WELCOME /// 1
Life is full of pre-established lanes and rules. But there’s a lot of
freedom at Bates. We believe the best way to approach college is to find what makes you tick, and then build the coming years around it.
We’ll help you
try things on for size — in the lab or
on the basketball court or in the ceramics studio or wherever your interests lead — until you find what fits for you.
You’ll never feel like you’re just on a treadmill working toward a diploma. You’ll be too busy
making connections
across academic fields, job-shadowing alumni, learning in the community, and doing
graduate-level research
that you really, really care about.
Through it all, you’ll have our support to ask big questions — and you’ll find the
courage to push through
when there aren’t clear answers.
n se
“Bates teaches us to focus, stand taller, k eep a se
e, and e r alanc e l a sp of b t et re o o thers with
ct .”
—
a Ch
’69 Dalton rry l Be nta
WELCOME /// 3
Open-minded A B AT E S E D U C AT I O N I S . . .
OPEN-MINDED /// 3
Bates students tend to be up for just about anything.
It’s a good thing we have about three dozen majors and two dozen minors to choose from. Some are liberal arts classics (history, mathematics, philosophy). Some are STEM-focused (neuroscience, engineering, biochemistry). Many draw from more than one discipline (American cultural studies, environmental studies, biochemistry, gender & sexuality studies). Some won’t exist until you invent them.*
MAJORS & MINORS M = major
m = minor
Africana (M, m)
Latin American studies (M)
American cultural studies (M)
Mathematics (M, m)
Anthropology (M, m)
Music (M, m)
Art & visual culture (M)
Neuroscience (M)
Asian studies (m)
Philosophy (M, m)
Biochemistry (M)
Physical education
Biology (M)
Physics (M, m)
Chemistry (M, m)
Politics (M)
Chinese (M, m)
Psychology (M)
Classical & medieval studies (M)
Religious studies (M, m)
Dance (M, m)
Rhetoric, film,
Digital & computational studies
& screen studies (M, m)
Earth & climate sciences (M, m)
Russian (m)
East Asian studies (M)
Sociology (M)
Economics (M)
Teacher education (m)
Educational studies (m)
Theater (M, m)
Engineering** English (M) Environmental studies (M) European studies (M) French & francophone studies (M, m) Gender & sexuality studies (M, m) German (M, m) Greek (m) Hispanic studies (M, m)
Students test out their computational neuroscience theses before hooking each other up to the EEG cap in the lab.
History (M, m) Interdisciplinary studies (M) Japanese (M, m) Latin (m)
*You can also design your own major with help from a faculty mentor. **Engineering students participate in the 3-2 Dual Degree program, completing three years at Bates and two years at one of our partner institutions, including Case Western, Columbia, Dartmouth, RPI, or Washington University.
OPEN-MINDED /// 5
Sara Moradi ’20 GLENVIEW, ILL.
You’re encouraged to experiment here. If you’re like recent graduate Sara Moradi,* you might start out being super interested in politics and certain you want to go to law school. But then …
You take an archaeology class your first year. Your professor invites you to do fieldwork in Montana and you LOVE IT. So you add anthropology as a minor.
Bates overwhelmed me in the best possible way,” she says. “It’s incredible how many resources there are on this campus.”
Back on campus, you take an economics class because a friend
Tutor at a local high school Organize a noon meditation series for students, staff, and faculty
swears you’ll like it. You discover — to your surprise — that you enjoy geeking out over the effects of You also find time to
quantitative easing on bond yields. So you go for a double major in politics and economics.
Study abroad in Stockholm, Sweden Do a summer internship as a public affairs representative for Comcast
Join in social justice causes through the Office of Intercultural Education
By senior year, you still want to go to law school. But instead of being a policy wonk, you decide to focus on immigration reform — because that’s where your heart is.
Mentor other first-generation college students
*Sara’s an all-star, but she’s also pretty typical for a Bates student: open to all sorts of possibilities and new experiences.
SHORT TERM, BIG IMPACT
Our calendar is based on two traditional semesters and one Short Term in the spring. It’s a time devoted to wide-open exploration (and at least a little sun worshipping after a long, dark winter). We set aside about four weeks in April and May for you to take just one class or focus on a project of your own design. Short Term courses usually involve fieldwork or off-campus travel — and professors have a blast coming up with the topics. You might research the feasibility of green development in Kingston, Jamaica. Write, direct, and produce a short film in French. Or hunt for the spy in your midst during a class on intelligence and national security taught by an alumna who used to be a White House security advisor. Students who don’t stay on campus or take classes gain an extra month of summer break. They often use the time for intensive internships, giving them added work experience before graduation.
