Membership in this community places a significant expectation upon its students, faculty, and staff to respect the dignity and autonomy of others, and to act with forethought and consideration of the social and environmental impacts their actions may have. This community thrives on the freedom of inquiry and expression that extends from the classroom into the social life of the College. This freedom is manifested in the vigorous debates that take place in our classrooms, committees, and residence halls, which bring together students, faculty, and staff. By necessity, such freedom comes from an atmosphere of trust and mutual confidence that must also extend from classroom to committee to residence hall.

With these expectations in mind, there are few stated restrictions on behavior at the college – nevertheless, students are expected to adhere to the social and academic policies stated in all college documents. With one possible exception, the policies that follow have been developed and endorsed by the ACM as necessary for the functioning of this community.

The following procedures apply for students. Students who are concerned about the actions of a faculty or staff member should talk with any of the following faculty or staff members: the Academic Dean, any of the Associate Deans, the Director of Public Safety, the Administrative Dean or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. Any forthcoming charges against faculty and staff will be handled according to the procedures set forth in the faculty and staff manuals.

This section is not a comprehensive list of all campus community policies. Included here is important information about our drug/alcohol and safe community policies. 


Community Policies

  • Alcohol

    COA is required to comply with the Drug Free Campuses Act, as well as the laws of the State of Maine, which include but are not limited to:

    • Individuals must be 21 years old to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol in the state of Maine.
    • Persons under 21 years of age may not purchase, consume, possess, or transport alcoholic beverages.
    • It is illegal to present false identification, either written or oral, in the attempt to procure alcoholic beverages.
    • No person may furnish, procure, or deliver alcohol to a minor or allow any minor in his/her control to drink alcohol.
    • No person may furnish, procure, or deliver alcohol to/for an intoxicated person.
    • Only licensed liquor dealers may sell alcoholic beverages in Maine.
    • Charging admission to parties where alcoholic beverages are available “free” is illegal.
    • No person may drink alcohol while operating a motor vehicle. In addition, an excessive blood alcohol level (0.08) could result in a suspension of your driver’s license and/or a fine. If you are under 21 years old, the state considers you intoxicated if your blood alcohol level reaches 0.02.
    • The consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places is illegal without a special license or permit issued by Maine state officials.

    In order for COA to comply with these laws and to maintain a safe campus, the following policy has been enacted:

    • All COA students, staff, and faculty are personally responsible for complying with Maine state and local laws regarding consumption, sale, transportation, and procurement of alcohol.
    • Individuals under the influence of alcohol will be held fully accountable for their actions, including physical or verbal abuse to individuals, or any action resulting in damage to personal or college property. Intoxication is not an acceptable defense or excuse for disorderly conduct.
    • Making reference to alcohol is discouraged in campus advertisements or announcements for social events.
    • Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in spaces regularly frequented by the public, including but not limited to Blair Dining Hall; Thorndike Library; Gates Community Center; Deering Common, access ways to buildings; parking lots and drives, hallways, lobbies, and common areas of buildings; formal gardens; and at all COA functions except under conditions noted below.
    • At the discretion of the Director of Public Safety or his delegate, any individual who is potentially disruptive or impaired by alcohol must cease his/her behavior upon request.
    • Consumption of alcohol in campus housing is only permitted by residents 21 or older, in private student rooms in housing not designated as substance free. Alcohol is not permitted to be stored in common spaces. Any student storing alcohol in a student room will be held responsible for any consequences resulting from the consumption of that alcohol whether by themselves or others. The household and the Resident Advisor will determine further guidelines, with the assistance of the housing office as needed. The household policy must be in accordance with the community guidelines and all members of the household are to share in the responsibility of upholding the policy.

    Any community member violating this policy will be held accountable through measures that may include a warning or referral to appropriate social misconduct or personnel procedures. Complaints of social misconduct can be brought through the offices of either the Director of Campus Safety or the Dean of Student Life. Violations of Maine laws occur at the risk of the individuals involved - and are not the responsibility of the College.

  • Amorous Relationships

    Amorous relationships between paid professionals (faculty and staff) and students are prohibited at COA. Should any faculty or staff member enter into an amorous relationship with a student, that staff or faculty member will be expected to take unpaid leave for the duration of the student’s time at the college.

  • Bias Response

    Phase One of the Bias Response Policy was approved by the All College Meeting on May 31, 2023.

    PHASE ONE

    College of the Atlantic is committed to free speech and academic freedom. In solidarity with community members who have experienced, witnessed, or perceived acts of identity-based bias, the college is equally committed to nurturing a campus climate where everyone can flourish without obstruction.

    Disagreements and conflicts, including those involving identity-based bias, are often best addressed through informal, direct strategies, and community members are encouraged to do so whenever possible.

    This policy aims to adequately define what an act of identity-based bias is and recommend a process any community member can follow to address them. Intended to foster awareness, understanding, accountability, and growth, this process is holistic, documentary, voluntary, and educational.

    This process is available to anyone, especially those concerned that they may have caused harm, those who may have witnessed harm, or those who believe they were personally harmed.

    Bias is complex and can influence actions ranging from innocent misunderstandings to hateful misconduct. The college has formal avenues to acknowledge, investigate, and adjudicate situations of potential wrongdoing, such as the Social Misconduct Policy, Discrimination Policy, Sexual Misconduct Policy, Grievance Policy, General Employment policies listed in the Faculty Manual and Staff Manual, and relevant sections in other college policies.

    As an educational approach, this policy is not intended to override these formal avenues or replace the responsibilities of the committees and respective chairs which govern them. Still, it is strongly advised as the first step in any situation where the presence of misconduct is reasonably uncertain.

    To register a formal misconduct complaint involving a faculty member, contact the Chair of the Faculty Development Group, Kourtney Collum. For those involving a staff member, contact the Chair of the Personnel Committee, Bear Paul. For complaints involving students, contact the Chair of the Student Life Committee, Joshua Luce.

    IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

    If there is an incident in progress or you feel unsafe, please call the COA Emergency Line at 207-288-9001 or the 24-hour Student Life Line at 207-266-5890. In a heightened emergency that requires 911 to be dialed first, please call next, if possible, the COA Emergency Line to alert campus authorities of incoming emergency personnel.

    WHAT IS AN ACT OF IDENTITY-BASED BIAS?

    Bias is a universal human trait, widely understood as a preference or prejudice, implicit or explicit, that influences perceptions, behaviors, and decisions. While many biases are harmless, they become harmful acts of identity-based bias when they drive threats, hate speech, or unequal service or treatment. Such actions are incongruent with the values of the college and warrant review.

