Catalog
Costs and Financial Aid
Charges and Payments
Tuition, room, and board charges for all students residing at Bates are included in one comprehensive fee. Upon reasonable notice, these charges are subject to adjustment in accordance with the changing costs of operation. The comprehensive fee does not include textbooks, supplies, or such personal items as clothing, travel, amusement, and vacation expenses.
| Annual Charge for 2011–2012 | |
| Comprehensive Fee | $55,300 |
Calendar of Payments
| Upon acceptance (new students) |
$300* |
| 1 August Comprehensive Fee, First Billing |
$27,650 |
| 1 December Comprehensive Fee, Second Billing |
$27,650 |
*The payment upon acceptance made by new students to indicate acceptance of the college's offer of admission is held until graduation.
A student who enrolls at Bates incurs financial obligation to the college. Semester invoices and monthly bills for past due balances are made available to students and other authorized users on the Garnet Gateway, Bates' secure online records system. Students are able to authorize parents and other individuals to have view-access to their Garnet Gateway financial aid and/or student account records. Once authorized, users are provided with login credentials, which may be used to access the student's online information, including e-bills. Payment may be made by check or money order payable to Bates College; Bates also offers an online ACH payment option. Bates does not accept debit cards or credit cards for payment of the comprehensive fee.
Payment in full for the comprehensive fee is expected by the due dates indicated above. Monthly bills must be paid by the last calendar day of the month. Students whose accounts are delinquent may become ineligible to register for classes, receive grades and transcripts, choose campus housing, receive financial aid for future semesters, return to Bates for a subsequent semester, or graduate. Bates assesses a late fee (1 percent per month) on balances that remain outstanding after the due dates. Past-due accounts may also be referred to an outside agency for collection. In such cases, all costs of collection become the student's responsibility. Students who have failed to submit required financial aid forms or have submitted an appeal remain responsible for making payments by the due date and accrue late fees on any outstanding balance.
Bates partners with Tuition Management Services (TMS), which offers students and families a monthly payment plan option rather than requiring two yearly payments. Participating students who fail to make timely payments are assessed a late fee of $40 by TMS. Late fees become applicable if a student's relationship with TMS is breached due to repeated nonpayment. Any balance for the semester that is left after anticipated TMS payments, loans and financial aid are calculated is due on the payment due date: August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the winter semester.
Students who leave Bates during a semester are required to apply in writing and complete a leave-of-absence form or a withdrawal form through the Office of the Dean of Students. Refunds are issued by the Office of Student Financial Services upon request after a leave or withdrawal has been granted. Students withdrawing on or before the fiftieth day, including non-class days, of a full semester receive a prorated refund of the annual charge, as follows: on or before the first day of classes*, 100 percent; 2–10 days, 90 percent; 11–20 days, 75 percent; 21–30 days, 50 percent; 31–50 days, 25 percent; no refund after 50 days. The first day of the leave or withdrawal is the date indicated by the student on the leave-of-absence or withdrawal form. If no date is stipulated by the student, the first day of the leave or withdrawal is defined as the last day the student attended any class. Refunds of Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid funds are made in accordance with federal regulations.
*Note: Some off-campus study programs have an earlier start date than courses offered on the Bates campus. When this occurs, the refund schedule begins on the first day of the off-campus study program.
Other Charges When Applicable
| Off-Campus Study Registration Fee, fall or winter semester (per semester away) | $1,935 |
| Books, supplies (average annual cost) | $800 |
| Special students (nondegree candidates) | $1,450 per course |
| Auditing (nonmatriculating students) | $375 per course |
A few courses require extra fees to cover such items as applied music instruction, studio materials, or laboratory supplies. Extra fees for courses are usually indicated in individual course descriptions in the catalog; the specific amount of the fee, when available, is typically indicated in the Schedule of Courses.
Bates does not assess an additional comprehensive fee for Short Term courses offered on campus. Students who do not attend or who withdraw from Short Term are not entitled to a reduction in the comprehensive fee.
