Unity College (Maine)

: "For other Unity Colleges, please see the disambiguation page Unity College".

Infobox University
name =Unity College
native_name =


image_size = 160px
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motto =America’s Environmental College
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established =September 7th, 1965
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type =Private
affiliation =
calendar = Semesters
endowment =
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rector =
chairman =
chancellor =
president =Mitchell Thomashow
vice-president =
superintendent =
provost =Michael W. Womersley
vice_chancellor =
principal =
dean =
director =
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faculty =35
staff =
students =519
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =
divinity =
residents =
other =
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alumni =
city = Unity
state = Maine
province = [USA]
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address =
telephone =
campus =Rural, 240 acres
free_label =
free =
sports =
colors =Green and White
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nickname =
mascot =The Ram
fightsong =
athletics =USCAA
affiliations =NEASC
nobel_laureates =
website =http://www.unity.edu
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Unity College is a private, liberal arts college located 35 miles Southwest of Bangor, Maine and 25 miles from the Maine Coast, in the village of Unity. The college offers an undergraduate education that emphasizes the environment and natural resources throughout the academic program. In 2007 the school was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's Best Colleges. In the "Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's (North)" category it is ranked in the third tier.

History

The college was founded in 1965 as the Unity Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a faculty of 15 and a student body of 39. The founders, a group of local business people, were looking for ways to counter the economic decline the adjacent town of Unity was then experiencing. Two years later it changed its name to Unity College and in 1969 awarded degrees to its first graduating class of 24. The school has continued to grow in size and has today one of the broadest environmental and natural resources programs in the US [http://www.unity.edu/ABOUT/history.html] .

Campus

The campus is located on 240 acres overlooking Unity and nearby Unity Pond. The original section of the campus consisted of a farm with several of the farm buildings serving as residence halls, classrooms and administrative offices. The original farmhouse now is home to the College Development, Public Safety, Human Resources, and Switchboard offices.

There are five residence options on campus. The Eastview, Westview, and Wood Halls are designated for freshmen. Upper classmen have the option of living in The Cottages, Maplewood, Cianchette Hall, or off campus. The residential community is vibrant and close knit resulting in over 60% of the student body living on-campus [ [http://www.unity.edu/ORL/options.asp Unity College - Residence Life options ] ] . The Dorothy W. Quimby Library houses a collection of over 50,000 volumes to more than 400 scholarly and general-interest periodicals. The collection has been assembled primarily to support the college's curriculum, but additionally it serves as the public library for area towns; its holdings include a large collection of general fiction and children's books [ [http://www.unity.edu/library/default.asp Unity College - Dorothy W. Quimby Library ] ] .

Academic program

The academic program comprises a broad environmental curriculum with 24 different majors and 13 minors. All of the degrees offered focus in environmental or natural resource studies. The college has a reputation for hands-on and outdoor study, and for providing students a gateway to outdoor careers. Many alumni go on to careers in biological research, state park & wildlife refuge management, natural sciences education, and wilderness recreation organization.

The majors of study are: Adventure Education Leadership, Adventure Therapy, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Conservation Law Enforcement, Ecology, Environmental Analysis, Environmental Biology, Environmental Education, Environmental Policy, Environmental Humanities, Environmental Science, Environmental Writing, Forestry, General Studies, Landscape Horticulture, Liberal Studies, Marine Biology, Wildlife, Wildlife Biology, Captive Wildlife Care and Education, Wildlife Conservation, and Parks, Recreation & Ecotourism.

The minor areas of study are: Adventure Therapy, Chemistry, English, Environmental Policy, Gender Studies, Geology, Horticulture, Human Ecology and Sustainable Development, Natural and Cultural Heritage Interpretation, Philosophy, Psychology, Wildlife and Zoology.

The college is a leader in the movement towards sustainability. The campus produces exceptionally low climate emissions of 4,300 pounds per student per year, achieved through a program of energy audits and retrofits to buildings. All recent and new buildings are or will be low or zero carbon. All students take a required course in sustainability in their junior year, including several weeks on climate change. The college administration hopes to offer a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainability Design and Technology, and, in conjunction with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener's Association, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainable Food and Agriculture, both in Fall 2008.

ports

Unity College competes in the of the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) which is a division II member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association(USCAA). The men's varsity sports are: Basketball, Cross-Country, and Soccer. The women's varsity sports are: Basketball, Cross-Country, Soccer and Volleyball. Additionally Unity College has a number of club sports (Woodsmen, Ice Hockey, Indoor Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee) and intramural sports.

References

External links

* [http://www.unity.edu/ Unity College official website]