RECENT SHORT TERM COURSES Practicum in Private Equity:
Health and Chinese
The Past, Present, and
Bordering Hispaniola:
Corporate Financial Decision
Traditional Medicine
Possible Dystopian Future
Blackness, Mixture,
Making, from IPOs to LBOs
team taught at a hospital in
of Computing
and Nation in the
taught by an alumnus who
Yunnan province with Bates
taught by an expert in
Dominican Republic
founded and runs a private
professors and traditional
computational neuroscience
examining the Dominican
equity firm
Chinese medicine doctors
and evolutionary theory
Republic’s place in the African diaspora
OPEN-MINDED /// 7
PROFILE
Fall Semester Abroad EXPLORING SCIENCE AND IDENTITY IN CHILE Bates’ Fall Semester Abroad (FSA) is just one
Lawson says. “The connections are already
way students study internationally. With
there — you just have to uncover them and
its location changing each year, FSA allows
explore them.”
you to study deeply and make unexpected connections while living in another country. Each FSA is taught by a pair of Bates professors, often working with faculty at a host university.
in three courses. Guzmán taught “The Zombie Scare: Viruses, Difference, and the Question of Security and Order”; Lawson covered “Genetically Modified Organisms:
The 2018 FSA, “Public Health and Culture
Science and Latin American Perceptions”;
in Chile,” is a prime example.*
and a Chilean colleague taught “Introduction
Public health might seem like an odd topic
to Public Health in Chile.”
for a biochemist and a Latin American
Students lived with host families in Santiago.
literature professor. But for FSA professors
They also traveled to remote communities to
Glen Lawson and Claudia Aburto Guzmán,
see how modern medicine and indigenous
it was a natural fit.
beliefs intersect, had internships at health
“You can bring together the intersections of history, culture, and artistic expression with natural science in a straightforward way,”
Being in place — in situ — has so many benefits,” Guzmán says. “It allows students to put into practice what is happening in the moment. The learning takes place at the intimate level, as well as at the academic level.”
The professors addressed these connections
clinics in the city, and spent time in Santiago’s crowded subway system to imagine how the health implications of a virus might spread in a contained environment.
‘In situ’ One of the benefits of FSA is that students can sign up as a first year or a sophomore. Sophomore year is ideal, Guzmán says, because students are more willing to experiment before they’ve narrowed in on a major: “The state of wonder is very much intact.” FSA is also easy to access. While students gain language skills overseas, the program does not have a language prerequisite because the courses are taught in English. Travel costs are covered in Bates’ tuition, so students don’t have to worry about airfare, housing, or a meal plan — they can immerse themselves in new experiences. *Fall Semester Abroad courses happen every two years. The 2020 iteration of “Public Health and Culture in Chile” has been postponed due to Covid-19.
Forging a Path When Bates opened in 1855, it was New
Our founders knew that making this type of
England’s first co-ed college. Since then,
education open to as many people as possible
we have admitted students no matter their
would lead to future leaders, thinkers, and
nationality, race, religion, sex, or socio-economic
problem-solvers who could take on the defining
status. While this openness was at the core
issues of their generations. Graduates leave
of our founding identity and principles, it
Bates willing and equipped to critique the world
has been tested throughout time and requires
(and the institution itself). We believe this is
us to constantly reflect upon and recommit
the right way to educate.
to our mission.
That doesn’t mean building an inclusive
Our holistic admission and need-based financial
culture is a simple task. Like other colleges and
aid practices and policies are mission-driven.*
universities, Bates continues to grapple with the
They’re grounded in our respect for where you’re
long-lasting effects of inequity in America and
coming from, what opportunities you’ve had, and
within our own institution.
what you’ve done with those opportunities.
While we’re making progress, we know that
We have a decades-long history of being
this is a far-reaching and complex process not
test-optional (more than 30 years, in fact).
of days, but decades. We invite you to join us.
That means admission decisions are based on the whole picture of who you are —
*More on that later.
not just your SAT or ACT score.
The Class of 2023 arrives on campus. Students move into their new residences, attend meetings, eat lunch, pick up AESOP equipment, hear the President’s Greeting on the Historic Quad, and say goodbye to their families.
OPEN-MINDED /// 9
There are no classes on the third Monday in January. Instead, students attend workshops and events dedicated to tackling the toughest issues, including race, racism, and oppression.
OPEN-MINDED /// 11
REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY OF OBSERVANCE
MLK Day is a reason we come to Bates,” says senior Kyle Larry. “One of the main purposes of this school is to create activists and to create advocates.”
It’s about immersing yourself in cultures outside of your own, seeing the struggles that other people face, and how this country has used power structures in order to marginalize certain groups.”
The day also includes a debate dedicated
It’s less about who wins than it is about
to Benjamin E. Mays, a 1920 alumnus and
sharing different perspectives, says
mentor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Morehouse debater Hatim Mansori.
Mays was a standout member of the
“I love being in this environment, and
Bates debate team and later became
experiencing some of the debate fire
president of Morehouse College. On MLK
that I would like to bring out in myself,
Day, members of the Morehouse debate
through the lens of Benjamin Elijah Mays
team come to campus for a friendly
and Martin Luther King Jr.”
competition.