Some Short Term courses, referred to as “off-campus extra-cost Short Term courses,” involve extensive travel in the United States or abroad. Student participants are assessed additional charges that offset some of the extra costs of transportation, additional services, and accommodations required by such programs. Extra-cost Short Term course fees are based on the actual operating cost of the program. An estimate of these fees is included in the Short Term Schedule of Courses, available at the end of the preceding fall semester. Financial aid is available to qualified students to help offset the cost of faculty-approved off-campus Short Term courses, but may not be applied to Short Term independent study courses (numbered s50). All off-campus extra-cost Short Term courses require a $500 non-refundable deposit. Students who register for such a course and then withdraw before its completion are reimbursed only for those portions of the remaining cost not yet incurred on the students' behalf, and are not reimbursed for the deposit. Students with outstanding account balances are ineligible to register and/or receive financial aid for off-campus extra-cost Short Term courses.
Financial Aid
Bates students receive help in many ways to meet their college costs. Assistance may come from numerous scholarships, from opportunities for part-time employment, or from student loans. Frequently, students receive aid that combines these grant and self-help opportunities. In recent years Bates students have received more than $25 million in financial aid annually in the form of scholarships and loans from the college and from outside sources.
Conditions of Aid. The following conditions pertain to all students applying for and receiving financial aid:
1. Financial aid is granted on the basis of demonstrated need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Services through an examination of aid applications submitted by students and their parents. Students must apply for financial aid when they apply for admission to Bates College. To receive aid after the first year, aided students must demonstrate satisfactory campus citizenship, show a continuance of financial need, and meet established standards of satisfactory progress toward the degree as set forth in the college's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy (see pages 25–27).
2. To be considered for financial aid, students must indicate on the admission application that they will be applying for aid. They must submit the following forms each year by the appropriate deadline: the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid PROFILE, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federal income tax returns of the parents and student, and any other materials deemed necessary to analyze a student's family financial circumstances. Students who do not submit materials by the deadline may lose their eligibility for Bates aid.
3. Dismissal or suspension for a semester or longer automatically revokes the assignment of financial aid.
4. Scholarships and loans are credited in equal amounts to the student's account at the beginning of each semester.
5. The college reserves the right to adjust its financial aid award to a student who receives additional scholarship assistance from an outside source.
6. Aid is available for the programs listed in the section of the catalog covering off-campus study (see pages 28–30) according to policies that apply to students on campus, up to the amount the student would receive if he or she were studying on campus. The need analysis is based on the Bates comprehensive fee for those programs for which this fee is charged, or on the tuition, room, board, domestic and international airfare (if applicable), and Bates off-campus study registration fee for other programs. In both cases, personal and book expenses estimated for the student in Lewiston are also included. In English-speaking countries, aid is based on the cost of direct application. Other expenses, such as passports, visas, immunizations, and extra travel, are the student's responsibility.
7. Students who qualify for scholarship aid during an academic year may apply for an additional grant if enrollment in an off-campus extra-cost Short Term course requires expenditure above the comprehensive fee. Such further aid is granted to the extent that scholarship funds are available.
8. Financial aid is not continued beyond eight semesters unless truly exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student exist.
Veterans Education Programs
The college's degree programs are approved by the Maine State Approving Agency for Veterans Education Programs for persons eligible for educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Students who have questions about their eligibility may contact the Veterans Administration (1-888-442-4551). Students who request veteran's educational assistance are required to have all previous post-secondary experience evaluated for possible transfer credit in order to be eligible for benefits. Bates participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program for Veterans or Dependents of Veterans. More information is available from the Office of Student Financial Services.
Scholarships
Many individual benefactors of the college have given funds from which the income is used for scholarship aid. Other scholarships come from foundations and from the operating funds of the college. More than 40 percent of Bates students receive assistance from these sources in varying amounts, depending on need. Once grant eligibility is determined through normal aid application processes, students are automatically considered for all special college grants or scholarships for which they may be eligible. These scholarships include, but are not limited to, the following:
Lillian and Wallace W. Fairbanks '24 Scholarship.The college's largest scholarship endowment, the Fairbanks Fund continues Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks' tradition of generosity to needy Bates students. Wallace Fairbanks, a Lewiston native, was associated with the Massachusetts retail firm of Cherry and Webb from his graduation from Bates until his retirement in 1964; the Fairbankses lived in Fall River, Massachusetts, for sixty years. Grants are made each year for general scholarship assistance, as directed by the President and Trustees of the college.
Joan Holmes and Ralph T. Perry Scholarship. These are scholarships for women and men from Maine who have substantial financial need, with preference given to students who have exhibited perseverance in achieving academic, extracurricular, or personal goals. The scholarships were given in 1992 by Joan Holmes Perry, Class of 1951 and Ralph T. Perry, Class of 1951, and honorary degree recipient in 2009.
