Creating a Sustainable Future Starts With Reimagining How We Do Business
In 2017, Unity Environmental University restructured itself under an Enterprise Model, a bold shift away from traditional higher education governance. Rather than operate as a single centralized institution, Unity is organized into distinct, mission-aligned business units known as SEBUs (Sustainable Education Business Units), each with clear accountability for outcomes.
This model allows Unity to scale, adapt, and innovate faster. It empowers leaders to make decisions, ensures resources are allocated based on viability and impact, and enables shared services (like HR, IT, Business, etc.) to operate as enterprise-level functions that support the whole system with efficiency and consistency.
The result? A university that runs more like a high-performing enterprise; agile, metrics-driven, and positioned to meet the evolving needs of learners, employers, and the planet.
The Unity Enterprise Model at a Glance
Unity’s Enterprise Model blends the innovation of a functional structure with the agility of a project-based organization. It allows us to operate through distinct, semi-autonomous subsidiaries called Sustainable Education Business Units (SEBUs), each focused on serving specific audiences through tailored programs, services, or products.
This entrepreneurial approach enables faster decision-making, greater accountability, and more responsive design, positioning Unity to scale impact while staying audience-first.
What’s a SEBU?
A Sustainable Education Business Unit (SEBU) is a semi-autonomous unit within Unity’s Enterprise Model, responsible for delivering programs, products, or services to a specific audience. Each SEBU operates with the independence needed to move quickly, make audience-informed decisions, and adapt without requiring system-wide alignment.
SEBUs are evaluated annually for viability and impact, and business plans are adjusted based on performance and growth potential. Unity currently operates three SEBUs described below:
Distance Education
Online learning with Unity is made possible through Distance Education. This SEBU furthers our mission to bring Education Where You Are
Unity Environmental University at Pineland
Unity Environmental University at Pineland provides primarily commuter based in-person learning opportunities for students pursuing degrees in environmental and sustainability fields. This subsidiary of Unity caters to those who seek flexible, synchronous, educational experiences.
Sustainable Ventures
At Unity, we value providing opportunities and innovation of all kinds. The Sustainable Ventures SEBU allows us to explore other avenues for student and university success.
What It’s Like To Work at Unity Environmental University
Unity Environmental University operates with a clear, distributed decision-making structure that allows us to move fast and stay focused. Under our Enterprise Model, each Head of SEBU or Chief Officer has defined authority to make decisions within their area of responsibility guided by our Role, Scope, and Authority (RSA) framework.
RSA documents establish the decision-making boundaries for each leadership position. They clarify who owns what, what level of input is required, and when an issue should be escalated. This allows leaders to act decisively, collaborate effectively, and avoid unnecessary bottlenecks.
We don’t operate in silos, and we don’t require consensus to move forward. While leaders seek input, authority is clearly defined and respected. When questions arise or alignment breaks down, the RSA ensures a structured escalation path that keeps the institution moving.
Unity Environmental University operates under an Enterprise Model, an organizational structure developed and implemented by President/CEO Dr. Melik Peter Khoury to support growth, speed, and accountability.
Under this model, the University is made up of two primary components:
- Sustainable Education Business Units (SEBUs), which are led by Vice Presidents or Deans and are responsible for delivering revenue-generating educational programs.
- Enterprise, which includes shared services such as HR, Finance, IT, and Marketing, overseen by Chief Officers who support the entire institution.
The President/CEO and his Executive team lead both the Enterprise and SEBUs, ensuring strategic alignment across all areas of the University.
Unity Environmental University is a supervisor-led Institution, not an HR-driven one. We believe the most effective way to support our employees is through empowered, accountable leadership at every level.
Supervisors are expected to manage their teams directly, make decisions, and address day-to-day questions or concerns. Employees should bring ideas, requests, or issues to their immediate supervisor first. When additional guidance is needed, supervisors are responsible for escalating through the appropriate chain of command, allowing communication to flow efficiently and decision-making to stay focused.
Clear hierarchy isn’t bureaucracy, it’s how we move faster, avoid confusion, and ensure every leader has the autonomy to lead.
