A Strategic Plan for Unity College

A Strategic Plan for Unity College
2013—2018

Unity College is a small, private college in rural Maine that provides
dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education that
emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College
graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective
leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences
in a supportive community.

A STRATEGIC PLAN
FOR UNITY COLLEGE
Unity College
Unity College was founded in 1965
by a group of local citizens concerned
about the future of Unity, Maine, to
help revitalize the local economy.
Founded as a co-educational liberal
arts college, Unity College developed
a distinctive environmental focus. Its
proximity to abundant natural
resources, valuable for experiential
learning, undoubtedly played a part in
the development of its mission.
Unity College is a small environmental
college located in rural central Maine,
serving roughly 550 students. Our mission
is to train a new generation of
environmental leaders. The College
believes that 21st century environmental
changes require the total engagement of
higher education, and that belief is the
core of its curriculum and operations.
Filling a niche of growing regional and
national significance, Unity is poised to
emerge as a college recognized for
challenging academics, innovative programming,
and exemplary sustainable facilities.
The College demonstrates real-world
solutions to environmental issues. Unity
embraces a transdisciplinary approach to
sustainable solutions, or Sustainability
Science. This approach integrates local
economy with global ecology, emphasizes
art and reflective awareness, stresses the
importance of strong communications
skills, and helps our students and our
community members live more fulfilling lives
while guiding them to service-based careers.
1

Rationale and Challenge
The past decade has seen continued
movement by the College in three
important dimensions. First, the
proportion of comprehensive, systematic
efforts guided by college administrative
and board leadership has increased, to
better complement the efforts conducted
at the level of Centers and offices.
Second, sophistication of assessment and
review has increased, with better use of
internal and external data. Finally, some
positive feedback loops have emerged, as
plans and appraisal of their attainment
inform us about our work. However,
2010 brought to its conclusion the
strategic planning process for the years
2006–2010, with much of the planning
unimplemented. Our challenge at this
junction is to create, communicate,
implement, and assess a new direction for
the College that positions us to successfully
educate 21st-century students to resolve
21st-century environmental problems.
While planning without implementation
is wasted effort, implementation without
financial consideration is unwise, and
expectation without communication is
wishful thinking. The results and progress
of this plan will be reported to the faculty
and staff annually. The reporting responsibilities
for the strategic plan progress and
financial consequences (both positive and
negative) will be shared between the Vice
President for Academic Affairs and the Vice
President of Finance and Administration.
2

The Mission of Unity College
Unity College is a mission-driven
institution with a clear, concise mission
statement:
Unity College is a small, private college in
rural Maine that provides dedicated,
engaged students with a liberal arts
education that emphasizes the environment
and natural resources. Unity College
graduates are prepared to be environmental
stewards, effective leaders, and responsible
citizens through active learning experiences
in a supportive community.
The mission statement figures
prominently on the agenda of every
meeting of the board of trustees. It
appears on the college website, in
numerous college publications, and in
every press release the college issues.
The mission guides not only curriculum,
pedagogy, and student activities, but also
scholarship and research, often involving
students. Much of this occurs as service—
often embedded in courses or student
clubs—to Unity and surrounding
communities. The mission imbues the
college with concern for the environment
and natural resources, focuses studies in
that arena, and underlies faculty and
student commitment to student-active
pedagogies and opportunities to engage
with real-world problems in classrooms
and in local communities.
3