PROFILE
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH FILLS A VOID Diverse BookFinder database holds thousands of titles Psychology professor and associate dean of the faculty Krista Aronson studies how children understand social constructs like race and ethnicity. While looking for inclusive books to help her daughter explore her own multiracial identity, Aronson realized how difficult these stories are to find. Especially since 85 to 90% of the main characters in children’s books are white. Aiming to fill the void she’d discovered, she recruited students and colleagues to start a database of inclusive titles. As the list grew, she worked with library staff to add titles to the collection at Bates. Three years later, the college has one of the most robust collections of diverse children’s books in the United States. The online counterpart she helped start, Diverse BookFinder, with its searchable database of more than 3,000 titles, has been profiled by media across the U.S. The library books are Bates’ most popular collection, sought after by teachers and librarians throughout New England. “No one else has this,” says humanities librarian Christina Bell. “But it’s not just about us having it, it’s how we are using it to help other people have better collections.” The BookFinder has inspired half a dozen senior thesis projects. It also attracted many non-psychology students to work in Aronson’s research lab, drawn to the idea that their work could make American children’s literature more reflective of America itself. “Every year, I have students who say to me: ‘This is the first time I’ve seen a book with someone who looks like me’ — and it’s here at Bates,” Aronson says. “That’s particularly powerful.” Explore at diversebookfinder.org.
OPEN-MINDED /// 13
Krista Aronson
Every year, I have students who say to me: ‘This is the first time I’ve seen a book with someone who looks like me’ — and it’s here at Bates. That’s particularly powerful.”
Open-hearted A B AT E S E D U C AT I O N I S . . .
.” f us o h one c a e l in e ing s s i ry ice e t s v u j d in and e “The power to en — Dolores Huerta, American labor activist and civil rights icon, speaking at Bates in 2019
WELCOME /// 15
OPEN-HEARTED /// 15
OPEN-HEARTED /// 17
We know that college isn’t just about developing your intellectual side. It’s also a time to find the people you can lean on so you can thoughtfully and authentically test your limits. Bates is a place where students hold doors open
You’ll find it between the lines of the Napkin Board
for each other. Our competitive streak is limited to
in Commons, our central dining hall, where dining
games against our rivals in the New England Small
staff respond to each comment or suggestion with
College Athletic Conference. And our professors
a personal note (or a meme).
are more likely to ask, “How are you doing?” than “How are you doing in my class?”
Bates is special because our community gives you not just time, space, and resources to define your
You’ll see our community spirit at work in the
interests, but also the support to care for yourself
library, which closes early on Fridays to make sure
along the way.
students get a study break and keeps a hot water kettle near the research desk for warm tea or cocoa in the winter.
ut us o m. k c e Ch stagra n on I
That way, you’re prepared to take the risks that will define who you become.
bat
esc
@batescollege
batescollege
— Environmental studies major Dianna Georges ’22 (right) of Clifton, N.J., president of the Bates Environmental Coalition, talks about giving plant succulents to fellow students outside Commons today while raising awareness of the Global
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batescollege “We’re the environmental activism club on campus, but we also like to have fun.”
628 likes
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PHOTO // Joshua Turner ’20
LOCATION, LOCATI N, LOCATION
ce a s Mill Complex, on te Ba d te va no re The staurant, uses a seafood re textile mill, now ho museum. fices, and a city a microbrewery, of
OPEN-HEARTED /// 19
THE TWIN CITIES OF LEWISTON AND AUBURN, WITH THE ANDROSCOGGIN RIVER RUNNING BETWEEN THEM, ARE MILL TOWNS REBORN With a combined population of about 60,000, the two
Many of our business owners are known for
cities offer the best of both worlds: a safe, close-knit
outstanding craftsmanship. The family behind Rancourt
community and a vibrant downtown.
Shoes has made handsewn footwear in Lewiston for three generations. Bourgeois Guitars
Locals call the area L/A. It’s
makes just 400 acoustic guitars
full of hard-working,
a year, ensuring that each
independent-minded people who are building meaningful,
of their instruments
BATES
has a unique tone
ME
Lewiston, ME
construction.
FREEPORT, ME
interesting lives for
VT
themselves. Inside
and faultless
NY
factories that once powered the Industrial Revolution,
And what was
(31 min/19.8 mi) NH MA CT
once an artisan furniture
PORTLAND, ME
(46 min/36.2 mi)
mom-andpop business,
BOSTON, MA
founded by
(2 hrs 17 min/139 mi)
former Bates professor
NEW YORK CITY, NY
(5 hrs 41 min/349 mi)
Thomas Moser, is still family-owned
you’ll find startups and brewpubs. Lisbon Street, Lewiston’s downtown shopping district, has cafés, bike shops, and galleries, all within a mile of campus. Thirty-four languages are spoken at the local high school,
but earns coverage in Architectural Digest. For arts lovers, L/A also offers a professional theater company, a film festival, museums, and an underground music scene.
and you can get a plate of curried goat, a steaming
In other words, you could find many ways to get
bowl of phò, or steak au poivre within blocks of
involved and make a difference here — and L/A
one another.
could make a difference for you.
Bates College is located in the heart of Maine, close to mountains, the sea, and cities along the Eastern seaboard. Traveling by Uber, bus, train, or plane is only a click away.
