College of the Atlantic
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| Established | 1969 |
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| Type | Private |
| Endowment | $19.6 million |
| President | Darron Collins |
| Undergraduates | 364 |
| Postgraduates | 6 |
| Location | Bar Harbor, Maine, USA |
| Campus | Rural |
| Avg. Class Size | 12 |
| Website | www.coa.edu |
College of the Atlantic, founded in 1969, is a private, alternative liberal-arts college located in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. It awards bachelor's and masters (M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, though with a variety of emphases. The college is small, with approximately 364 students and a full-time faculty of 27, and 15 part-time faculty. Its curriculum includes student-directed projects, community involvement, and interdisciplinary learning.
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[edit] Curriculum
The school's curriculum is based on human ecology, and all freshmen are required to take an introductory core course in human ecology during their first term. Other requirements include two courses in each focus area (Environmental Studies, Arts and Design, Human Studies), one quantitative reasoning course, one history course, and one course that involves extensive writing. The intention is for students to explore and integrate ideas from different disciplines and to construct their own understanding of human ecology.
With its focus on interdisciplinary learning, College of the Atlantic does not have distinct departments, and all faculty members consider themselves human ecologists in addition to their formal specialization. Currently, there are professors of art, art history, anthropology, creative writing, political science and peace studies, economics, green and sustainable business, ecology, biology, botany, environmental science, sustainable food systems, film, law, environmental studies, international policy, languages, philosophy, history, education, music and psychology.
As a graduation requirement, all students must complete a term-long senior project and a human ecology essay in their final year, in addition to a mandatory internship sometime within their four years. For this senior project, students decide the methods and content which are then submitted for approval by their academic advisors. Projects are highly diverse and have included computer programs, scientific papers, ethnographic research, theatrical productions, educational curricula, complete novels, art exhibits, books of letters, garden renovations, and music compilations.
[edit] Students
Students have come from 36 states and 34 foreign countries. With international students comprising an average of 15 percent of its student population, College of the Atlantic is among the five liberal arts colleges with the highest proportion of international students.[1] These students primarily graduate from United World Colleges and are awarded full tuition scholarships through the Shelby Davis Scholarship.
[edit] History
College of the Atlantic was started by Mount Desert Island residents that wanted to stabilize the island economy by forming a year-round institution bringing educational opportunities, jobs, activities, and culture to the island during the seasons when tourist visitation was slim. First, they proposed the Acadia Peace College, but the idea was quickly dropped and COA as a school of human ecology was granted temporary approval on June 23, 1969, by the Maine State Board of Education. Most of the campus was purchased for $1 from the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate Seminary, who used the site as a monastery.[2] Parts of the campus were also donated by the Cough family (Bernard K. Cough I was one of the five founders of the school).
[edit] Sustainability at COA
In 2004, COA was the first campus to make a multi-year commitment to be powered entirely by renewable energy, signing a 10-year contract with Endless Energy Corporation.[citation needed] In 2005 it was the first school to hold a zero-waste graduation. In October 2006, COA pledged to become carbon neutral, offsetting all of its carbon emissions, including those created by visiting students; COA fulfilled the pledge in December 2007 by purchasing carbon offsets for their emissions through the Climate Trust of Oregon.[3] The college currently offsets those emissions it cannot reduce or avoid via truck stop electrification through Carbonfund.org.
New student housing is also touted as being some of the most sustainable in the northeast, built partially from recycled materials and featuring composting toilets, wood pellet heat, and superior insulation.[citation needed]
[edit] Notable alumni
- Amy Goodman, Journalist
- Nell Newman, Environmentalist and Founder of Newman's Own Organics
- Chellie Pingree, Former head of Common Cause, and US House of Representatives for Maine
- Greg Stone, Oceanographer http://www.ted.com/speakers/greg_stone.html
- Bill Ginn, Chief Conservation Officer for The Nature Conservancy http://www.nature.org/aboutus/governance/executiveteam/index.htm
- Jay McNally, Founder of IBIS Consulting, http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=20882824&privcapId=8511152&previousCapId=8511152&previousTitle=Ibis%20Consulting,%20Inc.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "COA Campus History". http://www.coa.edu/assets/landscapemasterplan07/sitehistory.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ Private college nation's first carbon-neutral campus from Associated Press via CNN
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 44°23′47.17″N 68°13′25.27″W / 44.3964361°N 68.2236861°W