Benjamin E. Mays Scholarship. This scholarship was established by Dr. Mays, Class of 1920 and recipient of an honorary degree in 1947, with additional contributions from others and bequest from his estate. Dr. Mays was president of Morehouse College for more than twenty years, was a friend and mentor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and is often called the father of the civil rights movement. Recipients of the Mays Scholarship are appointed on the basis of academic achievement, leadership, and character.
The Charles Irwin Travelli Fund and Alice S. Ayling Foundation Scholarship. Annual awards, in varying but substantial amounts, are made by the Travelli Fund and Ayling Foundation to a group of carefully selected students with extreme financial need who demonstrate those qualities upon which sound and enduring American citizenship is built. Students selected are those whose records show high character and recognized leadership in some organized campus activity that contributes significantly to the interests of the college as a whole. Students selected must prove by their grades and class standing their determination to secure a good education.
The College Key Scholarship. The College Key, the honorary alumni organization, awards annual scholarships to qualified undergraduates. Recipients of the College Key scholarships are chosen on the basis of character, contribution to college life, and future promise, as well as financial need.
The Mabel Eaton Scholarship. Endowed by the College Key, in memory of Mabel Eaton, Class of 1910, College Librarian. The Mabel Eaton Scholarship is given to a student who has worked in the library.
The Geoffrey Suess Law Traveling Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded annually to the student or students most deserving of support for study abroad. Preference is given to underclass students and to prospective participants in Short Term courses offered abroad, and the scholarship is supported by a fund initiated by Mr. and Mrs. George S. Law and the Reverend Gretchen Law-Imperiale in honor of Geoffrey S. Law, for nine years a professor in the Department of History.
Other Scholarships. A separate college publication cites the almost 400 endowed scholarships awarded annually.
Financial aid grants are often secured from churches, service clubs, community organizations, and special local and regional foundations. Students who need assistance should explore all of these sources in their local communities or regions.
Loans
Students throughout the country invest in their own futures by borrowing money when necessary to meet college costs.
Two widely used federal programs are the Federal Perkins Loan Program and the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Additional information about federal and private education loan programs for students and parents is available from the Office of Student Financial Services at Bates.
Student Employment
Bates offers many opportunities for students to earn money and gain valuable skills through campus and work-study jobs. The Student Employment Office is a student-managed division of the college's Department of Human Resources. The office is an intermediary between student employees and their employers, and is a resource center for issues concerning student employment. The primary function of the Student Employment Office is to assist Bates students in securing on-campus employment by facilitating and regulating the application process. The office also posts off-campus positions.
Student Research and Community-Based Learning Grants and Fellowships
Bates Summer Research Apprenticeships. This program provides stipends and room-and-board support for students in all disciplines who work directly with Bates faculty members on intensive research or artistic projects during the summer.
The Bruce Bouley Fund. This fund, established by the family of the late Bruce Bouley '69,
supports senior thesis research in field-based geologic mapping.
Crafts Service Grants. Established through the bequest of Arthur Crafts, the Crafts Fund provides grants to students in any discipline who design an academically related project to help implement community-based learning or community-based research projects.
Community-Based Research Fellowships. Created with support from the National Community-Based Research Networking Initiative, these summer and/or academic year fellowships connect students doing academic work in, with, and for the community; engage fellows in a community of practice where they can test and reflect on the work of community-based research; provide specialized support as fellows develop their projects and think about how they connect to larger academic, personal, and career goals.
Community Work-Study Fellowships. These fellowships provide federal work-study funds to eligible students who undertake community-based work with local nonprofit agencies during the academic year.
The Hamill Family Fund for Student Fieldwork and Research. Given by Oliver L. Hamill, the Hamill Fund provides travel assistance and other support for student research in anthropology.
Harward Summer Student Fellowships. These fellowships, funded by the Vincent Mulford Foundation, the Class of 2001 Fund, and the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, provide support for students conducting academically related community-based learning projects with a service agency full time during the summer.
Hoffman Fund for Student Research. This endowment, established by the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, provides support for students in all disciplines conducting individual summer research projects or assisting a faculty member with his or her research.
Marshall Undergraduate Scholarship. Established by the George C. Marshall Foundation, the Marshall Undergraduate Scholarship enables a Bates student to conduct research in twentieth-century diplomatic or military history, foreign policy, or international economics at the Marshall Library in Lexington, Virginia.