PROFILE
Tales That Unite Us STORYTELLING BRINGS TOGETHER L/A COMMUNITY On the second Thursday of the month, a square of carpet in a Lewiston café transforms into a confessional. Called “The Corner,” Lewiston’s monthly storytelling event takes a similar format to national showcases like “The Moth.” A Bates professor (Michael Sargent, seen at left) launched the series in 2013 in an effort to bring some new energy to L/A’s nightlife and culture. Now, after years as participants, Kate Webber ’11 and partner Steve Burger host The Corner. Five people share stories at each event, building tales around themes like “night shift” or “plus-one.” Some are seasoned performers; others have never spoken in front of an audience. Some stories provoke belly laughs. Others draw tears. “People have a real desire to connect with other people,” Webber says. “Even if you come and quietly sit in a back chair and observe, you can still leave feeling like you’re more connected to this place.” Every night is different, Burger adds. “Lewiston is not the stereotype of Maine. There is diversity in all senses of the word. The Corner thrives here because there are so many different stories to tell — and people genuinely listen to what you have to say.” There’s also an element of community ownership, he says. The event is volunteer run and sponsored by dozens of local businesses. “It’s something that people buy into and feel like it belongs to them.”
Even if you come and quietly sit in a back chair and observe, you can still leave feeling like you're more connected to this place.”
OPEN-HEARTED /// 21
Rhetoric, film, and screen studies
Politics
THE CHORUS OF CINEMA:
WELCOMING NEW MAINERS:
Experiments in Community Filmmaking
Local Economic Development
Practices and Collective Storytelling in
and its Effects on the Politics
Lewiston/Auburn, Maine
of Immigration
Our Community BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Recent capstone research projects in Lewiston/Auburn:
Sociology DRUG USE ON THE COAST:
Economics
Examining the Opioid Epidemic in Maine Lobster
A MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTING INPATIENT
Env. studies
DISCHARGE AT CENTRAL
HEAT AND LIGHT IN THE CITY
APPROACH FOR
MAINE MEDICAL CENTER
OF THE FUTURE: A Feasibility Study of Renewable Energy in Lewiston, Maine
Fishing Communities
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE ount Isa Moise ’19 of M or aj m s ie ud st l Environmenta klyn, Oko Farms in Broo at g in rn te in , Y. Vernon, N. id of at utilizes a hybr th on ti za ni ga or N.Y., an as aquaponics. droponics known hy d an e ur lt cu aqua
You can’t know what you love to do — and what you don’t — until you’ve tried it. So if you have an interest you want to explore, we’ll help you find an experience to match. Hands-on work at Bates helps you connect classroom theories with the practical realities of the working world. If you’re an art & visual culture major, you might have an internship at a local gallery. If you’re considering a legal career, you could work for a state representative or intern for an environmental policy group. And if you’re into math and economics, lots of our students have crunched numbers for leading insurance and financial services firms.
OPEN-HEARTED /// 23
TRY SOMETHING NEW
YOU’LL HAVE MANY CHANCES TO DIVE INTO THE UNEXPECTED AT BATES
surf with the Outing Club or perform a spoken-word piece at the weekly Village Club Series showcase. Test your technical skills with the
Learn to
High-Altitude Ballooning Club. Or your sense of rhythm with the
Bollywood Dance Team.
With nearly
100 student-run clubs
you’re sure to find something of interest. What you won’t find are fraternities or sororities. We’ve never had them. Never will.
Club angai Asia S e h t in o J rating t of celeb for a nigh rican Asian Ame Asian and ic, rough mus h t s e r u lt cu the dance at d n a , g n so ight. gai Asia N annual San
PROFILE
Calm in the Storm STUDENT-RUN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OFFERS A CAMPUS SAFETY NET When the Bates campus needs a quick response to injuries, illnesses, or anxieties, Bates EMS gets the call. Staffed by trained student volunteers, Bates EMS delivers immediate care to students, staff, and faculty. Crew members earn state certification as medical technicians during Short Term, so they have the expertise to respond to a range of health issues. The EMS team is on call 24/7, offering a safety net for the campus and giving its members first-hand experience in health care delivery. The crew also supports first responders in Lewiston, who may be miles away when something happens. “The fact that Bates EMS can go from one end of campus to the other in about two minutes is really, really important,” says Jillian Sheltra ’19 of Portland, Maine. While finishing her studies at Bates, she took a job with the local ambulance service that helps train Bates EMS volunteers. Recognizing a passion for emergency medicine, she earned a paramedic’s license and became a full-time first responder — experience that will serve her well as she applies to medical school. “You’re the calm in the middle of this crazy storm,” she says. “You often show up on somebody’s worst day. And no matter if you’re on the simplest of calls or the most complicated medical call, people are happy that you’re there. That’s one of the most rewarding parts.”
You often show up on somebody’s worst day. And no matter if you’re on the simplest of calls or the most complicated medical call, people are happy that you’re there.”
OPEN-HEARTED /// 25
GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROFESSORS Our professors are bright, driven, and among the
You might do research or fieldwork with them.
top minds in their scholarly fields. They’ve chosen
They may introduce you to alumni in your field of
to teach at a school with a 10:1 student-faculty
interest, or help you find opportunities to attend
ratio because their priority is helping you learn.
professional conferences.
Your professors will mentor you in class, advise
They will certainly encourage you to think harder
you on your course selections, and help you
than you ever imagined.
ruthlessly edit your capstone projects.
