Association Newsletter College of the Atlantic April 1984 Vol. 2, No. 3 The College of the Atlantic Association (COAA) is an organization of people interested in COA. It Includes former students, faculty, staff, parents, and anyone else who asks to join. It is also the formal alumni association of the college, is incorporated, has a constitution and by-laws, and will soon be granted tax exempt status. COAA was started by former students for three primary purposes: 1. To allow us all to keep track of each other 2. To stay informed about goings-on at the college 3. To help support the college This newsletter is published three times a year to help us keep track and stay informed. This issue is devoted to the changes and progress that have been made at the college since the fire. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY 2 - Committees are a good way to set policy. By Bruce Bender They are a damn lousy way to administer it. The accreditation folks have pointed this A little over two years ago a group out to the College. The administration of us sat down at Maine Audubon to function is becoming centralized, as sooner begin what evolved into this Associa- or later seems inevitable. This is causing tion. It's time to reflect a bit on turmoil within the College, but is neces- where we're at, and where we go from sary as the focus of COA changes from within itself to include a bit more without here. as well. Or, if you like the analogy of First I will throw out two thoughts: institutional lifespans to human ones, COA is in early adolescence. 1 - When you are dealing with groups of people, a problem solved is not The informal feedback which I am getting from COAA members is that we are a little a problem solved. In carpentry, when disaffected with current goings on at the you screw two pieces of wood together College. I offer the above two thoughts with epoxy in the joint, you can be in response, and one more: the COA/COAA reasonably sure that the joint will rumor mill is like network news. The last as long as the wood does: the sensational stuff, devoid of background problem is solved. With groups of and context, filters through. All news people, when you agree on a solu- is bad news, ie. "Bill Carpenter, new tion to a problem you can be Dean of the faculty, is continuing to reasonably sure that the problem boost College morale with his vast supply is taken care of until somebody has of insight, wit, good humor, and equani- second thoughts, which may take 10 mity, guided by his puissant perspective years or 10 minutes. This makes of the overall picture" doesn't get into problem solving among groups of the rumor mill, because it ain't juicy. people an ongoing process. There But it's true, and it's part of what's has been a lot of this going on at COA recently. It doesn't mean that going on at COA. So don't believe the gossip. Go there and find out for yourself the institution is coming apart. It what's going on. Or come to the COAA means that there are a lot of annual meeting, where among the general problems to solve at the moment. fooferaw we will also be discussing these things. Letter from the Secretary (Continued) A comment about fundraising: it is the least pleasant but most essential thing ENCOURAGING THINGS AND NOT-SO-ENCOURAGING that we do. If we all stay interested THINGS and participate actively in COAA, the fundraising will take its proper place The original purpose of COAA was threefold, among the many COAA concerns and activities. as I pointed out two newsletters ago: to If we don't the fundraising will loom allow us to keep track of each other, to larger and larger as the one thing inevitably keep informed about COA, and to help support associated with COAA, which has the tendency COA. We now have a quite complete mailing to turn people off a little, which will list, as far as who all is on it. The make it loom larger, which will turn more problem is we all move around so much that people off, and so on in a sad self- it requires constant updating, and many of reinforcing negative spiral. Let's not get the addresses are not current or complete. into any such thing. There are about 500 of us on the list - and I just wonder how many of we 500 are read- ing this. Still, it is a quantum leap from WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? where we were even last year, and about all we can do is keep at it. Sally Crock is the As is true of any volunteer group, most person to contact at the College with of the work gets done by a small number current addresses and phone numbers. of people. About a dozen of us have been involved with starting and organizing COAA. Keeping informed is not so easy. I feel that Another dozen or so have kept the committees the people putting together the newsletter performing. It has taken more time, effort, are the hardest working bunch of all of us and plain hard work than most of us antici- involved with COAA, and my hat is off to pated, and looking ahead to next year I see them. Yet I still hear the kind of complaint many of us no longer involved. So, gentle about our newsletter that I was hearing about reader, it's really up to you. We need the COA News two years ago: "superficial," " new faces, new ideas, and new directions, and "not enough depth." Well, if you are one of I warmly encourage you to become more in- those pointing such a finger, take a good volved. COAA is, after all, among human look at the end of it: you are pointing endeavors, of the most noble sort. it at yourself. We have the opportunity to make our newsletter into whatever we wish, P.S. You can get more involved through but we are a volunteer organization limited your class secretary. The list of secreta- by the amount of spontaneous effort we can ries is published later in this newsletter. muster. If you don't like the newsletter, help it out. We are doing a good job of helping the PHOENIX PHONATHON by Bob Holley college. COAA members are helping with the new competitive recruitment effort. Our fundraising is becoming more significant The Association's initial efforts to gene- each year. This year, with the fire and the rate funds for the rebuilding of the College financial problems, and the matching grant successfully took place this March. A keyed to the percentage of us that give, giving letter was sent to all graduates and fundraising is more important then ever. former students followed by a phonathon. At the time of this writing, both efforts Where we aren't doing such a good job is have secured pledges over the next three helping ourselves. COAA is unique in the years totaling $26,065. way we have membership: anyone expressing an interest in COA may join. But our We were able to contact 145 Association efforts to collect dues (without running members by phone, of which 133 people up a phone bill in excess of the dues collected) have been miserable. 100 out of pledged $22,935. Twenty two members who were not contacted by phone mailed in 500 of you have responded. So now we will resort to Plan 2, which is to ask for part pledges totaling $3,125. From both appeals, 155 members, or 34% of the total membership, of your donation to the College to be ear- have responded with pledges totaling marked for the Association.