland by a small bridge, the island has approximately 80 miles of coast- line and an area of 150 square miles. Portions of the island remain undeveloped; approximately one-third is permanently protected by Acadia National Park. During the period from October to June, the island is uncrowded and quiet. The year-round population is about 8,000, largely concentrated in four towns. In the summer, the residential population doubles, and more than two million visitors flock to Bar Harbor to visit the park. The island's economy is dominated in the summer by the tourist trade, and in the winter by boat-building, fishing and lobstering, and the Jackson Laboratory, the nation's largest center for the study of mammalian genetics. With its glacial lakes, climax forests, scars of the 1947 fire, mountains, and the ever-changing interface between land and sea, the island is an outdoor laboratory of vast scope and resources. The impact of more than 2 million tourists on the island's natural resources, economy, and collective psyche offers oppor- tunity for study (both theoretical and practical) in economics, law, political decision-making, psychology, biology and aesthetics.