Accessible Faculty OFFICE HOURS
OPEN-HEARTED /// 27
OF TENURED FACULTY
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO
HOLD THE HIGHEST
DO FULL-TIME RESEARCH WITH
DEGREE IN THEIR FIELD
FACULTY EACH SUMMER
FACULTY-STUDENT RATIO
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
PROFILE
Groundbreaking Discovery
OPEN-HEARTED /// 29
STUDENT-DESIGNED MOLECULE COULD LEAD TO NEW ALZHEIMER’S DRUGS AND CANCER TREATMENTS WHAT IT IS: The Bobcat339 molecule is a compound that blocks the function of certain genes, leading to improved memory and concentration. Its full name is highly technical, so the students gave it a Bates-inspired nickname. WHO DISCOVERED IT: Three students — Gabriella Chua and Kelly Wassarman, who were both seniors, and Haoyu Sun, then a junior — took on key roles, with support from their professor, Andrew Kennedy. Four other students also are named as authors in the research, which they published in a scientific journal. HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE: It’s rare for undergraduates to not only work on complex research like this, but to design it from the ground up. Kennedy credits Bates’ genre-bending approach to the liberal arts. “A lot of scientists think exclusively in a reductionist way,” he says. But his students consider how their work affects the world outside the lab. “There is a focus on creativity in the sciences here.” WHAT’S NEXT: Bates filed a patent for the molecule, to protect it and build momentum for further testing and discovery.
The process Bobcat339 uses, DNA methylation, affects how genes turn on and off. That means it has potential for many different treatments. Kennedy’s lab is sharing the compound with cancer research groups and others who see its potential. Bobcat339 also opened new avenues for the students who invented it, now graduates. Haoyu and Gabriella are pursuing Ph.D.s at top research universities. Kelly was hired at a Boston biotechnology firm. Haoyu says she became more independent and flexible as a scientist because of her experience: “I used to be very specific and focused on if every reaction would produce the ‘perfect’ result. Later, I started to see what these little things mean to the whole research project.”
PROFILE
Bobcat Ventures STUDENT-RUN STARTUP CLUB CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH ALUMNI Bates trustee Chris Barbin ’93 wants to make sure
At each stage, they attend workshops and get
this is quite clear: Bobcat Ventures is more than
feedback from alumni entrepreneurs whose
Bates’ version of “Shark Tank.”
expertise includes executive coaching, launching
The pitch competition and its $10,000 prize have launched several student-run small businesses,
technology startups, and investing in disruptive businesses.
including a temporary storage company inspired
“They’re able to talk about business concepts that
by Airbnb and a personal care brand that supports
come up in the workshops, and, ultimately, create
at-risk women in Lewiston/Auburn.
a stronger bond between students and alumni who have been successful,”
But as an informal
says senior Julien Lewin of
advisor and judge of the
Seattle, Wash., one of the
competition, Barbin has
club’s organizers.
also seen Bobcat Ventures grow into a powerful
Bobcat Ventures judges
engine of connection for
often stay in touch with the
students and alumni.
winners after graduation, too. “I’ve watched the
“We’re encouraging
excitement on both sides
them to keep their
when you make those
business moving forward,
connections,” Barbin says.
and helping them with guidance, counsel, and support — even after the competition itself,” he says. Over the course of a year,
“It’s not just about exposing ABOVE: George DeLana ’19, Boston, Mass., won the $10,000 prize in 2019’s Bobcat Ventures pitch competition with his startup, Nook. Nook is an online marketplace where students can rent summer storage space from Lewiston/Auburn residents rather than lug that mini fridge all the way home.
Bobcat Ventures students
yourself as talent to somebody who’s going to hire you. It’s trying to really encourage entrepreneurship and give you some lessons
come up with a new business idea, research and write a business plan, and go through several rounds of simulated
learned for that — so it makes a workable connection with the alumni network as well.”
pitches to investors.
The 2017 winner of the pitch competition, Ali Rabideau ’17’s Herban Works, is still going strong. Herban Works is a product of Rabideau’s time with Lewiston’s Center for Women’s Wisdom, and the startup helps the Center pay its bills by making and selling herbal self-care products.
OPEN-HEARTED /// 31
We’re encouraging them to keep their business moving forward, and helping them with guidance, counsel, and support — even after the competition itself.”
PURPOSEFUL, HANDS-ON LEARNING EDUCATION HERE IS NEVER LIMITED TO THE CLASSROOM Our mission is to help you become an active citizen of the world — or at least your corner of it. That means developing strong communication skills, solving problems by working together, and respecting people from different backgrounds and points of view. There’s no better way to hone these skills than by practicing, then practicing some more. So you’ll participate in internships, job shadows, fieldwork, and work in the community. You might earn a research fellowship. Or have a work-study job at a local nonprofit. You’ll take Short Term classes from successful alumni. You’ll sometimes push your comfort zone, and always find yourself changed as a result.
OPEN-HEARTED /// 33
Community Partnerships Collaboration with the community and learning by doing are key aspects of academics at Bates. These two elements, which we call community-engaged learning, come together at our nationally recognized Harward Center for Community Partnerships. Through the Harward Center, you’ll have access to hundreds of hands-on experiences that will deepen your connection to Lewiston/Auburn and give you a chance to make a difference. These experiences often inspire students to dig deeper through independent research or a senior thesis.