Susan Majeski McKnight '70 Fund for Environmental Studies. This endowed fund, established in the memory of Susan Majeski McKnight ‘70, supports students majoring in or studying environmental studies.
Mount David Research Fellowship Fund. This fund supports student research in mathematics and the natural sciences during the academic year and the summer.
Natt Family Fund in Biology. Established by Robert L. Natt and Helen Natt in honor of their daughter, Beth C. Natt '98, the Natt Family Fund supports student research in the Department of Biology by providing funds for equipment and supplies, off-campus travel, and living expenses for student researchers.
Philip J. Otis Fellowships. The Otis Fellowships provide support for several students each year to conduct substantial off-campus projects (usually during the Short Term or the summer) that explore the relationships of individuals and societies to the environment. The fellowships are supported by an endowment established by Margaret V. B. and C. Angus Wurtele in the memory of their son, Philip '95, who died while attempting to rescue a climber on Mount Rainier.
Papaioanou Service-Learning Grants. These grants provide support to students carrying out an
academically related service-learning project in the community during the academic year.
The Anthony B. and Raeflyn R. Pelliccia Fund for Student Research. Established by Joseph G. Pelliccia, Professor Emeritus of Biology, and his wife, Patricia A. Pelliccia, to honor his parents, this fund supports student research in biology as well as student participation in faculty research in biology.
Phillips Student Fellowships. Funded through an endowment established by the fourth president of the college, Charles F. Phillips, and his wife, Evelyn M. Phillips, the fellowships offer exceptional students the opportunity to conduct a major research, community service, or career discovery project in an international or cross-cultural setting.
Linda Erickson Rawlings Fund for Student/Faculty Research in Mathematics. Established by Linda Erickson Rawlings '76, the fund provides support for exceptional students conducting pre-thesis summer research in mathematics under the direction of Bates faculty, or assisting a faculty member with his or her research.
Ruggles Scholars Program. Funded by an endowment established by Robert T. and Francine Paré Ruggles, parents of Anne Ruggles Pariser M.D. '83, the Ruggles Scholars Program offers summer grants for pre-thesis research to exceptional juniors working in the humanities, the social sciences, or the interdisciplinary programs.
Sargent Student Research Fund. Established by David C. Sargent and Jean T. Sargent, parents of Anne Sargent '78, the Sargent Fund provides support for student thesis research in any discipline.
Scher Fellowship Program. Established by Dr. Howard I. Scher '72 and Deborah Lafer Scher, the Scher Fellowship supports a student interested in a career in medical science who studies and conducts research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
The Ellen Seeling Design Fellowship. Established in memory of Ellen Seeling, professor of theater from 1997 to 2004, this fund supports students who wish to study or undertake a project in design for theater or the fine arts.
Stangle Family Fund for Student/Faculty Research in Economics and Law. Established by Bruce E. Stangle '70, a Trustee of the college, and Emily S. Stangle '72, the Stangle Family Fund offers support for students to conduct research in economics or law under the direction of a Bates faculty member, or to undertake a research or internship position in a business, professional association, or government agency that deals with issues of economics or the law.
Summer Community Work-Study Fellowships. Established to provide federal work-study funds for eligible students who conduct academically related service-learning projects anywhere in the United States, with preference given to local projects in Maine.
Dr. Jason M. Tanzer Fund for Student Research in Biology and Chemistry. Established by Dr. Jason M. Tanzer '59, the Tanzer Fund supports students conducting research in the biological and chemical sciences.
Aaron R. Winkler '92 Fund for Student Research in Biology. Established by Robert O. Winkler and Susan B. Winkler, parents of Aaron R. Winkler '92, the fund provides support for qualified students to conduct research in the field of biology under the direction of a faculty member.
Prizes and Awards
Professor Leland and Claudina Bechtel Fund Prize. Awarded annually to a student with financial need who has given significant community service to a local nonprofit agency.
Drake R. Bradley Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Established in 2005 by Drake R. Bradley, a member of the psychology faculty from 1973 to 2003, this award recognizes the graduating senior whose research thesis is deemed to be the most promising by a committee of the faculty.
Drake R. Bradley Award in Statistics. This award, established by J. Michael Chu '80, honors Drake R. Bradley, member of the psychology faculty from 1973 to 2003, and is given to the graduating senior whose thesis or senior project best exemplifies the use of statistical techniques and methodology to address research questions, or best illustrates the use of analytical of empirical methods to investigate theoretical issues in applied statistics.
