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The State of Higher Education and Unity College

March 2, 2021

Greetings!
 
We know industries across the country are suffering as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Daily, we are inundated with news stories about closing businesses and organizations struggling to navigate these unprecedented times. Higher education is no different in that regard, and students are questioning their next steps. What is different however, is that the pandemic has brought to light the downward spiral the higher education industry has been experiencing for quite some time with new closures and mergers hitting the news cycle with unnerving regularity. In this week’s letter, I’d like to share the state of higher education on a national scale and what Unity College is doing to combat the negative trends many of our peer institutions are experiencing.
 
I have written before about the archaic nature of private higher education, a model designed to meet the needs of the privileged few without regard to creating access. There was a time when higher education was not a requirement in order to gain an entry-level position within an organization. That has certainly changed. Post-secondary education will be a minimum requirement for 70% of jobs by 2027, according to a prediction from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. That might sound like good news for private higher education, however, there is more to consider.
 
While the demand for post-secondary education is on the rise, this does not necessarily equate to a traditional four-year degree. Options for post-secondary education go beyond two and four-year degrees and are more varied than ever before to include certificates, badges and other micro-credentials, and an increase in apprenticeship opportunities. In fact, students looking for education credentials in the Unity States have over 967,000 options to choose from. As the population of traditional-age college students continues to decrease annually, the number of colleges and post-secondary education options continues to increase. More colleges are competing for a shrinking number of students, and students have more choices than ever before.
 
Not only do students have more options when it comes to their education, they also have more financial options to consider. No longer is taking out student loans to pay for post-secondary education the only way, as institutions increase their costs, expecting students to pick up the tab, while students become increasingly debt-averse. Certificates, badges, and micro-credentials offer specific skill-building opportunities that prepare students to embark on a career without the debt associated with a traditional degree. When you take into account the low cost of a degree from a community college or state university, private higher education has even more to compete with.
 
Earlier I mentioned the archaic nature of higher education. While the population of traditional college-age students continues to shrink, higher education as a whole is doing little to expand its reach to new audiences. Some schools offer night classes or a set of online degrees for non-traditional students. However, there has been no fundamental shift in the higher education industry to recognize that anyone interested in learning from a college can be a college student. Little has been done to create access by way of affordable and flexible options to meet the needs of a growing variety of student populations. This is where Unity College is doing things differently.
 
Unity College’s Path Forward is designed to meet the needs of anyone interested in learning from us. With a focus on access, students are able to earn a degree or micro-credential from us without having to put their lives on hold. We understand that the majority of college students today and of the future are working, place-bound adults who have families and other responsibilities that preclude them from attending a traditional, residential, four-year college experience. Instead, students can choose a low-residency option, which includes a mix of in-person and online courses to complete their education with us at their pace. Students can also choose to complete their degree completely in-person or completely online, depending on their needs and what works best for them to make a Unity College degree accessible.  
 
Beyond flexible course options, our new financial model is based on charging students the real cost of attendance rather than an inflated cost with a complicated financial aid award letter as is traditionally done in private higher education. We know that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds have difficulty getting approved for loans, so the traditional financial model creates barriers to access. Unity College’s model is more affordable and less complicated for our students. 
 
The pandemic has called attention to and accelerated many of the serious problems in the higher education industry. The more disappointing aspect of this, is the lack of willingness to break away from tradition and the way things have always been done, in favor of adapting to the changing needs of students which should be our top priority as providers of education.  
 
Private higher education institutions like Unity College who do not have a large endowment or substantial annual giving do not have the benefit of holding on to the past while changing for the future. While difficult decisions must be made, the long-term sustainability of the institution must be kept front of mind. As an institution focused on environmental education, we understand how animals must adapt to changes in their environment in order to survive and Unity College is no different.  
 
As a result of Unity College’s willingness to adapt, we are reaching new audiences and experiencing tremendous growth while many of our peer institutions are struggling with declining enrollment. Rather than lament for the past, let us understand the changing needs of students and get excited about how we can best support them so that Unity College can continue to graduate environmental stewards and leaders for generations to come.
 
I would encourage you to check out this podcast from Education Empowered, Reenvisioning Higher Education: A Conversation with Dr. Melik Khoury for more of my insight on the state of higher education and how Unity College has adapted to respond to the needs of students and society.
 
As always, please contact us at development@unity.edu, with any questions or comments you may have. 
In Unity,
 
Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President