What does community-engaged learning look like? Environmental studies students do research on how renewable energy can cut costs for a local 127-acre vegetable farm. Students studying education spend at least 30 hours a semester working in nearby schools or after-school programs. Students interested in healthcare are invited to job-shadow surgeons, physician assistants, and radiologists at Central Maine Medical Center. And classical & medieval studies students work with staff at Museum L/A in downtown Lewiston on a plan to digitize the museum’s archives.
COMMUNITY-ENGAGED LEARNING IN A TYPICAL YEAR
of Bates students
community-engaged
hours of academically driven
take community-
classes are available
community-engaged work are completed
engaged courses
disciplines offer
community-engaged
community-engaged
internships, research
courses
projects, or independent studies take place
Sustainability BY THE NUMBERS
At Bates, caring for each other also means caring for our environment.
The college switches to green electricity Annual savings from energy-efficiency measures Bates becomes carbon-neutral Student clubs focus on conservation and sustainability Campus boilers retrofitted to use renewable energy Green Innovation Grants awarded each year for campus sustainability projects Bates’ worldwide clean-energy ranking from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Portion of the first-year class attracted to Bates because of our environmental commitment
Annual Trashion Show, where students model garments made from recycled and thrownaway materials
OPEN-HEARTED /// 35
NATURAL WONDERS Visitors are often surprised to find that along with
Others represent the culmination of a lifelong goal,
academic buildings and residence halls, the Bates
like Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the
campus is home to both a “mountain” and a “lake.”
Appalachian Trail.
Lake Andrews is so little, we call it the Puddle. And at
Our pristine coast, vast mountain ranges, marshland,
381 feet, Mount David earns a description as a “tall rock
and rivers are ripe for exploration in all four seasons.
outcropping” in a local trail guide. They’re ours — and
They’re also within an hour’s drive of Lewiston.
we love them.
Take Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area. This
Mount David makes a great sledding hill on a snowy day.
public nature preserve on the southern coast offers 600
And every January the Outing Club cuts a hole in the lake
acres of protected salt marshes, dunes, and beaches.
for Puddle Jump, a longtime polar plunge tradition.
Bates manages the area for research and educational
The geographic variety of Bates’ campus is also a good
purposes — giving students another chance to explore
introduction to what makes living in northern New
Maine’s natural wonders, whether they’re studying
England special. Parts of Maine are wild and untouched.
physics, religion, or environmental science.
Parts are famous and majestic, like Acadia National Park.
COURSES USING BATES-MORSE MOUNTAIN AS A CLASSROOM Avian Biology Lost Beaches of Maine The Nature of Spirituality
ion vat r e s f Con ry o ain o t t n a u Mo bor d rse g la nes, an o n i M v i l u s e d e Bat -acr arshes, tes for on. The 600 a ti a lt m by B educa a, Are cted sa naged d a , an te pro es, is m esearch ,r ch bea tion a v r e cons
Coastal Hazards Conservation Biology Earth Surface Environments and Environmental Change Limnology and Paleolimnology of Maine Lakes Sedimentary Processes and Environments Brand Culture Building (Short Term practitioner-taught course)
NCAA CHAMPIONS
ALL-AMERICAN AWARDS IN 2018 AND 2019
VARSITY TEAMS CLUB TEAMS
ATHLETICS Bates is a charter member of NESCAC (the New England
BOBCAT PRIDE RUNS % DEEP. ABOUT
40
OF OUR STUDENTS
Small College Athletic Conference) along with Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.
PARTICIPATE IN VARSITY SPORTS EACH YEAR.
OLYMPIANS
OPEN-HEARTED /// 37
THEATER PRODUCTIONS
LARGE-SCALE ART EXHIBITIONS
MUSIC AND VOICE ENSEMBLES
& ARTS
HIGH-PROFILE LITERARY READINGS
The performing and visual arts are well represented at Bates. Every year you’ll find hundreds of opportunities to express yourself — and to be inspired by leadingedge artists. That’s true whether you major in dance or physics.
INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED DANCE FESTIVAL
Open-ended A B AT E S E D U C AT I O N I S . . .
OPEN-ENDED /// 39
WELCOME /// 39
s
ts i nt e i sc
“
’re y e th k ll. hin e t sw ust j a o ts st s t i n e n stud ma y u m h t n.” e an r o ’ i w y t e a th duc on’t e k s n d i e t I to th he Ba t m e f o h nt t value a e h w t I t’s Tha
— Andrew Kennedy, chemistry and biochemistry professor
.
FIND YOUR PURPOSE WITH BATES’ CENTER FOR PURPOSEFUL WORK
drives you to learn, grow, and thrive, you’ll have a more satisfying relationship with work throughout your life. That’s the idea behind Purposeful When you understand what
Work at Bates.
Most colleges offer career counseling and help with job applications. Our Center for Purposeful Work goes way beyond jobs or careers.
focus on the whole person — your beliefs, your strengths, your interests — and infuse concepts of meaningful work into all aspects of your time at Bates.
We
With each new
Purposeful Work experience,
you’ll consider whether a given role feels right for you, and why. By the time you graduate, you’ll have a
clear idea of
the values you want reflected in your life after college. And you’ll have a professional network and the practical experience to help you
make it happen.