Robert J. Branham Scholars Fund Coach's Debate Prize. Given in memory of Robert J. Branham, a member of the faculty in rhetoric and director of debate from 1974 to 1999, this prize honors individual excellence in debate.
Ralph J. Chances Economics Prize. The prize is awarded annually to an outstanding senior economics major by the faculty in economics on the basis of high academic achievement and interest in the field of economics, and is given in honor of Professor Ralph J. Chances, a member of the faculty from 1958 to 1988, by faculty and alumni of the college.
Geoffrey P. Charde Art Award. Bestowed annually by the art history faculty to that senior student who best exemplifies great promise and a continually developing interest in the study of art history, the award is supported by a fund given by the family and friends of Geoffrey P. Charde '88 as a memorial to Geoffrey, an art student who died in 1987 while still an undergraduate at the college.
College Key Music Award. The award is presented annually to the senior men or women whose services to the college's musical organizations have been most outstanding.
Charles A. Dana Award. The highest honor bestowed upon students in the first year, the Charles A. Dana Award recognizes extraordinary leadership potential, academic excellence,and service to the college community. At the end of their first year, twenty students are distinguished with this honor, based upon nominations from the faculty and students. Dana Scholars hold the honor throughout their college career.
William H. Dunham Sr. '32 Literary Award. A prize for a graduating senior English major who has displayed excellence in the study of English or American literature, its funding was given in honor of William H. Dunham Sr. '32, member of the Board of Overseers, 1944 to 1967, and Board of Fellows, 1968 to 1979, by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Dunham, and by their children, Stella D. Lydon, Thomas B. Dunham, Mary Ann Dunham, and William H. Dunham Jr. '63, and by their grandchildren.
Forrest K. Garderwine Award for History. Awarded to a junior major who submits the most promising prospectus for a senior thesis or the most outstanding essay or paper during his or her junior year, as judged by members of the Department of History, the Garderwine Award is restricted to topics addressing nineteenth-century U.S. history, with preference for treatments of the Civil War, including its origins and aftermath. It was given by Forrest K. Garderwine of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Gilbert-Townsend Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship is for a senior of outstanding ability who plans to do graduate work in the French language or literature or in other modern languages or literatures. It is derived from a fund endowed by the estate of Arthur Forester Gilbert, Class of 1885, and his wife, Blanche Townsend Gilbert '25, professor of French, 1924 to 1939.
Harold Norris Goodspeed Jr. '40 Award and the William Hayes Sawyer Jr. '13 Award. These awards are given annually to the senior man and the senior woman who have rendered the greatest measure of service to the Outing Club and its activities. They are derived from the income of funds given in memory of 2nd Lt. Harold Norris Goodspeed Jr. by his fellow employees of the A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Massachusetts, and of Dr. William Hayes Sawyer, professor of biology at Bates from 1913 to 1962 and faculty advisor of the Outing Club for twenty-five years.
Maung Maung Gyi Award for Excellence in Politics. Presented annually by the politics faculty to a senior major who has shown excellence in his or her studies, with preference given for study in comparative politics, the award is given from a fund endowed by Professor Gyi, member of the faculty from 1967 to 1988.
Andrew Hamill, Class of 2005, Thesis Prize in Anthropology. Awarded annually to one or more graduating seniors who, by vote of the faculty of the Department of Anthropology, have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the senior thesis. Funded by an endowment established by Oliver L. Hamill P'05.
Paul Millard Hardy Prize. Each year the faculty selects a senior who will be entering a graduate program in medicine, mathematics, or one of the natural sciences to receive the prize. Through high achievement in the humanities, that senior must have demonstrated an awareness of their importance to the study of medicine, mathematics, or the natural sciences. The prize is given by Paul Millard Hardy, a member of the Class of 1967 and a former member of the Board of Overseers of the College.
William H. Hartshorn English Literature Prize. The prize is given annually to the member of the senior class who attained the highest average rank in English literature during his or her junior and senior years. It derives from the income of a fund established by Mrs. Minnie Blake Hartshorn in memory of her husband, William Henry Hartshorn, Class of 1886, for thirty-seven years a member of the faculty.
Dale Hatch Award. Created in 1964 in memory of Dale Hatch, Class of 1966, this award is presented to the graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and service for four years in the Robinson Players.
