The campus of Unity College, including Tozier Gymnasium and Fitness Center. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
UNITY — About two weeks after announcing its plan for a fully remote learning model in the 2020-21 academic year, Unity College reported record enrollment Tuesday.
College officials said 1,170 students have enrolled between the two academic programs being offered this fall.
The 3-year-old Distance Education program has 770 students, and the college’s first hybrid term has 400 students.
“Despite the fact that we’re reaching more students than ever, facing such a significant decline in the residential program and the accompanying financial shortfall, we as a College have faced some of our most trying and difficult times in years,” Melik Peter Khoury, the college’s president, said in a prepared statement.
“Has it been challenging? Absolutely. But as I tell our graduates almost every year, anything worthwhile almost certainly will be. And I know that our mission is not only worthwhile, but more relevant than ever.”
In early August, Unity announced it would lay off 15% of its staff and explore a sale of its main campus at 90 Quaker Hill Road as the college faced a $12 million budget deficit.
In response to the potential sale of the campus, a group of more than 30 Unity College alumni and supporters gathered last Saturday at the campus to show support for the school.
The college is debuting its first hybrid term, where students will take one or two classes over a five-week period. Traditionally, Unity students took five or six classes per semester, with the academic year divided into two semesters.
There are eight hybrid terms available per academic year.
Unity officials said the college could reopen its main residential campus in the fall of 2021.
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