    Identity-based bias may also be harmful when it creates behavior that perpetuates stigmas and stereotypes, such as those associated with protected classes like race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender identity and expression, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, or age.

    Categories may also include other existing or emerging expressions of identity the college community wishes to acknowledge as susceptible to acts of identity-based bias via individuals or groups within or beyond COA.

    The most severe act of identity-based bias is a hate crime. However, while the definition of a hate crime is encoded in law, what ultimately constitutes other acts of identity-based bias, their severity, or what to do about them, is far less precise and can take time to make sense of.

    Although all hate crimes are acts of identity-based bias, not all acts of identity-based bias are hate crimes, and some might be misunderstandings ultimately unpursued by those impacted by the incident.

    Controversial speech and actions protected under academic freedom, for example, do not generally constitute acts of identity-based bias. However, they may produce strong emotions requiring reconciliation between individuals or constituencies.

    CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCE ADVISOR

    If you believe that you have contributed to, witnessed, or experienced a harmful act of identity-based bias, and were unable or unwilling, for any reason, to resolve it directly, please contact the Confidential Resource Advisor (CRA) in person, online, or anonymously by phone.

    The CRA is the recommended single point of first contact for anyone wishing to explore informal or formal avenues to address such situations. However, if you feel uncomfortable interacting with the CRA, another community member may speak on your behalf.

    The CRA does not adjudicate anything or have the power to do so; they cannot officially determine what is or isn’t biased. Instead, the CRA is specially trained to help you talk things through, build clarity, and decide on your next steps.

    There are no expectations or time constraints on this part of the process, nor are there limits to how many times you can talk to the CRA about a given situation. By engaging the CRA, you are not required to take any additional steps, even those recommended or strongly advised, and the CRA can only take further actions with your consent.

    As the CRA is not a mandated reporter, confidentiality is strictly protected, except in situations with clear and imminent danger. Notes are free of identifiable information but may be used to keep track of campus patterns. Insights shared with the college community are generalized and cannot be traced back to individuals.

    As a safeguard, the college will ensure two additional community members or off-campus professionals are sufficiently trained to assume the CRA’s part in the bias response process should the CRA be over capacity or unable to perform their duties.

    FILING A BIAS INCIDENT REPORT

    Sometimes, the CRA may still advise you to register a formal misconduct complaint. Where misconduct remains unclear, or the complainant desires an individualized approach, the CRA may recommend a Bias Incident Report is filed.

    A Bias Incident Report is a way to officially document an incident of concern and solicit a response from the college, so it is formatted to capture as much information as possible. However, complainants may always choose what information to share, what kind of response or outcome they seek, and how involved they wish to be moving forward.

    The CRA sends the Bias Incident Report to the Bias Response Team Coordinator (BRTC). The Dean of Student Life will constitute a committee of students, staff, and faculty to select the BRTC. The BRTC, who reports to the Dean of Student Life, can be any COA faculty or staff member, although not a student or the CRA.

    The BRTC will select and invite, usually within a few days, two or more members of the Bias Response Team (BRT) to thoroughly review the Bias Incident Report together. When multiple Bias Incident Reports are filed on the same or related issues, the BRTC may take additional time to collate reports and determine how best to use the BRT.

    BIAS RESPONSE TEAM

    The BRT comprises 14 members: seven students, four faculty, and three staff. BRT members receive specialized paid training, are eligible for compensation, and can serve for one or two years. The BRTC will solicit nominations and select the inaugural BRT. All community members are eligible for nomination to the BRT. Afterward, the BRTC and BRT work together to vet future nominees.

    When processing Bias Response Reports, the BRT does not adjudicate or recommend sanctions, nor do they have the power to do so. Instead, they work with impacted parties to formulate a constructive response. Each incident is unique and open to interpretation, so no prescribed or perfect responses exist. The BRT strives to honor the complainant’s wishes and the rights and agency of all involved.

    To interrupt harmful bias requires proven methods and creativity, so the BRT and BRTC are empowered to be innovative in their efforts. For example, the BRT may invite various stakeholders into the process and conversation. As a result, the BRT or BRTC might provide or coordinate additional support, information, counseling, education, mediation, and other individualized services and resources to the impacted parties, organizations, or constituencies. In some cases, where intentional misconduct seems likely, the BRT’s response might simply be a recommendation that the reporter files a misconduct complaint via the formal avenues mentioned earlier.

    More generally, BRT is an informal group that assists the BRTC in creating and maintaining a campus climate database, primarily comprised of the Bias Incident Reports and the BRT’s responses. It could also include general information from the CRA and other related reports, documents, and insights from supporting COA committees. This database aims to create data-driven reports, programming, initiatives, and interventions to improve campus life, evolve policy, and catalyze necessary systemic changes.

    PHASE TWO

    This is Phase One of a two-phase Bias Response Policy. Phase One establishes the primary roles of the CRA, BRT, BRTC, and a campus climate database. In addition, it provides clear steps for community members to address concerns and seek a response.

    While Phase One affirms the critical function of existing formal misconduct policies to adjudicate certain cases, Phase Two will discern the utility and feasibility of creating a separate, formal investigative team and process to adjudicate acts of identity-based bias. Toward this end, the person or persons charged with Phase Two may also explore additions or alternatives, such as adding language about bias to existing COA policies and refining the Phase One policy.

  • Discrimination

    COA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or veteran’s status. COA operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination.  

    Therefore, the following procedures will be followed should any member of our community feel that infringement of rights or discrimination has occurred.

    The procedure utilized in the investigation of any complaint of civil rights infringement or discrimination will be the same as those used for the investigation of gender or sexual harassment. These procedures are outlined in the Sexual Harassment section of the Handbook.

    If a community member is uncertain about whether they have experienced discrimination, have questions or would like clarification, or need help, they are strongly encouraged to contact any of the following: the Dean of Student Life, the Director of Public Safety, the Academic Dean, or the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity officer. 

    If a community member decides to pursue a complaint, the first person to be contacted in such an event should be the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity officer.

  • Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Phase 1 Strategic Plan

    The Phase 1 Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Strategic Plan was approved by the All College Meeting on May 26, 2021

    That which we pay attention to grows. –adrienne maree brown

    Background and Overview

    The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan Task Force (DEITF) was convened in the Fall of 2019 by President Darron Collins with the charge to develop a comprehensive, multi-year strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion at COA. Our task was to lay out a series of concrete actions that will help COA more effectively meet our mission through inclusive and equitable engagement with various forms of diversity within and beyond our community, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational background, gender, ability, sexuality, national origin, citizenship, and religion.

