UNITY, Maine — Fifty years ago, the Unity Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences started out with 39 students, a couple of buildings and a big goal — to help the town of Unity avoid the rural decay that was becoming the fate of too many communities in Maine.
“I kept going through these small towns [in central Maine], and I could see churches being boarded up and some of these stores being boarded up, and I said to myself, my goodness gracious, these towns are dying on the vine,” school founder and philanthropist Bert Clifford, who died in 2001, said years ago about his vision. “I made a vow to myself that if I could help it, I would never let my town do that.”
Although there have been changes and some financial ups and downs for the school in the last half-century, Clifford’s goal has been met and even surpassed, according to officials from Unity College, as it now is called. Melik Khoury, executive vice president and chief academic officer, said Tuesday that the college has adopted a strategic plan in order to become a national instead of regional presence. He also said Unity College, which has branded itself “America’s Environmental College,” is in a place of strength.
“The proof is in the pudding: our donations, our enrollment. I think we will have our second year in a row of record enrollment,” Khoury said. “We have two new residence halls. Campus has never looked more beautiful. The parents of our students are giving to Unity College beyond tuition. It’s a wonderful place to be right now.”
This week, college officials announced the school has received a $200,000 gift from an anonymous donor who wants the money to be used for a purpose that should solidify the school’s standing into the future.
“The donor wanted to ensure the college remained innovative with its curriculum, strengthened its connection with emerging careers in ‘green’ fields, and formed connections with students on a national level letting them know about the value of a Unity education built on sustainability science,” Bob Mentzinger, associate director of media relations, wrote in a news release. “The donor wanted to invest in this initiative, which will include advertising, branding and marketing.”
Khoury said the donor has challenged friends of the college to match or exceed the financial gift. In recent years, Unity College has been the recipient of other notable donations, including a $10 million gift for its endowment, a $200,000 anonymous donation and the gift of Half Moon Gardens and McKay Agricultural Station in Thorndike, which is valued at $1.2 million, according to college officials. The greenhouse operation was given to the college in 2013 and opened last year as a place for students to learn hands-on skills in agriculture, farm management and entrepreneurial projects.
“They’ve given us this money to make sure we’ll be ready,” Khoury said of the recent donation of $200,000. “In their words, ‘we want you to be America’s environmental college, for real.’”
He said he was heartened by the college’s 50th birthday party, held at the end of July. At that event, alumni took tours of the campus and saw how their school is changing.
“It truly was a celebration of a college coming into its own,” Khoury said. “To see the alumni in tears, because they were so proud of what their college has become — it was humbling.”