COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC
Bar Harbor, Maine
The College
College of the Atlantic (COA) was founded in 1969 to provide an ecological, problem-solving approach to education that combines academic rigor in the arts and sciences with practical application. The College's small size allows students to work closely with faculty members and to design an individualized program suited to their own particular interests. Enrollment during 200304 is 275: 170 women and 105 men. The oceanfront location of the campus allows students to take advantage of the abundant natural resources offered by the Atlantic Ocean and nearby Acadia National Park. The College also sponsors a regular film and speaker series, numerous concerts and dances, informal College parties, musical get-togethers, and recitals. Students, faculty members, and staff members form a close-knit College community.
In addition to its undergraduate degrees, the College also offers a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in human ecology.
Location
The College is located in the town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, where Acadia National Park is also situated. Connected to the mainland by a causeway, the large, scenic island lies 300 miles north of Boston and 40 miles east of Bangor. In the summer, Bar Harbor teems with tourists. When students return in the fall, the traffic reverses direction and Bar Harbor becomes a quiet coastal Maine village. The Atlantic Ocean and Acadia National Park provide ample opportunities for such outdoor recreational activities as swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Cooperative programs with the Jackson Laboratory, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, the national park, and the local public school system helps to broaden the scope of COA's educational activities. The College's two islands and 86-acre organic farm expand COA's resources.
Majors and Degrees
College of the Atlantic awards the Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology. Human ecology emphasizes the understanding of interrelationships between humans and the social, technological, and natural environments. Within the degree focus, students may develop individualized programs in one or more of the following areas: environmental science, humanities, international and regional studies, landscape and building design, marine studies, natural-history-museum studies, public policy, sustainable agriculture and community development, teacher certification, and visual arts.
Academic Programs
The academic program is designed to develop an ecological perspective through the understanding of social, biological, and technological interrelationships. With this perspective, students acquire the skills necessary to enter the fields of science, education, business, law, design, the arts, health, or journalism. Sixty percent of COA's alumni have pursued graduate or professional education at some of the country's leading institutions. Many different forms of study are available at COA, and small and informal classes are the foundation of the curriculum. Student-initiated workshops, independent studies, internships, and senior projects also provide important learning experiences. Applied learning is the norm, not the exception.
To qualify for graduation, students must complete required interdisciplinary course work, write an essay on human ecology, perform community service, and complete a one-term internship and a one-term senior project.
College of the Atlantic accepts up to two years of transfer credits from accredited colleges if the grades earned were C or better and were earned in courses of an academic nature.
Off-Campus Programs
The College's academic program is augmented by exchange agreements with the University of Maine at Orono; the Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic; the Landing School of Boatbuilding in Kennebunk, Maine; and the Multiversidad Franciscana de Americana Latino in Uruguay. Students may also spend a term in COA's own study abroad program in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Academic Facilities
Thorndike Library, with more than 35,000 volumes and 410 periodicals, also provides access to libraries throughout the United States, Great Britain, and Canada through OCLC interlibrary loans. COA has zoology, botany, and chemistry laboratories; a herbarium; greenhouses; design and ceramics studios; state-of-the-art computer facilities, including a Geographic Information Systems Lab and a design/graphics computer lab; research boats for marine research and to ferry students and faculty members to College-owned island research stations in the Gulf of Maine; and an 86-acre working organic farm.
Costs
The total cost for the 200405 academic year was estimated at $31,977. This included $24,870 for tuition, $4161 for room, $2571 for board, and a $375 student activities fee.
Financial Aid
More than two thirds of the College's students receive some form of financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the College's own form are required by the College to determine a student's eligibility for assistance. Aid is based on established need and academic merit. Financial aid packages generally consist of a combination of scholarships, work-study awards, and loans.
Faculty
With a faculty of 29 full-time and 13 part-time teachers, the student-faculty ratio is 10:1. Ninety percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.'s or the equivalent. Courses offered by regular visiting faculty members supplement the curriculum. The primary commitment of the COA faculty is teaching and advising undergraduate students.
Student Government
The College governance system is a combination of pure and representative democracy. Students participate in all facets of decision making and serve on all standing committees. Major policy decisions are brought for review to the All-College Meeting, where members of the faculty, staff, and student body each have one vote.
Admission Requirements
The Admission Committee, composed of students, staff members, and faculty members, seeks students who have an enthusiastic and active approach to learning, a strong record of academic achievement, and accompanying intellectual strengths. These qualities should be supplemented with appropriate personal qualities enabling a student to learn in an environment requiring a high degree of self-motivation.
The COA application form contains a series of essay questions that require students to think carefully about College of the Atlantic's educational focus. The application is designed to encourage prospective students to reflect on and express personal reasons for choosing a small college with a focus on human ecology. The answers to these questions, teacher and counselor references, past academic records, and personal interviews are used by the Admission Committee in arriving at its decision. Standardized test scores are optional.
Admission procedures and standards are the same for transfer students as for freshman applicants. Special emphasis is placed on the transfer applicant's college transcript and recommendations. The transfer of credits is determined on an individual basis. All transferring students are required to complete a minimum of two years of study at COA. Applications are also accepted from students at other institutions who wish to spend time at the College as visiting students.
Application and Information
Prospective students are encouraged to visit the College in order to sit in on classes, talk with students and faculty members, and acquire an understanding of the College's individualized educational style. COA employs a deadline date of February 15 for fall admission for first-year students, but offers two early decision options with a December 1 deadline and a January 10 deadline. Transfer students must apply by April 1. Decisions for first-year students are mailed on or about April 1 and on or about April 25 for transfer students. Applicants for winter term should apply by November 15 and for spring term by February 15. Application materials may be obtained by writing to the College or by telephoning the Admission Office at the number below. The application fee is $45. COA endorses the policy set by the National Association of College Admission Counselors, whereby regular admission students have the right to defer accepting any offer of admission until May 1.