    The charge of our task force and the scope of this plan focus on the experiences and outcomes of people of marginalized or minoritized backgrounds and identities. In the course of DEITF’s work, we have learned of numerous inequitable, unpleasant, or alienating experiences at COA. Unfortunately, we cannot address all of the issues that fall under the broad terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Although this plan is not exhaustive in scope and content, we hope it will inspire and support equity and inclusivity in all regards.

    Although used together as the single acronym DEI, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are distinct notions. In brief, diversityrefers to the presence of variation in a group. In this plan, diversifying means increasing the number of people with marginalized or minoritized backgrounds or identities that have been historically underrepresented at COA. Inclusionrefers to the experiences of individuals within a group or organization. An inclusive community is one in which all people feel welcome, fully seen, and valued, regardless of background or identity. Equity refers to procedures and practices that allow everyone to flourish. It remedies historical and present injustices to ensure fair opportunities for all. Each of these concepts—diversity, equity, and inclusion—are complex and at times contested. More detailed and nuanced definitions of these and other terms are given in Appendix B.

    “DEI” functions not only as an acronym, but also as a broad and sometimes vague concept. We are at times uncomfortable with this broad use of DEI. By not naming power structures and systems such as racism, White supremacy, transphobia, or classism, “DEI” risks being superficial and general. Perhaps not unlike the term “sustainability,” “DEI” can be expanded to include almost everything, limiting its ability as a concept to set priorities or frame discussions. At the same time, like sustainability, DEI is a standard, widely recognized term that signifies a constellation of related values and objectives. Below we offer a vision for a future of COA. We use the imperfect phase “DEI work” as shorthand for work that helps the college to realize this vision.

    Vision for DEI at COA

    All College of the Atlantic students, staff, and faculty feel welcomed and valued, fully seen and respected, and have equal access to opportunities to grow and flourish, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational background, gender, ability, sexuality, national origin, citizenship, and religion.

    Working to understand and address racism, patriarchy, White supremacy, classism, colonialism, nationalism, heterosexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of oppression is a central and integral part of the college. COA demonstrates this commitment through its policies and practices, its curriculum, its allocation of resources, and its articulation of human ecology. The College community not only studies these phenomena, but we pay special attention to how they manifest within our college community and within ourselves and we take action to change oppressive systems. With a shared commitment across the College, the community energetically embraces this work while acknowledging its complexities.

    Why is this work urgent and important for COA?

    1. There is ongoing harm to community members that needs to stop, be remedied, and be prevented from occurring in the future.

    2. DEI work is human ecology work. The college cannot fulfill its mission “to investigate—and ultimately improve—the relationships between human beings and our social and natural communities” without attending to power relations, privilege, and forms of oppression. We need to grapple with this not just in the wider world, but in our college and in ourselves.

    3. We risk becoming an irrelevant institution if we fail to identify and address diversity, equity, and inclusion, both from institutional climate and curricular standpoints. It is imperative that we recruit and retain students, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of the places from which we originate and that we fully prepare students to engage with diverse ideas and experiences once they leave COA. Attention to DEI does not detract from COA’s traditional focus on the environment, ecology, and community development. Rather, DEI is essential to doing this work responsibly and effectively.

    4. Pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion allows us to reflect individually and institutionally. DEI work is a means toward greater self-understanding.

    Why a Strategic Plan?

    The DEI strategic plan is intended to:

    1. Enumerate key strategic objectives for COA to pursue as it works to achieve the vision described above.

    2. Lay out a set of concrete immediate actions that the college community will take in order to make progress on these strategic objectives.

    3. Offer some ways to conceptualize and navigate the process of implementing these actions and realize our vision more generally.

    4. Propose some structures and processes that will help COA meet the strategic goals.

    Observations and Reflections on Tensions and Challenges

    DEI work is not easy. Based on our observations, and our experiences individually and as a task force, we offer a few reflections on how to conceptualize and navigate the work that lies ahead.

    1. Oppression, harm, and exclusion occur on multiple timescales: a racist comment happens in minutes, but it is the result of decades of taught and learned racism in an individual, which is itself the result of centuries of colonialism and White supremacy. The solutions will also need to co-exist on multiple timescales. DEI work requires both a sense of urgency and a long view.

    2. Anger, fear, confusion, sadness, joy, and other emotions are valid, healthy responses to this work. We need to respect, engage with, and honor the full range of emotional responses experienced by our community members.

    3. Different community members have different positions and experiences in relation to the various problems we are discussing. For example, what may be an abstract problem to some may be a matter of survival for others. As we discuss issues, we need to be mindful and respectful of other community members’ identities, positions, and experiences. A relatively abstract or academic discussion about a problem may be appropriate in some settings, but such a discussion might be frustrating or harmful for someone with a direct experience of that problem. We need to be sensitive and responsive to the emotions, lived experiences, and expressed needs of our community members––some of whose very sense of dignity may be invalidated by abstract or speculative discussion, depending on the context.

    4. We have observed that at times it is challenging to hold space for conversations about racism, anti-Blackness, and White supremacy: the topic of discussion often shifts away from race to, e.g., class or gender. Conversations about classism and sexism are, of course, important and needed. At the same time, we encourage the community to be intentional about focusing attention on race and racism.

    5. In conversations about diversity at COA, one often hears the remark that “Maine is so White”. This is a true statement. At roughly 95% White, Maine is and has been for many years among the most White states in the US. Nevertheless, we suggest that we use care when deploying this phrase. Commenting on the Whiteness of Maine can erase the many POC communities that are and have been present in Maine, in some cases for centuries. Asserting Maine’s Whiteness ignores indigenous populations that have lived in Maine for millenia. Moreover, the Whiteness of Maine is not an inevitability, but is the result of past genocide and present disenfranchisement. The Whiteness of Maine can be unintentionally deployed as an excuse to not devote more resources to DEI and risks being a self-defeating, self-fulfilling prophecy.

    6. Faculty, staff, and students are often stretched thin, and like almost all organizations, we have limited financial resources. But a culture of scarcity—a tendency to focus on limitations—can make it difficult to be expansive and creative when imagining futures for the college. For example, “How would we pay for this?” often functions, regardless of intent, to shut down conversations about alternative futures for the college.

