Founded in 1855 and recognized as one of the finest colleges in
the country (consistently ranked among the top 25 national liberal
arts colleges in US News and World Report), Bates has formed
uncommon bonds with its community and its state. The College recognizes
both opportunities and responsibilities in its relationship.
| Panoramic Tour of Bates College |
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A study break next to "The Puddle" |
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A place for quiet meditation |
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Campus landmark |
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Three-story atrium study space |
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Scenic campus vista |
| - More VR tours at bates.edu |
Some statistics from a December 2001 economic impact report offer
a glimpse of our economic relationship:
- Bates had an operating budget of more than $65 million in fiscal
year 2001. As a national college, most of this money comes from
outside of Maine, but many of its expenditures stay within Maine.
During that year, Bates made $6 million in direct payments to
more than 360 businesses with Lewiston/Auburn addresses and another
$1.2 million in payments to individuals. Although it is a tax-exempt
organization, it paid more than $341,000 in fees for services
and taxes to Lewiston, and another $18,000 to Auburn.
- Bates is one of the top ten employers in the Lewiston/Auburn
area. It employs more than 700 permanent full-time and part-time
employees at all skill levels. Employees received almost $30
million in salaries and wages, and $8.9 million in benefits in
FY 2001. Bates jobs are secure, and are not as likely to be affected
by economic fluctuations. Most Bates employees reside in the
Lewiston/Auburn area, and most of those who live in neighboring
towns shop here.
- Bates students generate between $3.5 million and $4.2 million in
local spending per year. The College attracts thousands of visitors
to the local areas who would not be likely to come to Lewiston/Auburn
otherwise. It provides many enrichment and educational opportunities
for local residents. The College receives between 78,000 and 130,000
visitors each year, who spend between $1.2 and $3.3 million locally.
About 6,000 visitors each year stay in local hotels and motels.
- Conservative estimates show that Bates College, its employees,
its students and its visitors generate at least $70.3 million
in direct spending. College spending reverberates throughout
the economy in many complex ways. A generally accepted economic "multiplier" amplifies
College-related spending to generate an estimated $123 million
to $140 million in direct and indirect spending as money recirculates
throughout the local economy. Spending by the College, by its
employees, by its students and by its visitors also creates many
secondary and support jobs in the local community. Spending as
a result of College activities increases the local tax base.
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| Jose Leiva/Sun Journal |
| Bates College student Claire Jackimetz
enjoys the sunshine Monday, catching up on some reading and
listening to music on her iPod. |
In benefits that are not calculated in dollars, Bates' partnership
with Lewiston-Auburn and Maine has been particularly evident in
the work of its students and faculty.
The eight-year-old Bates Center for Service-Learning has gone
one step beyond volunteerism, incorporating community service into
academic course work.
In 1995, the Bates Center for Service-Learning and Professor Doug
Hodgkin’s political science students helped introduce what
is now considered a model for regionalization and cooperation between
municipalities through the Lewiston-Auburn Collaborative. Students
initially surveyed whether there was resident interest in inter-city
cooperation in areas such as purchasing and public safety as a
means to save tax money and improve services. There was. Today
there are up to 24 intergovernmental agreements that fundamentally
try to improve services and efficiencies between the two cities,
everything from mutual aid for fire departments to having one water
pipe, rather than two, extending from Lake Auburn, the cities'
common water supply.
Since 1995, more than half of Bates’ students have engaged
in a service-learning project during their time at Bates, while
a third of the 192-member faculty has included service components
in their courses. In the 2000-2001 academic year, 55,725 hours
of documented hours of service were given by Bates students through
service-learning projects, including 24,873 hours given in connection
with area public schools. Bates' long-term partnerships with community
agencies and organizations throughout the area create immediate
contact for students, faculty and staff with members of the Lewiston-Auburn
community. In addition to service-learning projects, an additional
9,052 documented hours of volunteer service were given by Bates
students and 3,540 hours of mentoring were done in local schools.
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| Jose Leiva/Sun Journal |
| The Rennie Harris
Pure movement dance company performs at Bates College as part
of the Dance Festival on Thursday. The company, which focuses
on the essence of hip-hop, performed to a sold-out audience
at the Schaeffer Theatre. |
In the past five years, Center for Service-Learning internships
have been supported by Bates throughout the state, including, to
name only a few: the Department of Marine Resources’ Lamoine
Water Quality Lab and its lab in Boothbay Harbor; the Portland
Housing Authority; the Maine Resources Aquarium in Boothbay; the
Kennebunk Veterinary Hospital, caring for animals from the Maine
Animal Welfare; the Maine Court System; the Water Research Institute
in Orono; Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, a camp for critically
ill children and their families; the Maine Department of Mental
Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services; the Maine
Medical Assessment Foundation researching end-of-life care; and
the Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp in Caribou.
Closer to home, Bates works with Lewiston and Auburn in a number
of ways, planning for the future of a vibrant and vital metropolis.
- The newly dedicated Harward Center for Community Partnerships
will consolidate and unite key existing components of the college’s
academic and service missions - activities involving community
collaboration, service-learning, and applied research in a community
context.
- A local organization started by Bates and fueled by citizens
and institutions, LA Excels, is dedicated to realizing the vision
of becoming one of the nation's communities of excellence. Former
Governor Angus King has called LA Excels "the most extensive
community development project in the history of the state."
- The Lewiston-Auburn Civic Leadership Institute, a creation
of LA Excels, seeks to elevate the quality of leadership in the
Twin Cities and to expand the already impressive numbers of individuals
engaged in the civic infrastructure.
Click here for the Bate's College monthly campus calendar showing
all of the events, most of them free, which are open to the public
for its enrichment and entertainment.
