Nearly a year after announcing that it would permanently move away from a traditional two-semester campus model, Unity College says its overall enrollment has more than doubled.
Last year, the college closed its campus during the pandemic, and the school faced pushback from some students and alumni over its decision last summer to permanently shift to a hybrid learning model, featuring shorter terms and a mix of in-person and online classes.
President Melik Peter Khoury says while the college was facing a dire financial picture, its full-time equivalent student population now stands at more than 1,800. Khoury says the college has seen significant growth in numbers of non-traditional students, including adults and those learning online.
"The diversity in the student populations, and their needs, is what's going to allow us to continue to weather the storm," Khoury says.
Khoury says the college is planning to re-open its campus this fall and will offer several options for students moving forward.
"So for now, we are supporting students wherever they need to be -- if a full-year, residential-type model, is something that they're looking for," he says.
The college is also planning to open a new technical institute on the campus of Pineland Farms in New Gloucester offering certificates and associates degrees.