    7. Our DIY ethos can lead to re-inventing wheels and may not serve us well when addressing challenges for which there are limited resources and expertise within our community.

    8. Many faculty, staff, and students resonate strongly with COA and its mission. In what ways might strong feelings of fondness, attachment, and connection be a barrier to implementing structural changes at COA at COA?

    Timeline

    This plan specifies seven strategic goals that will guide the college in the months and years to come. Following each goal are two lists.

    1. Immediate Actions. These items specify work that will occur during the 2021-22 academic year. Responsibility for each immediate action is assigned to one or more people. Many of the immediate actions serve to advance multiple goals, so the section in which an action is listed may be somewhat arbitrary.

    This document is the first phase of a two-phase planning process. The DEI Oversight, Accountability, and Resource (OAR) Team (described below) will collaboratively develop a Phase II DEI Strategic Plan by Spring 2022. The Phase II proposal, which will be submitted to the ACM for approval, will cover a period of five years and will include a detailed budget and fundraising goals.

    1. Longer-term Considerations. This list includes actions and areas of attention that we believe should be considered as the college works to realize its vision for DEI. We anticipate that many of the items in these lists will be part of the Phase II Strategic Plan.

    Strategic Goals and Priorities

    A. Build Capacity for DEI Work

    COA needs to devote significantly more resources to efforts to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive college. DEI work is difficult. It takes time, energy, emotional labor, and expertise. The College needs to provide resources and training that build the capacity of individuals at COA and the college as a whole. We observe that students have taken significant initiative in addressing structural oppression and harm on campus, and also that some students feel burdened with creating, advocating for, and implementing solutions.

    We are calling for deep work that builds skills, deepens awareness, and spreads these skills and awareness across the community. We need to work with outside experts while simultaneously building capacity internally.

    There are no immediate actions listed for Goal A because allof the actions proposed below will build capacity and develop skills and systems to help meet longer-term goals.

    Throughout this plan there is a focus on policies and work to be done by formal structures: administrative offices and ACM committees. It is equally important to form communities of practice, small groups who meet regularly to discuss common challenges. These small, creative, brave spaces are essential for learning and growth and to catalyze the cultural change and re-orientation that is necessary to make progress on DEI. It is our hope that such small groups emerge from and are nourished by the work proposed in this plan.

    B. Improve Climate and Community Accountability

    We have consistently heard concerns about the climate at COA, especially for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, international students, and those who are English language learners. There are not clear or widely understood systems and protocols for addressing incidents of bias and harm at the college, nor are there sufficient resources to support community members navigating DEI issues.

    Immediate Actions

    1. The president, provost, deans, and board of trustees will consistently allocate financial and other resources for addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the College, and demonstrate that DEI is an inextricable part of human ecology and is a value that informs the operation of the college. (President)

    2. Standardize DEI as a significant part of orientation for new students, building on the model piloted in Fall 2020. (Dean of Student Life)

    3. Develop and fully articulate procedures, formal and informal, for reporting and responding to incidents of discrimination and bias involving students, faculty, and staff including but not limited to microaggressions. (Dean of Student Life, Provost, Administrative Dean)

    4. Initiate an institution-wide review process for policies and practices to identify structural racism and other forms of bias, and change policies and practices to ameliorate bias and harm. Identify two to three offices to pilot this process in the 2021-22 academic year; other offices and campus units will conduct reviews in subsequent years. (Administrative Dean)

    5. Continue to support and strengthen the COA College Opportunity and Access (COA2) program. COA2 is a strengths-based program designed for students who self-identify with the experiences of minoritized, first-generation, and/or low-income college students. COA2 will continue to offer opportunities for community members to gain understandings of how the COA experience differs depending on one’s social identity group membership and to build capacity in shifting the campus climate. COA2 will continue collecting data on student retention, persistence, and graduation rates based on race, ethnicity, parents’ educational background, and socioeconomic status. (Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching)

    6. Provide training in mediation, conflict resolution, and means for addressing bias to all staff supervisors and work-study supervisors. (Administrative Dean)

    Longer-Term Considerations

    1. Address tokenization. Community members, especially BIPOC and/or international students, report experiences of tokenization that divert their time, energy, and attention.

    2. Explore ways to shift to an asset-based approach in faculty/staff/student interactions and in institutional structures, policies, and procedures.

    3. Strengthen meaningful and not tokenistic connections to the MDI and Maine community, especially to individuals and organizations from groups with similar missions and visions that are under-represented on campus.

    4. Consider partnering with local organizations who experience similar DEI challenges to COA. Consider joining coalitions such as the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance.

    5. Consider initiating an institution-wide review of compensation structures for staff, faculty, contingent faculty, and workstudy students, with attention to structural inequalities.

    6. Consider additional hires or reprioritizing responsibilities for existing positions, such as: Dean for DEI, student life position devoted to DEI, new faculty positions.

    C. Achieve Greater Transparency and Intentionality in Institutional Decision-Making and Information Sharing

    We have heard widespread concerns about the transparency of decision-making and information-sharing at COA. These concerns impede the college’s ability to address a number of issues, including but not limited to DEI issues.

    Concerns about transparency and information-sharing manifest themselves at multiple scales. Institutionally, many are unclear about how decisions are made about important issues, such as hiring priorities or budgets. Individually, community members are unevenly aware of the opportunities available to them. More than many institutions, COA is built upon relationships and an oral culture of communication. The informal and anecdotal nature of COA enables flexibility and allows for differential treatment based on individual needs and circumstances, which in some cases increases equity. At the same time, this aspect of our college can be exclusionary since individuals do not receive the same opportunities or may not access the same information. Some people are not aware of individualized options or are uncomfortable advocating or negotiating for themselves.

    Community members navigate and experience this lack of clarity differently. Uncertainty can breed mistrust and increase experiences of exclusion. The spaces between the formal structure of the college and its informal, relationship-based practices can allow for individual biases to metastasize into long-term harm. A lack of transparency can lead to misunderstandings about the motivations and intentions of others and create feelings of discomfort, frustration, and alienation.

    Immediate Actions

    1. Improve materials and systems used to welcome and orient new faculty and staff. (Provost and Administrative Dean)

    2. Develop and implement a plan to be more systematic, intentional, and equitable in how we communicate to students academic and co-curricular opportunities, including the sorts of flexible and individualized options available to students. (DEI OAR Team, in collaboration with administrators.)