Strategic Themes for Advancing the College
Unity College has seen much growth over the past decade, with marked
improvements on every level. For example, we have increased brand
recognition, improved the diversity of our student body, and developed
better facilities and academic programs. This progress is certainly noteworthy,
yet reflection, improvement, and focus need to be maintained to
bring even greater national prominence and stability to the College.
Within the strategic planning effort, key areas for emphasis, or Goals, have
been identified, yet we believe that there are critical components, or Themes.
of the College’s mission that need to be emphasized throughout the strategic
plan, The specific Goals should address as many of these Themes as possible.
These Themes have been identified because they reflect the College identity
or are integral to the financial stability, success, and growth of the College.
The Themes, which overarch each Goal, are as follows:
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Sustainability Science
Curricular programs will focus on the
emerging field of sustainability science,
which probes interactions among natural,
social, and human systems, the complex
mechanisms that lead to the degradation of
these systems, concomitant risks to human
well-being, and a transdisciplinary approach
to problem-solving. Our students must be
prepared to solve environmental problems
holistically through a sustainability science
lens. Since we are already a college with an
environ-mental emphasis, we can refine the
curriculum to reflect this most current and
meaningful transdisciplinary approach to
understanding and working in the
environment. This curriculum will reflect the
constant dynamism of the environment that
our students will face when they graduate,
and it will provide them with the tools to
be effective and successful. We want our
environmental mission, with a focus on
sustainability, to be reflected throughout the
college, including facilities and
maintenance, curricular and co-curricular
programming, and the actions of faculty,
students, and staff. Because of these
reasons, every primary planning Goal
emphasizes sustainability science.
Financial Stability
Student tuition dollars are the primary
source for the College’s budget, but the
College must develop support for its
budget in other ways. Adding revenue
streams to the college budget, working to
create additional programs, and considering
ways to use the college campus in the
summer, are all part of the working plan
for adding to the financial stability of the
college. All goals reflect these essential
considerations for Unity’s long-term
stability and viability.

Enrollment
More than ever, Unity College must offer
high quality, attractive, unique, and
marketable products, for a number of
reasons:
The current economic climate
The demographics of fewer high
school students possessing the
resources to pursue an undergraduate
degree
An increase in the number of
sustainability programs at our
competitor schools
Unity College’s ability to attract and
retain students every year is integral to the
long-term stability of the College and
should be considered for every planning
Goal.
Student Success
Graduating Unity College alumni who can
be successful in the work force is essential.
Academic and residential programs
should reflect strong commitment to
providing both a high-quality education
and an inspiring environment for student
growth. Unity College aims for every
department and staff member to understand
and fulfill their responsibility for
supporting student success.
Community Connections
Service to each other and to the broader
community has always been a source of
pride and learning for the people who
work and study at Unity College.
Emphasizing and creating more
comprehensive and clear connections
among community members is essential in
order to be our best. This is an important
theme not only for improved pedagogy,
but also for creating clear communication
links among constituents within the
College and within the expanding
community of constituents, nationally and
internationally.
The strategic Goals that follow support the mission of the College,
and each addresses the broader strategic themes described above.
5

Goal 1
Establish and strengthen excellence in teaching and learning.
The strategic plan organizes the work of improving academics into two
sections: one focused on curriculum and the other focused on staff. In both
sections, we emphasize sustainability science and community connections as
the primary means of improving the curriculum, strengthening the staff, and
implementing innovative pedagogies. Such work supports student success,
which we expect will lead to greater financial stability and robust enrollment.
To achieve this goal, Unity College will:
Objective 1: Improve curriculum and delivery
a) Increase student engagement and
achievement (rigor/expectations)
i) Implement an honors program
ii) Implement a visible, linked, supported
undergraduate research program
iii) Increase opportunities for student
research, scholarship, and creative
work
iv) Implement systems and services to
track, evaluate, and improve
student learning and satisfaction
b) Emphasize and promote the
important role of community-based
learning (CBL) in the curriculum and
in achieving the school’s mission
i) Expand the involvement of
students, faculty, and staff in
community activities
ii) Develop systems to track and
engage students and faculty in
service activities
c) Create more visible, deliberate links
between sustainability science and
curriculum
d) Cultivate a culture of respect for
diversity and inclusion
i) Increase diversity of students,
faculty, and staff
ii) Develop deliberate, coordinated
curricular and co-curricular means
of implementing diversity education
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e) Diversify the teaching in general
education and CBL courses to include
more faculty members
f) Create community grading standards
and ensure academic integrity
g) Encourage innovative, effective,
flexible pedagogies that match our
mission
h) Review and coordinate student
services, such as the Learning
Resource Center, the Writing Center,
Supplement Instruction, and the
Library
Objective 2: Improve Recruitment, Retention, and Quality of Life for Faculty and Staff
a) Increase faculty professional
development opportunities and
support for implementing transdisciplinary
training, effective
pedagogies, sustainability science, and
technology in the classroom
b) Improve faculty excellence in research
and scholarship
c) Invest in more faculty to meet current
course needs, equity concerns, and
program development
d) Provide equitable workload
compensation for the teaching of
laboratories.
e) Provide adequate salaries to retain and
recruit quality faculty and staff
f) Increase the instructional budget
g) Increase the number of salaried
academic staff who can provide
academic support to faculty plus teach
in the classroom (e.g., farm manager,
sustainability coordinator, and lab
preparatory)
7

