The dean of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., was listed in stable condition yesterday after being shot in his campus home by an unknown assailant Monday night.

James W. Carignan, dean since 1970 of the 1500-student college, was struck in the back by a gunman who fired through a window about 7:30 p.m., police said. Carignan was rushed to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

No one else was injured, although the dean's wife, Sally Carignan, was home at the time, said Laura Smith, assistant editor of The Student, Bates's undergraduate newspaper.

The police are still investigating the incident and are "actively pursuing all leads," said Lewiston Police Sgt. Carpenter, who said police divers are searching an on-campus pond for the assailant's weapon.

Carpenter declined to name any possible suspects, but did not rule out students, saying, "We are talking to any number of people in connection with this case." Carpenter also said police don't believe a break-in was involved.

Both police and hospital officials refused comment on the nature of Carignan's injuries. Police also denied comment on the type of weapon used in the shooting.

College President Thomas Hedley Reynolds yesterday issued a statement expressing the community's shock at the shooting, "more so because it seems totally unrelated to the general climate on campus, which perhaps more than in any other year, seems friendly and hardworking."