    Longer-term Considerations

    1. Develop systems and guidelines that move the college toward being more intentional and inclusive regarding the work that is acknowledged, shared, and celebrated, in both internal and external communications and publications. Work to identify and minimize tokenization. (PR Director, in collaboration with Dean of Admission, Dean of Advancement)

    2. Consider new structures for faculty meetings and faculty decision-making.

    3. Consider new structures for staff meetings and coordination horizontally and vertically.

    D. Improve Accessibility

    All campus constituencies have voiced strong concern about the physical accessibility of campus. The imperative to ensure physical accessibility is deeper, and more complex, than the goal of attaining or maintaining ADA compliance: the physical spaces on campus should be welcoming. Traversing college campuses, even highly accessible ones, can present a significant burden to people with physical disabilities. At COA, the campus can be hard for newcomers to navigate, and it can be unsafe and confusing for anyone to traverse, especially at night.

    We have heard appreciation and praise for COA’s support for mental health and accommodations for learning differences. At the same time, students desire additional support for mental health, and some students have conveyed frustration regarding accommodations for learning differences.

    Immediate Actions

    1. Conduct a comprehensive inventory of physical accessibility issues on campus. Develop a prioritized plan for addressing physical accessibility at COA. (Director of Campus Planning, Building, and Public Safety)

    2. Build capacity among faculty and staff to better understand the experiences and perspectives of those with disabilities and learning differences so that we can be more responsive and proactive in meeting these students’ needs. (Dean of Learning and Teaching)

    Longer-term Considerations

    1. The physical challenges of a largely field-based curriculum, a high percentage of students living off-campus, and a focus on internships and international experiences pose challenges to making the COA educational experience accessible to all. Explore ways to make field trips and other components of COA more accessible, building on recent experiences with remote learning, both at COA and at other colleges.

    2. Conduct further research and assess the college’s systems for supporting and accommodating students with learning differences. Identify, develop and implement strategies to address key issues.

    3. Conduct further research and assess the college’s systems for supporting students with mental health concerns. Identify key issues and develop/implement strategies to address them.

    E. Widen Curriculum and Expand Inclusive Pedagogy

    We have heard repeatedly from students that they want to see diversity and anti-oppression incorporated more often into our curriculum. Faculty have expressed a similar desire and have had preliminary discussions regarding an anti-racist curriculum.

    Immediate Actions

    1. Continue work toward envisioning and enacting an anti-racist curriculum and pedagogy. (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Faculty Moderator)

    2. Continue faculty development opportunities for inclusive and equitable advising, teaching and learning. (Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching)

    3. Provide opportunities for staff to expand skills for inclusive work-study supervision and work with students in governance, the co-curriculum, and other interactions. (Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching, Administrative Dean, Dean of Student Life)

    Longer-term Considerations

    1. Consider working with one or more expert facilitators to guide faculty in a review of their syllabi and course offerings.

    2. Develop a plan to increase support for those who speak English as an additional language, and move toward an inclusive, asset-based approach to teaching writing and communication across the curriculum. (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in parallel with the Translingual Group.)

    3. Continue fundraising to support students financially as they complete their internship requirement. Investigate and ameliorate structural financial barriers, such as lab fees and other “hidden” costs, faced by students as they pursue their COA education.

    4. Consider adding one or more new faculty positions that would add new disciplinary or topical areas and/or methods and approaches relevant to DEI, e.g, Indigenous studies, Black/African-American Studies, Public Health, Language Learning.

    5. Incorporate DEI into the Core Course and/or other elements of the first-year experience. Consider a campus-wide common reading on, for example, anti-racism or de-colonization.

    6. Conduct a review of and consider adding structure to the advising system.

    F. Increase Diversity of Faculty, Staff, and Students

    Across the campus we have heard a strong need to increase the numbers of BIPOC and non-US staff and faculty. Additionally, students comment on the lack of advisors and mentors who understand their identities and lived experiences. The demographics of the US are changing; currently the majority of US high school students are not White. This makes it imperative that we improve our ability to attract, retain, and support a more diverse student body.

    Immediate Actions

    1. Hold mandatory implicit bias training sessions for all search committee members, all staff supervisors, the admissions staff, and all cabinet members. This training will increase awareness and understanding and will build momentum for a deeper, more systematic look at hiring practices and procedures. (Provost, Administrative Dean, Dean of Admission)

    2. Develop and implement a concrete action plan for recruitment of more BIPOC students, especially non-international students. (Dean of Admission)

    Longer-term Considerations

    1. Examine hiring policies, strategies, and practices using a DEI framework. Identify key issues and develop strategies to address them. Consider alternative hiring structures, e.g., target of opportunity hires, teaching fellowships for members of underrepresented groups. (Dean of Administration and Provost)

    2. Distribute resources to enable fuller implementation of recommendations by the Faculty Diversity Task Force. (Provost)

    G. Reckon with our History and Traditions

    Given COA’s origins and history, what aspects of the college are we willing to re-imagine, re-position, re-structure, or let go of as we work toward a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and just college?

    Immediate Actions

    1. Reckon with our history and traditions: Encourage and facilitate grappling with our history forthrightly and publicly as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations and events. (Chair of the COA50 committee).

    2. Develop a land acknowledgement and expand collaborations with members of the Wabanaki confederacy. (President, in collaboration with the Indigenous Studies Working Group and others).

    Longer-term Considerations

    1. Consider offering a number of full scholarships to members of the Wabanaki confederacy. (President)

    2. Reckon with COA’s intellectual roots: a White, US form of environmentalism. COA was founded in a particular place by particular people who were shaped by a particular political moment and intellectual commitments. How is it that an interdisciplinary, problem-focused college founded in the US in the early 1970s didn’t see civil rights as central to its work? How does that legacy constrain us today?

    3. There is a form of COA exceptionalism: we believe that we are unique because of our mission, size and structure. This rhetoric positions us falsely as immune to systemic issues like racism, White supremacy, patriarchy, heterosexism, nationalism, etc.

    4. Some of COA’s senior administrators are graduates of COA. In addition, faculty and staff who have experienced different generations of the college have absorbed different senses of the college’s history and context. This is an institutional strength and reflects a commitment to the College and its mission. At the same time, it may pose a challenge to institutional self-evaluation and make it harder to envision and enact structural change. More generally, there are multiple notions of what COA isand the roles it plays in the lives and identities of different community members.

    5. COA’s positioning of itself as environmental and “outdoorsy” may be implicitly ableist, as it relies on unnamed assumptions about what is normal to be able to do physically and mentally.