Oren Nelson Hilton Prize. This prize is given to the man or woman adjudged best in extemporaneous speaking, and it derives from income of a fund established by Oren Nelson Hilton, Class of 1871.
Rodney F. Johonnot Graduate Award. The award is made each year at Commencement to the senior selected by the faculty as most deserving of aid in furthering his or her studies in professional or postgraduate work in any college or university during the next academic year. It was established by Rose Abbott Johonnot in memory of her husband, Rodney Fuller Johonnot, Class of 1879.
Louis Jordan Jr. '49 Award. This award is given to the graduating geology major whose senior thesis is judged most outstanding by the chair of the Department of Geology.
Christopher M. Laconi, Class of 2005, Debate Award. Given by David and Eileen Laconi in honor of their son, the award goes to a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding eloquence in public debate.
The Libby Prizes in Public Speech and Debate. The prizes are awarded from the fund established in the will of Almon Cyrus Libby, Class of 1873, to provide prizes for excellence in public speaking and debate. They are the Charles Sumner Libby 1876 Prizes, given to those two members of the Quimby Debate Council who have most contributed to the debate program at Bates through outstanding service to the council, and the Almon Cyrus Libby Prize, to the best debater in his or her first year of competition.
Milton L. Lindholm Scholar-Athlete Awards. Established by the College Club in honor of Milton L. Lindholm, Class of 1935, master's degree recipient in 1939, and honorary degree recipient in 2004, who was dean of admissions for thirty-two years. The awards are given annually to the senior male and senior female athletes with the highest academic averages.
Benjamin E. Mays '20 Award. This award is given to the senior who most exemplifies the values of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays '20, H'47, in academic excellence, service to others, and moral leadership. This prize was endowed with a gift from Henry Louis Gates Jr., a former Trustee of the College and the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University.
The R. A. F. McDonald Graduate Award. Given by Mabel C. McDonald in memory of her husband, Robert A. F. McDonald, a member of the faculty from 1915 to 1948, the award is for a worthy senior for graduate study in the field of education.
Robert S. Moyer Prize in Experimental Psychology. Awarded annually to the graduating senior who, by vote of the faculty of the Department of Psychology, has completed the most outstanding experimental psychology project for a senior thesis. Funded by an endowment established by Catherine Lee in honor of her husband, a member of the psychology faculty for thirty-two years.
Robert S. Moyer Prize for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Awarded annually to a student in any class or major who has contributed through service or research to the prevention of domestic violence.
Ernest P. Muller Prize in History. The prize is presented to the graduating history major whose senior thesis is judged most outstanding by vote of the history faculty. The prize was established by history faculty and students in recognition of Professor Muller's thirty-eight years of teaching and service to the Department of History and the college.
Myhrman/Swett Award. This award is given annually to one or more graduating seniors whose
thesis in sociology is deemed the most outstanding by vote of the faculty of the Department of Sociology. The award was established by Richard Swett in honor of his parents, Robert B. Swett, Class of 1933, and Muriel Beckman Swett, Class of 1930; his aunt, Mildred Beckman Myhrman, Class of 1930; and his uncle, Anders Myhrman.
Henry W. and Raymond S. Oakes Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded to the best-qualified senior who intends to study law and demonstrates superior scholarship, aptitude for success at law school, and accomplishment in public speaking and/or communication skills. The fellowship was established by Raymond Sylvester Oakes, Class of 1909, in memory of his father, Henry Walter Oakes, Class of 1877, a member of the Board of Overseers for thirty-four years.
Scott Peura Memorial Prize in Chemistry. This award is given annually to a graduating senior working in chemistry who exemplifies the scholar-athlete qualities that Scott Peura '90 embodied. The award is made by faculty members in the Department of Chemistry, who give preference to chemistry majors who have balanced academic achievement, thesis research, and participation in varsity athletics.
Irving Cushing Phillips Award. The award is presented to the student who has made the most progress in debate or public speaking, and derives from income of a fund established by
Eva Phillips Lillibridge, Class of 1904, in memory of her father, Irving Cushing Phillips, Class of 1876.
Marcy Plavin Dance Award. Awarded annually to the senior or seniors who have shown exceptional dedication to and passion for dance. Created in 2000 by the alumni of the Bates College Modern Dance Company to honor their friend and mentor, Marcy Plavin, founder of the college's dance program.