OPEN-ENDED /// 41
GALLUP-BATES RESEARCH A nationwide study of college students, parents, and recruiters of recent grads found: Less than half of college graduates find purposeful work Graduates who align their work with their interests, values, and strengths are three times more likely to experience high purpose in work Graduates with high purpose in work are 10 times more likely to have high overall wellbeing
PROFILE
Working it Out PURPOSEFUL WORK LEADER HELPS STUDENTS MAKE FULFILLING CHOICES She could back it up with reams of data and decades of experience, but Rebecca Fraser-Thill’s philosophy boils down to about a dozen words: “Work is a fundamental part of our lives — so if work isn’t working, life isn’t working.” As director of faculty engagement and outreach at the Bates Center for Purposeful Work, FraserThill spends much of her time teaching the Bates community to reflect on the common themes in their academic work, practical experiences, and relationships so that they can identify future paths that feel right. “We very much believe that purpose isn’t something that you have to go out and find. It’s ABOVE: Students gather on the Quad for a class session of “Life Architecture: Designing Your Future Work,” led by lecturer in psychology Rebecca Fraser-Thill and visiting podcaster Megan Tan.
something that you can create wherever you happen to be.”
That includes being in college, she says: “If you can gain the skill set to create purpose and a meaning in what you’re doing in the here and now — in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in the community, in student employment, all of those settings — then you’re gaining an understanding of what it will mean to make a rich, full, impactful life after college.”
OPEN-ENDED /// 43
We very much believe that purpose isn’t something that you have to go out and find. It’s something that you can create wherever you happen to be.”
Rebecca Fraser-Thill
Practical Tools and Teaching INTERNSHIPS AND JOB SHADOWING:
PRACTITIONER-TAUGHT COURSES:
Bates Purposeful Work Internship Program offers
We invite alumni and other leaders in their fields to
250 paid summer internships a year, drawing on a
teach during Short Term. These fast-paced classes let
network of 70 core employers. Job shadowing also
students gain practical skills, expand their networks,
allows students to share a day in the life of alumni at
and understand workplace dynamics.
workplaces such as ESPN, The National Institutes of Health, and the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
PURPOSEFUL WORK UNPLUGGED: This Q&A with alumni features stories of success and
PURPOSEFUL WORK INFUSION PROJECT:
failure, lessons learned, and purposeful work in their
Across the curriculum, in over 65 classes last year,
own lives. Recent participants include an Instagram
Bates professors address the question, “How does
content strategist, a New York Times editor, a venture
this relate to the world beyond college?”
capitalist, and several CEOs.
HOW TO ADULT WORKSHOPS: Many of the hard lessons of adulthood come soon after graduation, so Bates’ residence life staff and the Center for Purposeful Work aim to give students a head start. Workshop topics include how to budget in your 20s, negotiate a salary, find an apartment, or make new friends after college.
RECENT PRACTITIONERTAUGHT COURSES Marketing with Higher Purpose for the Conscious Human taught by an alumna and marketing strategy executive The Business of the Arts taught by a professional dancer Advocating for The Environment taught by the former deputy director of the Maine State Planning Office Journalism in an Age of Media Explosion taught by an alumnus and former Men’s Health editor
OPEN-ENDED /// 45
THE BATES APPROACH After four years of exploration, discovery, and practical experience, Bates students have a strong sense of who they are. They’re confident about where they want to go, what they want to be, and how they will contribute to their communities. For some, that means going straight into a new job in finance, education, or government. For others, it’s entrepreneurship, graduate study, professional degrees, or fellowships abroad. Whatever they choose to pursue, our graduates’ self-confidence has been forged through a very Bates approach to life — one in which you learn to adapt by:
DEVELOPING A THEORY AND CREATING A PROTOTYPE
TESTING IT OUT
REFLECTING ON THE RESULT
MAKING IT BETTER
TRYING AGAIN
This way of thinking means that there are no mistakes or dead ends. Each experience propels you into what’s next — allowing you to create a new way forward, without boundaries or limits. *Then starting over again with the next challenge.
COMMITTED TO AFFORDABILITY Sometimes figuring out if you can afford college is as stressful as choosing where to go. When you consider Bates, keep in mind that the spirit of openness that inspired our founders lives on in our commitment to affordability. Because of our mission to be accessible to as many students as possible, Bates doesn’t offer financial aid based on your grades or athletic ability. Our entire financial aid budget supports students with demonstrated financial need. We will meet 100% of that need all four years. This may be through a combination of grants, payment plans, on-campus jobs, and loans. Each family’s budget is different. Our financial aid team (you’ll get to know them as Wendy, Jaime, David, Kevin, and Nina) will work with you one-on-one to find a solution that puts a Bates education within reach.
Financial Aid Fast Facts About half of all Bates students receive financial aid.
We awarded
When you study
$35.5 MILLION
abroad, your aid
in grants last year
travels with you
Average federal student loan debt for the class of 2019 was $13,552 — less than half the national average
The average financial aid package for the Class of 2024 was $49,563
OPEN-ENDED /// 47
All About the Class of 2019
of Class of 2019 graduates
of students and alumni who
were settled in a job,
worked with the Medical
graduate school, fellowship,
Studies Committee were
internship, or other
accepted to medical school,
opportunity within six
compared to a 41% national
months of graduation.
average.