    6. The all-stakeholders-can-talk-to-each-other, New England town meeting (ACM) ethos of COA can be majoritarian and silencing for individuals who are minoritized, among others. We need to consider additional structures and systems that allow all voices to be heard.

    7. Exclusion is, by design, a key principle of US higher education: college is expensive and one has to apply to attend. COA is no exception. What would inclusivity mean in this context?

    8. To varying degrees, US colleges and universities have benefitted materially from colonialism and slavery. All of this contributes to the prestige of US higher education and has shaped the institutional structures of colleges and universities.

    The DEI Oversight, Accountability, and Resource Team

    The college will create a group to oversee and facilitate the work specified in this plan: the DEI Oversight, Accountability, and Resource Team (DEI OAR Team). This group will be constituted as soon as possible and will begin its work early in the summer of 2021. The OAR Team will have the full ability to prioritize the tasks below in accordance to their feasibility

    • The DEI OAR Team will consist of approximately seven students, four staff, and three faculty. Students will be compensated via work-study; staff and faculty will receive summer compensation as appropriate and/or release from existing duties. Students will have the option to receive academic credit for their work via independent studies or tutorials.

    • The President, in consultation with the cabinet, will appoint one or more community members as chairs of the DEI OAR. The chairs will solicit nominations and self-nominations from community members interested in serving on the OAR and will then determine the composition of the rest of the group.

    • The OAR will receive training in both skills (such as facilitation techniques, conflict resolution, listening and deep canvassing skills, etc) and content (disability, unconscious bias, structural racism, gender violence, etc) that are pertinent to their work.

    • The DEI OAR Team will not be a policy-making body. New policies and procedures will be developed by the appropriate committee(s) of the ACM and/or administrative offices.

    The DEI OAR Team will:

    1. Monitor and Report . Monitor progress and report to ACM twice a year on the progress made toward implementing this plan. Work with the various stakeholders named in this strategic plan to conduct an initial “baseline” assessment and identify indicators to measure progress/success.

    2. Help . Will serve as a resource for the ACM committees and individuals tasked with carrying out the immediate actions listed in this plan.

    3. Research . In collaboration with the Director of Institutional Research and the Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching, hold additional focus groups and conduct other institutional research as needed. The DEI OAR Team should conduct systematic surveys of the campus climate at least every other year.

    4. Communicate and Clarify. Internally, ensure that the community is aware of the DEI OAR Team and other DEI groups and resources on campus, such as the DEI Working Group, COA2, and the Black Student Union, as well as new or emerging DEI groups. The DEI OAR Team should ensure that the scope and roles of different groups are widely understood, and that there is communication and collaboration among these groups, as appropriate. Externally, work with staff and faculty to share information about DEI initiatives with outside audiences (prospective students, alumnx, parents, donors, etc)

    5. Plan and Prioritize. The DEI OAR Team will develop a Phase II strategic DEI plan by spring 2022 that includes a more detailed and longer-term action plan and a detailed budget with fundraising goals. This planning will be done in collaboration with relevant ACM committees and administrators with input from the wider community.

    6. Coordinate and Facilitate. As needed, help different groups working on pre-existing and emerging DEI efforts coordinate with each other. The intent here is not to control or manage, but to avoid unneeded duplication of effort, increase transparency, and catalyze collaborations and synergies.

  • Drug-free Workplace and Campus

    College of the Atlantic, in compliance with and in support of the Drug-free Workplace Act of 1988 and other Federal and State laws, hereby notifies all employees and students that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of controlled substances is prohibited at COA. Individuals will be prosecuted through either the College’s internal policies and/or local law enforcement agencies.

  • Earth Day Policy

    Earth Day is a day to renew the COA community.  It is a day to gather the spirits of the visions that brought us to COA.  As individuals we cling to our visions of social and environmental justice, hoping to the spread their fullness.  However, 250 visions remain scattered.  Occasionally we catch glimpses of the communities [sic] strong commitments.  In order to fire our own flames we need to clarify our understanding of the visions of those around us.  The tool for this enlightenment is a pause.  In our stillness we may open our eyes to all 250 visions becoming a single power.  In this, there is inspiration.  The power of our stillness will reach beyond our own community.

     

    This is a call for EARTH DAY, A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY at COA.  It is the celebration of the artistic and scientific possibility within our community.  Beginning April 22nd, 1996, COA will replace its class meetings and administrative duties with one day of community renewal.  For one day COA students, faculty, and administration will join together to experience and participate in lectures, musical and literary presentations, student forum, informational sessions, community service and a COA community and family picnic.  The day’s classes will be postponed to the following day, shifting the week’s schedule ahead and eliminating Wednesday meetings.  The annual organization and promotion of this day is the responsibility of the community.  All individuals are encouraged to organize presentations of their own.  In order to insure [sic] involvement, committees will be allocated certain responsibilities.  The following presents the responsibilities of each committee:

     

    Campus Planning & Building – CPBC will be responsible for ensuring adequate space for large community gatherings.  CPBC will be responsible for a campus grounds enhancement project, such as the planting of trees.

    Within the CPBC the recycling subcommitee will be responsible for sponsoring an informational session to update the status of community recycling.  Dually the subcommittee will provide future ideas for enhancement of the program.

     

    Internship Commitee – The Internship Committee shall use Earth Day to promote internship opportunities.  Secondly, the committee shall present past successes of COA alumni and graudates.  The committee shall invite area alumni to participate in the celebration.

     

    Admissions Committee – The Admissions Committee should consider inviting prospective students.  Prospective students will experience the fullness of community spirit.  In general admissions can use the day as a promotional device, enabling prospective students to gain a better understanding of COA’s mission.

     

    Student Activities – Student Activities will be responsible for sponsoring a celebratory event for the enjoyment of the entire community.  In particular the committee is encouraged to organize community literary and musical presentations.

     

     

    Publications and Communications – Publications and Communications will undertake the task of advertisement.  The committee will be responsible for signs on campus and within the Bar Harbor community.  The event will also be advertised on the COA homepage of the World Wide Web.  Prior to Earth Day, Publications and Communications will request the submission of articles to Off the Wall and local newspapers.  Lastly, local radio and television stations will be contacted.

     

    The Library Committee – The Library Committee will be responsible for the display case in the Thorndike Library.

     

    Academic Affairs – Academic Affairs shall open Earth Day at COA with an official welcoming.  A piece to inspire the day’s activities.

