Unity College President Mitchell Thomashow Announces Departure, Led College to National Profile

Unity, Maine – December 15, 2010 –  Unity College has announced that the Board of Trustees regretfully accepted the resignation of President Mitchell Thomashow, and is preparing to begin a national search for the 10th president of the College.

Thomashow, 61, came to Unity in 2006 after more than thirty years at Antioch New England Graduate School at Keene, N.H., where he served as Chairman of the Environmental Studies Department and Associate Dean for Institutional Advancement. In his nearly five years at Unity College, he successfully led aggressive efforts to advance the institution’s mission, strengthen its academic offerings and attain national recognition, all while retaining the college’s traditional emphasis on student achievement in environmental science and sustainability education.

“I want to thank President Thomashow for almost five years of exemplary achievement and tireless effort,” stated Board Chair Tim Glidden.  “Unity College has grown in ways that would have been hard to imagine in 2006.  Our national stature has never been higher.  Our faculty is engaged in a transformative overhaul of the College’s programs. The face of the campus itself is changing as we upgrade our facilities.  The students are deeply engaged in the biggest issues that face our planet.”

During Thomashow’s tenure, Unity College has achieved national recognition for its distinctive approach to undergraduate education.   In the last year alone, Unity has been named as one of the top 30 Colleges by Washington Monthly, the highest placement on the baccalaureate colleges list of the rankings for a Maine college. Unity was also included in the first national guide to the most environmentally responsible, “green” colleges by the Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Sustainability has become a central concern for all higher education institutions.  President Thomashow provided national leadership in this transformation, including his articulation of “Core Elements of a Sustainable Campus,” and his active participation co-chairing the Steering Committee of the American Colleges and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).  When Thomashow signed this commitment in 2007, he vowed that Unity College would become carbon neutral.  That promise directly and indirectly influences all aspects of campus planning and operations.

Every day, Thomashow and his wife, Cindy, demonstrate that living sustainably and reducing one’s carbon footprint need not be onerous.  For the last two years, they have occupied the college’s “Unity House,” a 2,000 square foot LEED Platinum residence that serves as their home, a center for college events, and a superb example of careful, green building practices at their best. Continuing these efforts to promote campus sustainability, plans are now underway to build a new residential “eco-cottage” with significant support from the Kendeda Foundation.

During Thomashow’s presidency, the College’s faculty have overhauled the academic program to better prepare students to tackle global environmental problems, giving them necessary tools for promising careers. The five Centers for Academic Excellence represent areas of focus that provide the best environmentally-focused liberal arts education, coupled with cutting-edge theory and practice designed to address 21st century environmental challenges.

“While President Thomashow’s energy, enthusiasm and creativity will be missed, he leaves the College well-poised for further improvement in the next chapter in Unity’s history,” said Glidden.  “The strong Unity he leaves will help us as we begin the search for an excellent successor.”

That search will begin immediately, and the Board hopes to welcome a new President by mid-summer.

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