Re-opening of the 90 Quaker Hill Road Campus
June 4, 2021
Greetings!
As we approach the first days of summer and (hopefully) the last days of the pandemic, there are many reasons for optimism. One sign of positive change in our own backyard is the planned re-opening of the 90 Quaker Hill Road campus. You may recall that Unity College made an early decision last spring to suspend in-person classes and close the campus until May for the safety of our students and employees. I’m glad we did. By making that decision early, we were all able to work and learn remotely while avoiding the tragic outbreaks that plagued so many colleges this year. Now, with the widespread availability of effective vaccines, we feel confident that we can safely return to in-person activity once again.
Over the past weeks, we have been tidying up campus buildings, tending to the landscaping, and making our reopening plans. Among the first buildings to reopen will be the library, which will begin serving in-person patrons again on August 2nd. We will also open the campus grounds and trails to the public on that date. Students will be welcomed back for in-person classes beginning August 23, though students may elect to continue learning remotely if they so choose. Through surveys conducted early this spring, we learned that that only half of Hybrid Learning returning students feel ready to reside full-time on campus this fall.
A quarter of returning students want to continue learning online, while the remainder requested a mix of modalities. Students cited many reasons for their preferences, including family and work obligations as well as lingering concerns over the future course of the pandemic. Thankfully, we are able to offer our students a range of paths for completing their degree as it best suits their needs.
Even with the many changes that this year has brought, I am pleased to share with you something that has not changed. Unity College is maintaining its tuition at the current rates for the coming academic year. All courses offered online will remain $470/credit, while the tuition for in-person courses will remain at $550/credit. We are committed to offering the most affordable and accessible environmental education possible and are proud to note that the rate of private loan indebtedness has declined to historic lows for our students. We remain committed to affordability even as many of our peer institutions are increasing their tuition.
Despite the challenges of the past year, I remain grateful for many things. Foremost among them is the support of many of our alums who have helped us become the institution we are today, with a rapidly growing Distance Education program, an exciting new Technical Institute for Environmental Professions, and a Hybrid Learning program that is excited to return to in-person learning this fall. Your continued support means the world, and there are many ways to engage. I shared some of them a while back, but we are always interested in hearing your new ideas.
As always, please contact us at development@unity.edu, with any questions or comments you may have.
With Pride,
Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President