     

    Steering Committee – Steering Committee shall be responsible for organizing time slots for certain events throughout the day.  This information shall be passed along to the Publications and Communications committee for advertisement.

     

    Additional responsibilities:

    COA community and family will be responsible for a potluck.

    COA community will responsible for restoring order to the campus after the conclusion of the day’s events.

    SEA will sponsor a student forum.  The forum will address a current debateable [sic] issue.  SEA will also sponsor smaller informational workshops organized by group members.

     

    COA encourages students to claim their education so that they may claim their lives in a way that will make a positive impact in the world.  Earth Day is one day for COA to take responsibility, to take our individual visions and unite them with the community.  In this visionary unification is the realization that making a positive impact on the world is possible.

  • Firearms Policy

    COA seeks to create and maintain a safe and secure environment in which to learn, work and live. We believe that those in our community expect and will endeavor to keep each other safe and will refrain from engaging in behavior that will endanger others.  This policy is a proactive step towards reducing the risk of harm associated with intentional or accidental use of firearms.

    COA prohibits the possession of firearms, concealed or not concealed, with or without a concealed weapon permit, on campus or on property controlled by the college, or in college vehicles. Sworn law enforcement personnel carrying out their duties are exempt from this policy. If any member of the community has an academic reason for needing to have a firearm on campus, that individual can apply for an exemption to this policy by making a request to the Director of Public Safety.

    Firearms are defined as any gun, rifle, pistol, handgun or device designed to fire bullets, BBs, pellets, or shots (including paint balls), or other projectiles, regardless of the propellant used and regardless of whether the device is functional or not.

    By expressly prohibiting firearms, this policy does not tacitly permit the possession of other weapons.



    3/30/16    Unanimously approved by Student Life Committee

     

  • Judiciary Hearing

    A student can be charged with misconduct by any member of the College community. The following steps should be taken in any situation except those involving sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct issues are covered in the “Complaint Procedures for Sexual Misconduct” section of this handbook.

    For complaints of Academic Misconduct, the Academic Dean or his/her designee will serve as the Chair for the Judiciary Hearing Board; for complaints of Social Misconduct, the Dean of Student Life or his/her designee will serve as the Chair. This judiciary hearing process is an internal COA procedure, separate from and in addition to any legal actions outside the college which may be appropriate.

    Generally, it is anticipated that the vast majority of complaints are the result of imperfect communication rather than malice or ill-intent – and can therefore be resolved informally through communication and mediation. If a community member is concerned about the actions of a student, he/she is encouraged to address that student’s behavior directly and respectfully. If a community member is uncertain about how to address the behavior, he/she can seek help and advice from a variety of sources: the Dean of Student Life, the Director of Public Safety, the Academic Deans, the Resident Advisers, or any faculty or staff member he/she feels comfortable with.

    In the event that a community member feels uncomfortable confronting a student’s behavior directly, he/she should discuss his/her concerns directly with either the Dean of Student Life or the Academic Dean. They will be able to advise you of your options. In the event that a written complaint is deemed necessary, they can assist you deciding whether an informal or formal resolution is appropriate. Please keep in mind that all parties need to be willing to engage in and complete an informal resolution in order for it to be successful. In the event this is impossible, the complaint will be referred to a judiciary hearing board for formal resolution. A person who feels uncomfortable approaching either of the Dean of Student Life or the Academic Dean should talk with any faculty or staff member who can speak on his or her behalf.

  • Medical Marijuana Policy

    College of the Atlantic receives federal funding through Title IV in the form of student financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study programs) and through federal research grants. As a condition of accepting this money, College of the Atlantic is required to certify that it complies with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) (20 U.S.C. §1011i; 34 C.F.R. part 86). The federal government regulates drugs through the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which does not recognize the difference between medical and recreational use of marijuana. Thus, to comply with the Federal Drug Free School and Communities Act and to avoid losing federal funding, College of the Atlantic prohibits all marijuana use and possession, even that legally certified in the State of Maine for medical purposes, on any campus property and in any college-owned vehicle. Any community member identified as being in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action for its use. First year students with medical marijuana prescriptions/certifications may request a waiver of the campus residency requirement by contacting the Dean of Student Life. Returning students should make arrangements to live off-campus for the duration of their time at College of the Atlantic or until such time as they no longer need to use medical marijuana. Employees will need to make alternate arrangements if they need to use medical marijuana during work hours.

    Passed November 11, 2015

  • Parking
    Parking Regulations
    • All COA community members, including board of trustees and members of the Acadia Senior College, wishing to park their vehicles on campus must register their vehicles each year with the Office of Public Safety. Registration is required within the first seven days of the fall term, or within seven days of any term in which the owner/driver of the vehicle becomes a COA community member. Summer program participants will be granted temporary parking passes for the time period of the given program by the summer program staff.
    • COA community members are expected to park in designated parking spaces only.
    • Parking at Turrets is reserved for deliveries, visitors and accessible parking only.
    • Parking behind Kaelber Hall is limited to deliveries and accessible parking only. One space in this area is designated for kitchen staff to accommodate frequent trips for supplies.
    • Parking in front of the garages at Davis and Witchcliff is reserved for accessible parking and deliveries only. No parking is permitted in the circular drives.
    • Deliveries in areas that are designated as such in this plan, are limited to ten minutes or less, and must honor the no-idle policy.
    • No parking is permitted at any student housing or at the Campus Centre. ADA space is available at all locations except Cottage House.
    • ADA accessible permits are available from the Office of Public Safety.
    • No parking is allowed on the road to, or at the turn around area near the COA pier. Vehicles using this facility for loading or off-loading must be moved to a designated parking space immediately after completing the task.
    • The feature strip of pavers and cobbles by the whale skull is designated as a drop-off and pick-up area only: No parking. Vehicles may pull off in this area for a maximum of five minutes, and must be out of the road when stopped.
    • Bus parking is limited to the “north lot.” If this lot is filled buses will be expected to leave campus while they wait to pick up their riders.
    • Campus residents whose vehicles are unused for more than ten consecutive days are required to park in the North Lot.
    • Any driver who will be away from COA for an extended period of time who wishes to store their vehicle on campus must receive approval from the Office of Public Safety and agree to certain conditions before being allowed to do so.
    • COA maintenance and service vehicles, as well as contracted service vehicles are expected to honor the intent of this plan. Though these vehicles may need to park in restricted areas for short periods of time, if they are not being used for direct service they must be moved to a designated parking space. .
    • Any community member who is planning to invite guests to the campus is asked to inform them of the campus parking plan.