Harriet M. and Fred E. Pomeroy Graduate Fellowship. Designated for recent Bates graduates who majored in biology or an interdisciplinary program including biology who plan to enter a Ph.D. or combined Ph.D. and professional program in the biological sciences, the fellowship is funded through a trust created by Fred E. Pomeroy, Class of 1899, professor of biology from 1899 to 1947.
Senseney Memorial Award. The award is presented to the student who has shown outstanding creative ability and promise in writing and/or the dramatic arts. It was created by the friends of William Stewart Senseney '49, a member of the Robinson Players.
Abigail Smith Award. In honor of Mrs. Abigail Smith, dormitory director, 1953 to 1957, the award is presented to the senior man and the senior woman, not residence coordinators, who have done the most to contribute constructively to dormitory spirit.
Stangle Family Awards in Economics. Established by Bruce E. Stangle '70, a Trustee of the College, and Emily S. Stangle '72, the Stangle Family Awards in Economics honor the junior economics major with the highest grade point average at the end of the junior year, and senior economics major whose thesis is judged most outstanding by vote of the faculty in the Department of Economics.
Albion Morse Stevens Awards. The awards are given to the man and the woman in the first-year class who have done the best work in a foreign language from the income of a fund established in memory of Albion Morse Stevens by his son, William Bertrand Stevens, Class of 1906, Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles, 1920 to 1947.
John Tagliabue Prize for Creative Writing. This prize, named for John Tagliabue, a poet and member of the English faculty for more than thirty years, honors excellence in creative writing. The prize is given to a student or students whose work in poetry or prose is judged the most outstanding by faculty in the Department of English.
Technos International Prize. This prize is awarded annually to a graduating senior who has shown outstanding academic performance and a commitment to the cause of international understanding.
Garold W. Thumm Prize in Politics. The prize is awarded to that graduating politics major whose senior thesis is judged to be the most outstanding in empirical politics by vote of the faculty of the Department of Politics. The thesis should make use of evidence and the scientific method in a way reflective of Professor Thumm's abiding interest in the study of politics as an empirical discipline. The prize was created by Edward Wollenberg '85 in recognition of
Professor Thumm's twenty-six years of teaching and service to the department and the college.
Clair E. Turner Award. Awards are presented to three students who have shown in the preceding year the greatest forensic ability and integrity in public debate. Income derives from a fund established by Clair E. Turner, Class of 1912, Sc.D. '37.
Twentieth-Anniversary Award in Women and Gender Studies. Awarded annually in recognition of exceptional achievement in women and gender studies, as determined by the faculty Committee on Women and Gender Studies. Established through the generous contributions of Bates graduates and their families, the award honors the twentieth anniversary of the program's founding at the college.
Richard V. Wagner Prize in Psychology. This award is given annually to the graduating psychology major who, by vote of the faculty of the Department of Psychology, has completed the best thesis or project on issues related to peace, conflict resolution, or social justice. The prize was established by the psychology faculty in recognition of Professor Wagner's thirty-four years of teaching and service to Bates, including twenty-five years as chair of the department.
Alice Jane Dinsmore Wandke Award. The award is given to a woman in the sophomore or first-year class who, in the judgment of the Department of English, excels in creative work in either prose or poetry. It comes from the income of a fund established by Alfred Wandke and Alfred Dinsmore Wandke as a memorial to Alice Dinsmore Wandke, Class of 1908.
Percy D. Wilkins Mathematics Award. Established in honor of Professor Wilkins, a member of the Bates faculty from 1927 to 1968, the award is given to the senior majoring in mathematics who achieves the highest quality point ratio in his or her undergraduate work in mathematics.
Williams Family Prize. This award was established by the family, friends, and colleagues of Anne D. Williams, Professor Emerita of Economics, in recognition of her service to the economics department and the college from 1981 to 2008. This prize recognizes a junior or senior for outstanding original research in population or environmental studies.
Willis Awards. Two awards for excellence in reading from the Bible were established by Dr. Ellen A. Williamson of Los Angeles, California, in memory of her father, the Reverend West Gould Willis, an 1871 graduate of the college's Cobb Divinity School.
Alfred J. Wright Foreign Language Award. The award is given annually to one or more seniors who have completed outstanding theses in a foreign language and who are chosen by a committee of foreign language faculty. The award derives from the income of a fund established by Alfred J. Wright, professor of French, 1956 to 1984.