Friends and Family of Unity College,
I hope you find this edition of the Unity Magazine to be a little different.
When we chose different as the theme for the magazine we were thinking of things like making a difference, celebrating difference, negotiating the differences between us, and the little things we do for each other that make all the difference in the world.
Speaking of the world… The world is changing and students are changing with it. The fastest growing college-going population in the U.S. is Hispanic. The number of older students is increasing. All these students expect more flexibility in how, when, and where they attend. The article on page 12 shows just how much and how quickly the student profile is changing. Unity College will need a different approach to reach and serve these new kinds of students.
Every college worries about “differentiating” their college from all the other small, private colleges that are out there in the world. It’s not a simple thing. Every college claims to be hands-on, to give personalized attention, to be preparing the leaders the world needs most, et cetera, et cetera. Check out the article “Diving Deep into Enterprise Education,” on page 18 to see how our strategic branding research gives direction for how to match our core Unity College strengths and mission to the emerging needs of changing students while addressing the needs of employers and graduate schools.
Of course “different” also means differences in people. Research shows that students are more successful who have role models with whom they identify, and if we are going to live up to the mission of America’s Environmental College we will need to serve the nation’s and the world’s changing demography. Page 40 shows how our faculty and staff continue to evolve to better reflect America’s Environmental College.
The overwhelming community response is that Dr. James Kuo-Wei “Jimmy” Chin’s talk will be remembered as one of the most heartfelt, student-centered addresses ever (page 16). I think it’s safe to say that Unity College has both a new alum and a new fan in Dr. Chin.
But one thing doesn’t change. It is a great honor to serve as Unity College President. I appreciate that, in asking me to serve, this community took a chance on someone a little different, and I continue to be grateful.
In Unity!
Dr. Melik Peter Khoury
President, Unity College
