Peter Drucker, an Austrian-born management consultant and prolific author, once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the news lately that even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the future of higher education was in jeopardy. In recent years, small colleges have been closing at unprecedented rates, particularly in our neck of the woods in the Northeast, and for the first time in modern history, students are truly questioning the value of a college degree given the insurmountable loans often needed to get them to the finish line.

Yet, Unity College now sees itself with a record enrollment with nearly 1,300 students. We are teaching students from 48 states and two territories — including many new students who never thought that earning a degree from America’s Environmental College would be possible. We’re launching new degree programs regularly, developing virtual reality and extended reality modules to incorporate into our online curriculum, and continuing to deliver experiential education remotely until we can safely re-implement in-person classes.

Quite simply, Unity College is evolving. Or, as Drucker would have said, we are creating our future, rather than passively attempting to predict what might come next. Because, if there’s one thing we’ve all recently learned, it’s that none of us truly knows what’s around the corner.

Over the past couple of months, Unity College has been criticized in public and in private for dissolving the four-year residential model in favor of the eight-term hybrid learning model. As the board of trustees, we have a fiduciary duty to Unity College’s mission and its future. Though we have a great deal of respect for the college’s past, it is our responsibility to make sure that Unity College exists in a meaningful capacity 10, 20, 50 years from now and beyond.

Our mission is more critical than ever, as we see the news that wildfires are yet again ravaging the West Coast. We know that there are students out there who want to solve the 21st century climate crisis. While some of our sister schools, including Green Mountain College in Vermont, have permanently closed their doors, it is our responsibility to ensure that Unity College and its mission not only survive, but thrive. We have confidence in our path forward, and we are proud of the direction of Unity College as well as the faculty and staff who are working to deliver a high-quality education whether it’s through hybrid learning or distance education.

Under the leadership of President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury, an education from Unity College has become more affordable, accessible and flexible than ever before. It is because of the work that he and his team have done, building the Enterprise Education Model and placing learners at the forefront of every decision, that we are here today with more Unity College students than ever before. We are proud of the work that Dr. Khoury has done during his time as president, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds under his guidance. It is more clear than ever that he is without a doubt the right person for this job at this moment, as he continues to think outside the box, and encourages others to do the same.

That began with reimagining what “online” learning looks like. As Unity College has seen tremendous success, interest, and ultimately growth in distance education, it’s important to note that our remote courses go well beyond sitting in front of a computer monitor for hours on end. Whether it’s through distance education or hybrid learning, our courses are designed to connect students with local land trusts, zoos, biologists, and many more to develop projects and research. Urban Ecology students connect with their local communities to help develop sustainability initiatives.

No matter what modality a student chooses, a Unity College degree is a Unity College degree. As Dr. Khoury has reiterated time and again, accessibility to a quality education is vital to our society, and if a degree-seeking adult wants to work through a rigorous online program and earn a degree from Unity College, it would be immoral to place excessive barriers on their educational journey because of their circumstances.

Unity College’s path forward is putting students and learners first, which has led and will continue to lead to innovations in an industry that desperately needs them. So, here we are, doing what Unity College has always done by blazing new trails. We have a record-breaking 1,300 eager students on their own journey to earn a degree from Unity College. We are creating our future, just as those students are, and leaving a road map for other institutions to follow.

Sharon Reishus is chairwoman of the Unity College board of trustees.