Class of 2019 graduates will pursue fellowships in Brazil, of Class of 2019
Czech Republic, Germany, India,
graduates who applied
Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Peru,
were accepted to
Senegal, South Korea, and Spain.
dental school.
Bates has been a top producer of
of Class of 2019 graduates who applied were accepted to law school.
Fulbright awards for a decade, including No. 1 rankings in 2017–18 and 2019–20.
CAREER FIELDS
EMPLOYERS
Exposure to a range of ideas and disciplines
Bates graduates are employed by some
leads our graduates into many careers —
of the top performing and most innovative
often in several different fields over the
organizations in the world, including:
course of their working lives. The top four fields for recent graduates are:
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Fidelity Investments Google
Education 17%
Harvard University
Health care 13%
HBO
Finance/banking 10%
IBM
Technology 8%
Liberty Mutual
Other top fields for Bobcats include
Mashable Milwaukee Bucks
consulting, government, law, nonprofits,
Penguin Random House
and sports/recreation.
Teach for America
1
2
3
4
Always a Bobcat You’ll find Bates alumni across the world and around the corner. They’re building a new learning community in Vietnam, running an organic blueberry farm in Maine, serving in Congress, launching tech startups in New York, and representing their home countries in the Olympic Games.
5
They want to support you, too. Thousands of alumni mentor recent graduates, conduct admission interviews, open their workplaces for job-shadowing, and organize Bates events in their hometowns. Connecting with them is easy through Bates Bridge, the Center for Purposeful Work’s student-to-alumni connection network.
8
7
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PICTURED: 1. Nick Lindholm ’86, organic blueberry farmer; 2. Bryant Gumbel ’70, broadcast journalist; 3. Eva Meltzer Murray ’85, year-round resident and jill-of-all-trades on Matinicus Isle; 4. Marcus and Malcolm Delpeche ’17, professional basketball players; 5. Joyce White Vance ’82, former US Attorney and current MSNBC analyst; 6. Raj Saha ’03, Bates lecturer in earth & climate sciences and physics; 7. Elizabeth Strout ’77, bestselling author; 8. Megan Guynes ’11, nonprofit program director.
OPEN-ENDED /// 49
PROFILE
Shaking Up Higher Education BATES ALUMNA BRINGS LIBERAL ARTS TO VIETNAM Ngan Dinh ’02 didn’t initially set out to
focus on. They experiment, test theories,
create Bates’ mirror image in Vietnam. But
talk back to professors — respectfully and
after a career as an economics consultant
enthusiastically.
and professor, she’s doing just that.
Dinh always wanted to be of service in her
Dinh is the founding dean of undergraduate
home country, says retired Bates Dean of
studies at Fulbright University Vietnam, the
Admission Bill Hiss ’66, a longtime friend and
country’s first liberal arts college.
mentor. When the Fulbright organization
“We are still in the first year,” she says. “Technically, we are a baby.” Even in its infancy, the college in Ho Chi Minh City feels a lot like Bates. And it looks nothing like Vietnam’s traditional approach
tapped Dinh to start a new university, she turned to the model that she knew well. “She said sort of playfully, ‘Bill, I have to build Bates in Vietnam.’ And that’s exactly what she’s doing.”
to higher education, where you choose a
“Ngan is encouraging the students at
major at 18 and study only that subject for
Fulbright to have that same sort of curious,
four years.
open, involved, and questioning approach
Fulbright University students learn to build
to their education.”
machines using just bamboo and string. They hop from courses in Vietnamese studies to engineering to the arts, and then decide in year two or three what to
Ngan Dinh ’02
Lake Auburn
(field work hot spot)
Mt. David
(a quick mountain view)
Lake Andrews
(home to the Puddle Jump)
Pettengill Hall
(cozy place to study)
Garcelon Field
PHOTO // Joshua Turner ’20
(for all the athletic moves)
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PROFILE: CLASS OF 2024 CLASS STATS
CLASS SIZE — 502
EDUCATION
ADMISSION RATE — 14%
Public high school 50%
FINANCIAL AID Total grant aid $8.8+ million Portion of the Class of 2024 receiving Bates grant aid 43.4%
Independent high school 50% TESTING Bates has been a national leader in the test-optional movement for three decades. In 1984, our faculty
Portion of the Class of 2024
voted to make standardized
receiving Pell Grants 9%
testing optional for admission. For those who submitted testing, the
Class of 2024 average
middle 50% had score ranges of:
grant $49,563 SAT Evidence Based GEOGRAPHIC Middle Atlantic 22% Midwest 6% New England 38% Southeast 5% Southwest and West 17.5% Outside of the U.S. 11.5% DEMOGRAPHIC Female 53% Male 47% U.S. students of color 27% First generation to college 12% Non-U.S. citizens 10%
Numbers are current as of July 15, 2020.
Reading and Writing: 704 SAT Math: 728 ACT Composite: 32.4
YOU CAN BE OPEN HERE.
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