Prospective students across the state and country can now begin applying for courses at the Technical Institute for Environmental Professions (TIEP).

The Institute, which is located at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, is designed to provide access and affordability, allowing students to upskill, retrain, or find brand-new jobs in the environmental career space. TIEP is here to meet the needs of the rapidly growing environmental economy.

Students can now sign up for the following programs:

• Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology
• Associate of Applied Science in Data Analytics
• Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology
• Associate of Applied Science in Renewable Energy

A Brand New High Tech Space

After 18 months of planning and construction, the doors to Freeport Hall are open.

The building is home to the Technical Institute for Environmental Professions, and also serves as a hub for many of Unity College’s Enterprise-level functions including Information Technology, Enrollment Services and Financial Aid offices.

“It is wonderful to see the building come to life. We now have dozens of employees working in Freeport Hall supporting students across multiple areas of the College,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury.

No matter which degree or certificate students choose, all will learn in our innovative HyFlex classrooms.

“All of our classrooms will have HyFlex capability. This is the ultimate path to equity and access. Some students are working in jobs and are unable to get the time off to come to attend in-person, or maybe they just don’t have the transportation to get here. We need to ensure those students are all on a level playing field,” said TIEP Dean Dr. Amardeep Kahlon.

The 33,000-square-foot space is part of an $8 million-dollar investment by Unity College. It is one of several buildings being utilized by the College at Pineland Farms through a partnership with the Libra Foundation.

Flexibility and Accessibility

The Technical Institute for Environmental Professions will deliver this innovative educational programming at a significant value to students. The cost for courses at TIEP is $250.00 per credit hour for degree-seeking students.

“I look forward to working with learners from across Maine and the country who have been looking for a college that better fits their needs. We have designed this institution from the ground up to fit the lifestyle of today’s students, said Executive Director of Student Lifecycle Management Dan Summers.
Classes will commence on August 15 and follow a term model with courses starting every two weeks.

“Those highly flexible terms will allow our students to speed up their learning, allowing them to get into a career faster than ever. It also gives students the ability to take a term or two off without losing financial aid or falling behind,” said TIEP Vice President Doreen Rogan.

For President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, this is another step forward as Unity College continues to launch “This is just the beginning. In the coming years, Unity College plans to use this model to expand the Technical Institute to other states in need of environmentally focused workforce development programs,” said Dr. Khoury.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Technical Institute for Environmental Professions will be held at Freeport Hall on the Pineland Farms campus in spring ’23. Expect more details on that event later in the year.