     

    Snow Management Plan:

    During snow events a weather alert will be posted via email from the Office of Public Safety.  With the occurrence of such an event, a campus-wide overnight parking lot ban will be in effect as follows:

    • Overnight parking is allowed only on the west side (Route 3) of the south end of campus, and either the garden lot or the north lot on campus.
    • Overnight is defined as the hours between 12:01am and 7:00 am.
    • Vehicles parked elsewhere on campus will be towed at the owner’s expense.

    After an announcement that the parking ban has been lifted, all vehicles must be moved to a clean parking lot as soon as possible. Cars not moved within 24 hours will be towed to a clean lot at the owner’s expense.

     

    No-idle policy:

    Vehicles, whether for delivery or otherwise, parked on the COA campus are not allowed to idle for more than five minutes.

     

    Enforcement:

    Owners of vehicles found parked in violation of this parking plan will receive written notice with an explanation describing the nature of the violation.  A record of the infringement will be filed in the Office of Public Safety. Upon a second violation the owner of the vehicle will receive a notice explaining the nature of the violation, and warning that a third violation will result in the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense.  A third violation will result in the car being towed at the owner’s expense as soon as the call is made.  A fourth violation by the same owner will be considered habitual and may result in forfeiture of the right to park at COA.

     

    Exceptions to the two-warning system will include instances where a parked vehicle is blocking a roadway, fire lane, turn-around, ADA accessible parking space or ramp, or failure to register. Parking in any of these locations will result in the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense without warning.

     

    Please park responsibly and efficiently in one of the designated spaces, as shown on the campus parking map.   

     

    Any questions or concerns regarding this plan or other parking related issues may be brought to the Office of Public Safety.

     

  • Pet Policy

    For many community members, allowing pets on campus greatly enhances the learning and working environment. The college recognizes that many pets are well behaved and are brought to the campus by responsible persons. Pet owners are expected to consider safety, health and the possible fears others may have in the presence of animals. In order to meet the needs of pet owners while protecting those community members who-have allergies or fears, the following policies will apply when a pet is brought on COA property.

    Pets on campus will be well behaved, good natured, and subject to the control of their owners. Dogs should be up-to-date on all shots, have tags with the owner’s name and telephone number, and be licensed with the town (if required).

    General Expectations

    Please be respectful to all community members if you bring your pet on campus

    • Take-A-Break, Sea Urchins Café, the COA community garden, classrooms, labs and studios are off limits to pets. Gates is off limits to pets during large group events. Classroom exceptions will be made when pets are needed for educational purposes. Please notify the Director of Public Safety prior to animals being used in a classroom.

    • College employees may have their pets inside their individual offices, as long as it does not present any concern for the health, safety, and well-being of individuals in the building. These pets must be under full control when another person enters the office. A clear sign (e.g., “Pet Inside”) must be placed on the outside of a closed office door when a pet is inside the office. This will provide advance notice and avoid unnecessary startling to any person who may need to enter that office. Employees who bring their pets to work are wholly responsible for making sure that their offices and all other College property remain undamaged and clean of pet-caused dirt or debris. Pet owners must arrange for a meeting location other than their offices for those who prefer to meet pet-free.

    • Dogs must be on leashes at all times when on the grounds of the campus. Leashes should be no longer than 6 feet long.

    • It is the owner’s responsibility to be aware of their pet’s temperament around people and other animals. Pets showing any aggressive tendencies toward people or other animals are not allowed on campus.

    • While on campus, pet owners are responsible for cleaning up waste left by their pet. Failure to clean up the waste will result in the pet no longer being allowed on campus.

    • All animal solid waste must be disposed of in outside dumpsters. Please do not dispose of it inside any building.

    • Complaints should be directed to Director of Public Safety.

    • If any of the above rules are broken, public safety staff will give pet owners two warnings to correct any bad behavior. If the misbehavior is not corrected after the second warning, the Director of Public Safety will ask the owner to leave campus with their pet.

    • In the event of an injury resulting from an encounter with a pet on campus the incident should be reported to the Bar Harbor Animal Control Officer. -

    This policy doesn’t cover animals in Student housing or service/emotional support animals. Please refer to the student housing contract for information about having a pet in the dorm rooms and to the Service Dog and Emotional Support Animal Policy.

  • Posted Materials Policy

    All notices and other printed material should be posted on bulletin boards, informational kiosks, or other designated locations. No item should be posted on walls, doors, woodwork, windows, or any other interior or exterior surface of campus buildings. Any items posted on a prohibited surface will be removed immediately and discarded appropriately. 

     

  • Smoking on Campus

    In compliance with the Maine Workplace Smoking Act of 1985 and additional legislation in 1993 banning smoking in enclosed public spaces, COA is committed to providing a smoke-free work environment. Smoking is therefore prohibited in and within a 25 foot zone around all college buildings, except for specific designated smoking areas. Smoking is also prohibited in all college owned vehicles.

    According to Maine State Law, Smoking” includes carrying or having in one's possession a lighted or heated cigarette, cigar, or pipe or a lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for human consumption through inhalation whether natural or synthetic in any manner or in any form. “Smoking” includes the use of an electronic smoking device.

    Community members who smoke are asked to do so in such a way that they do not expose those who do not smoke, to second-hand smoke. Those who want to smoke in areas without a specific designation are asked to be respectful of the needs of those who do not smoke by requesting permission to or refraining from smoking if the area is already in use, or stopping smoking if asked to do so.

    Smoke-free areas:

    The Newlin Gardens area (the “Red Bricks” area) including the stairways leading to the Newlin Gardens, the Campus Walk (the pathway connecting the Newlin Gardens to the Davis Center), the courtyard of Blair-Tyson, and the courtyard created by Deering Common, Seafox, and the Kathryn W. Davis Residence Village

    Designated smoking areas:

    The lean-to at Buildings and Grounds, the overhang at the northwest entrance to TAB, the porch of the KWD Residence Village Bike Shed, and the area adjacent to the bike shed at Blair-Tyson. At the discretion of CPBC these areas can be changed or moved.

  • Social Misconduct

    Students who engage in conduct which harms, or is intended to harm, another person or another’s property in the community (including college property) will be held accountable by the College. Harassing and intimidating behavior is particularly injurious to community life and will likely be subject to significant disciplinary action. The College also expects students to behave in accordance with the community policies outlined below. Social Misconduct may be dealt with administratively or through a Judiciary Hearing process.