Goal 2
Develop a comprehensive plan that enhances the College’s connections
to students and their families, employees, and the local community.
As the college works to improve enrollment, retention, and financial
stability, it is important to also develop strong and vibrant communities.
These communities are the lifeblood that promotes a positive and healthy
campus life for all its constituents and contribute a significant impact upon
the College’s financial stability, enrollment, retention, visibility, and the
success of our students both academically and in their personal growth.
This goal is organized into three parts: community connections, student life,
and facilities. To achieve this goal, Unity College will:
Objective 1: Community Connections
a) Improve communication and decisionmaking
process in order to strengthen
morale, increase efficiency, and
decrease response time for crises and
opportunities
b) Provide email access for all employees
and alumni
c) Re-evaluate and clarify job descriptions,
roles, and responsibilities
d) Offer all campus constituents the
opportunity to be involved in the
College’s decision-making processes
e) Encourage a performance-oriented
culture by defining key metrics of
success, and then regularly measuring
and rewarding successes.
f) Implement performance/merit-based
compensation for appropriate positions.
g) Improve the availability of and access
to staff training opportunities
h) Prioritize money in budgets for staff
development
i) Build positive community perceptions
i) Increase involvement and visibility
of faculty and staff in local events
ii) Encourage involvement of
townspeople attending and
participating in College events
iii) Acknowledge and support local
initiatives that are aligned with
sustainability science and College
mission
- Community food partnerships
- Community energy initiatives
- Natural resource management
iv) Increase quality and consistency of
civic engagement work
8

Objective 2: Student life
a) Develop the current student
leadership program to increase and
enhance student leadership
opportunities
b) Integrate student life activities with
academic activities so that living and
learning permeate the campus
c) Be willing to fail while attempting
creative efforts to help students in
need
d) Create flexible student programs so
that “one size fits all” is not our model
e) Encourage and accept uniqueness in
student choices such as lifestyle, career
goals, or opinions
Objective 3: Facilities
a) Develop a residential facility plan that
will meet the needs of 21st-century
students, meet the diverse needs of
students, and increase revenue
opportunities for the College
b) Develop a plan for upper-class housing
c) Improve the Student Activities
Building
d) Upgrade classroom space for learning
performance
e) Develop appropriate signage for
buildings and campus features
f) Fully utilize Informational Technology
to assist campus operations and learning
i) Effectively maintain and upgrade
existing systems
ii) Increase administrative system
efficiencies
iii) Amplify traditional pedagogies,
mechanisms, and resources, and
mitigate barriers to experiencebased
learning.
9

Goal 3
Maximize visibility and esteem of the College.
Unity College must increase its brand awareness and differentiate itself from
competitor institutions. In light of this necessity, the college will execute
several changes to marketing and external communications in order to
enhance the profile of Unity College across a full range of both internal and
external audiences. The public will see Unity College as a unique integrator
of the liberal arts and sciences, and a source of sustainability-minded 21stcentury
leaders and problem-solvers. We will couple the existing power of
the Unity College brand with a
broad range of marketing activities.
Unity College is populated with
faculty, staff, and students well
positioned to make advances in
sustainability science. However, we
must improve our ability to
communicate student and faculty
work to a broader
audience,particularly prospective
students and donors. This work
will begin with careful assessment
of our current brand position in
the higher education marketplace
and incorporate subsequent
adaptation to meet new
opportunities.
10

