In self-governance, students take responsibility for shaping their own education.
Outer Coast vests students with the authority to govern their own community. Students gather for weekly Student Body meetings to legislate student life and engage in the real-stakes practice of creating fair policy, resolving conflict, and finding common ground.
Within their cohort, students determine their own community values; organize cleaning and maintenance of their living and eating spaces; and make policies for internet, cell phone, and social media use. In shaping the future of Outer Coast, students select two student representatives to serve on the Board of Trustees; interview faculty candidates and work with staff to shape the academic curriculum; and recruit and select future Outer Coast student cohorts. They learn that the details matter, that relationships are as important as ideas, that good communication is hard, and that big change is often the sum of many incremental steps. Ultimately, students develop the social and emotional intelligence necessary to build healthy communities through college and beyond.
For more on self-governance and student life, see the Student Body Handbook here.
