With investments in “green” operations, College of the Atlantic tops a national list
College of the Atlantic, with a full-time enrollment of 360, was cited as being “exceptional” in its green distinctions.
Awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human ecology exclusively, in 2007 COA became the first college to achieve carbon-neutrality in the U.S. and it has committed to becoming fossil fuel-free by 2030.
The college is also No. 1 on the Princeton Review list “Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation.”
Steps to reduce its footprint include construction of a 12,000-square-foot dormitory designed to passive house principles, featuring airtight construction, a high-efficiency envelope, heat-recovery ventilation, mass-timber construction, wood-fiber insulation and a rooftop solar array.
The college completed construction of a 30,000-square-foot academic center that employs similar principles. Other initiatives include phasing out single-use plastics; reducing, recycling and composting waste; transitioning to renewable sources; sourcing food sustainably; and using nontoxic cleaning products.
Founded in 1969, College of the Atlantic is part of Sustainable MDI, a group of area businesses working together on similar measures.
Other distinctions cited by the guide include an inclusive governance system and an “interdisciplinary approach to learning” with students allowed to construct their own educational path. Academic opportunities allow for hands-on, in-the-field experience. a number of individuals participate in student research through local lab partners.
Late last year, the Bar Harbor school joined Southern Maine Community College in Portland, the University of Maine in Orono and six other colleges and universities outside of Maine to support climate action in each of their broader communities. The schools serve as host sites for AmeriCorps’ Campus Climate Action Corps program, a new AmeriCorps program from Campus Compact, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Boston and dedicated to the public purposes of higher education.