To accomplish this goal, Unity College will:
Objective 1: Evolve the brand
a) Build upon our existing brand to
capitalize on our history while
adapting to a changing highereducation
environment
i) Hire professional services to
produce a cogent situation analysis
that can be used as the foundation
for marketing
ii) Refine our mission and vision to
reflect current strengths and
opportunities in the marketplace
b) Create a dedicated office of Marketing
and Communications to oversee
marketing and external
communication initiatives
i) To include marketing, the website,
events planning, and
communications functions
ii) Charged to increase the visibility,
brand, and reputation of Unity
College
c) Develop a detailed and explicit
integrated marketing plan
emphasizing our premium values
Objective 2: Increase awareness
a) Use research and partnerships to share
our story with a wider audience of
both applicants and donors
b) Vigorously promote Unity College in
new geographic and demographic
sectors of the higher education
marketplace
c) Create new “pillar” programs to build
steady enrollment across several
programs and expand the number of
programs with high enrollment
d) Reinforce the value of a liberal arts
education combined with practical
skills
e) Teach global awareness, consequences
of environmental change, and
sustainability science
11

Goal 4
Improve infrastructure across campus.
As an institution devoted to sustainability, Unity College understands the
importance of place. The framework of sustainability science allows the
College to improve the physical spaces on campus in ways that align with
Unity’s mission. Unity College will evolve as a living-learning community
and a working laboratory for building and living more sustainable lives.
Attention to community connections provides another important set of
opportunities for the College to communicate shared values and to model
Unity’s mission to those who visit our campus. By creating an environment
that embodies sustainable values and community connections, the College
will contribute to student success, in turn leading to greater financial
stability and robust enrollment. To achieve this goal, Unity College will:
Objective 1: Improve, modernize, and
increase academic spaces
a) Create flexible, adaptive environments
that promote anytime learning
b) Create modern, dedicated laboratory
spaces for chemistry, geology, cell
biology, and other disciplines
c) Provide adequate equipment for all
workspaces
d) Improve educational technology across
campus
e) Create a laboratory space designed
specifically for media studies and GIS
f) Create a variety of study spaces across
campus to promote formal and
informal learning
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Objective 2: Improve overall visibility of
sustainability teaching on campus
a) Create a visible energy infrastructure
connected to classrooms
b) Create infrastructure for managing
agriculture/farm on campus
c) Create visibility for ongoing
sustainability activities on campus
Objective 3: Improve grounds and
outdoor environment conducive to
sustainability, recruitment, and learning
a) Implement year-round, sustainable
management and care for campus and
forest
b) Develop and communicate
connections between the college
mission, and grounds and facilities
Objective 4: Build research infrastructure
a) Create a centralized Office of
Research and a Sponsored Programs
Officer to facilitate opportunities and
reduce barriers
b) Assure adequate space to
accommodate research needs
c) Update and upgrade all teaching
facilities
Objective 5: Enhance technology
infrastructure
a) Upgrade and modernize instructional
technology capabilities
b) Create video-conferencing abilities
c) Improve computer hardware and
software capability and support across
campus
Objective 6: Improve student living facilities
a) Develop a plan for upper-class student housing
b) Provide comfortable space for
gathering, such as a coffee house
c) Continue to consider and solicit input
for other improvements
Objective 7: Evaluate and improve
administrative, faculty, and staff governance
a) Increase student involvement in governance
b) Review current policies and
procedures and revise as necessary
c) Improve communication among
campus groups
d) Improve efficiencies among campus groups
Objective 8: Create a comprehensive riskmanagement
plan
a) Create clear and consistent policies for
use and management of campus
facilities and equipment, such as
outdoor classrooms (e.g., challenge
courses), laboratory spaces, and
activities such as working with animals
b) Create clear and consistent riskmanagement
policies for off-campus
activities, such as travel courses, offcampus
lab activities, and club outings
c) Create an emergency management plan
d) Create an emergency communications plan
e) Focus on environmental, human, legal,
and financial aspects of risk management
13

