Greetings!

Since becoming President, my focus at Unity College is to make the College more accessible and affordable so that any student seeking a sustainability-focused education and career can see themselves in our mission. Research shows that today’s college students also need the flexibility of more start dates and shorter terms. This is why, after seeing the downward trend in the traditional two-semester model both at Unity and in higher education generally, we made the critical decision to transition that model to Hybrid Learning, offering flexibility between in-person and online courses with shorter terms.

These changing demographics also supported our decision to start offering Distance Education degrees just over three years ago, which has experienced significant growth year over year. Adopting the Enterprise Education Model in 2017 provided the structural foundation necessary for making these changes.

I am happy to report these decisions are paying off. As you may have read through our recent announcement, we are benefiting from record-breaking enrollment for Fall Term 1. Our enrollment is just one student shy of 1,300 total students. On top of this great news, we are welcoming our largest incoming undergraduate class ever, with 296 new students between Distance Education and Hybrid Learning. And it gets even better. We are projecting that more than 1,500 incoming graduate and undergraduate students will enroll with the College over the next seven terms. This growth did come with an unexpected demographic shift as it reflects a 130% projected increase in our distance education programs and a 33% decline in our residential programs at 90 Quaker Hill Rd.

I know that change is difficult; But Unity College has a rich history of adapting to change., Adapting to the needs of the 21st century student now maximizes our potential for a sustainable future rather than leaving us on a path to closure like many small colleges. As alumni, I am sure you want your alma mater to thrive. I truly believe the key to our growth is our focus on accessibility, affordability, and flexibility. Our unprecedented enrollment reflects this focus and as a result, we are finally able to reach students who never thought earning a degree from America’s Environmental College would be possible. We supported you they way you wanted to learn, and I hope you can support us as we adapt to how future alums need to learn to become environmental superheroes.

I also want to assure you that immersive, experiential learning is an element of our ethos that will not go away. Some of you have expressed concern that we might lose this, but I affirm that face-to-face learning is and will remain an integral part of the Unity College experience as soon as we get a handle on the unknowns of COVID-19. A great example of course is TERRAIN, our signature expeditionary education model. TERRAIN will give our students an opportunity to develop their resumes and begin professional networking through primary research, fieldwork, and certifications. This was put on hold for launch due to COVID, and we cannot wait to retool and launch when we are able.

A distinct advantage of our new calendar for Hybrid Learning is that students may enroll every five weeks. If students need to pause their education for a term or two, for any reason, that option allows them to seek their degrees in pace with the demands of their life, work, and family commitments. This was not possible under the two-semester model. This same flexibility is built into Distance Education.

The diversification of our student body has also been an important goal as we strive to reach new audiences. While we’re pleased to share that 15 percent of our students now self-identify as ethnically diverse, up significantly from previous years, we are excited to work towards increasing that number as we broaden our education offerings. The current student body is made up of students from 48 states and two territories, so our geographic reach is growing too.

This reaffirms there are many people in the country and in the world who want to earn a degree or certification from America’s Environmental College, but for one reason or another, were unable to put their lives on pause to live in Unity, Maine for four years. Through Distance Education, and now the introduction of Hybrid Learning, they no longer have to worry about that. Our students can learn from wherever they are, and of course, once we get past this pandemic, they can join us in person when it is convenient for them.

There is certainly a lot to look forward to, and as we can see based on our numbers, students are taking notice and are interested in what we have to offer. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the success of Unity College’s growth and support the College as it continues to thrive for years to come. I encourage you to reach out to us at development@unity.edu if you have any questions.

In Unity,

Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President