Goal 5
Create and enhance revenue streams.
Unity College is significantly tuition dependent. This is unsustainable given
the new realities of the higher-education marketplace. It is imperative to
create new revenue streams and enhance existing revenue streams. Falling
enrollments, inadequate salaries, aging infrastructure, and inconsistent
strength in academic programming all affect the image and reputation of
Unity College. Increasing revenues will be necessary to stabilize the financial
situation for the college and grow college pride, reputation, and success.
The college will implement five objectives for new revenue and three
objectives for enhancing existing revenue streams. We understand the
importance, when undertaking new initiatives, of being willing to terminate
unsuccessful efforts, evaluate the progress of each initiative and objective,
“report out” progress and roadblocks to stakeholders on a regular basis, and
tie each goal to clear budgetary lines and authority. To achieve this goal,
Unity College will:
Objective 1: Develop online and distance
education
a) Develop the infrastructure to teach via
online and distance-education formats
b) Acquire a Learning Management
System appropriate for on-campus and
online use
c) Target viable programs for online
courses
d) Create domestic and international
course work targeted for certificate
programs, continuing education
credits, and hybrid classes.
e) Consider compensating faculty to
develop online courses.
Objective 2: Attract international
students
a) Increase the diversity and global
exposure of our students
b) Attract resident international students
with the help of an international
recruitment consultant
c) Recruit online international students
from countries where a US degree is
considered more valuable than a local
degree
d) Break into the international online
market using “course trades,”
partnerships, and existing contacts
e) Select online international courses
that are conducive to summer face-toface
visits by students
14

Objective 3: Develop summer
programming
a) Use the college campus more
productively during the summer
b) Offer courses to both international
and domestic students on the Unity
campus during the summer months
c) Develop a variety of courses for
summer programming, including
hybrid courses, certificate courses,
specialty courses (such as returning
veteran courses), workshops, and
executive seminars
d) Select summer partnerships with
central Maine seacoast organizations
Objective 4: Create graduate programs
a) Create mission-oriented graduate
programs as a new revenue source
b) Create a Professional Science Masters
program in environmental science,
sustainability, or climate-change
studies
c) Achieve certification for the graduate
program within 18 months
Objective 5: Develop partnerships
a) Create articulations and partnerships
for student recruiting, online
education, summer programs, and
stronger academic programs
b) Partner internationally to “trade”
online courses and partner
domestically to offer certificate
programs, executive seminars, and
workshops
c) Work with others to create an
international reputation for the study
and practice of sustainability science
Objective 6: Strengthen academic
programs
a) Enhance at least five high-enrollment
degree programs
b) Eliminate or restructure lowenrollment
majors
c) Improve campus animal facilities to
support several programs
d) Add new faculty to select programs or
new programs that will create program
strength and/or increased student
enrollment
e) Encourage classroom teaching that
will be innovative and effective, such
as “inverted” or “flipped” pedagogy
that makes content available outside of
class, and face-to-face time used for
hands-on and experiential education
Objective 7: Restructure
advancement/development
a) Focus the Office of Development on
alumni and development only, with
the goal of raising money
b) Evaluate new revenue potential within
the Development Office, such as a
comprehensive campaign or the
reinstatement of the fishing derby
Objective 8: Restructure admissions
a) Dissociate marketing efforts and the
College website design and
maintenance from admissions
b) Focus the Admissions Office on
admissions and enrollment only, with
the goal of recruiting 600 traditional
students (not including online students)
c) Investigate new regional areas of
recruitment and assign staff to service
those areas as appropriate
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UNITY COLLEGE 2013–2018
THEMES
Sustainability Science Financial Stability Enrollment
Student Success
Community Connections
GOALS
Goal 1: Establish and strengthen excellence in teaching
and learning.
Goal 2: Develop a comprehensive plan that enhances
the College’s connections to students and their
families, employees, and the local community.
Goal 3: Maximize visibility and esteem of the College.
Goal 4: Improve infrastructure across campus.
Goal 5: Create and enhance revenue streams.