I am writing in response to the July 15 article “Money emerges as key obstacle to housing asylum seekers at Unity campus.”
Unity Environmental University President Melik Peter Khoury is shown outside Raymond Hall at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, where some operations of the college have been shifted, in 2021. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer, File
Although funding is a major obstacle to utilizing the campus to house refugees, perhaps a greater obstacle is having Unity Environmental University President Melik Peter Khoury involved. Hopefully, the reporter’s Freedom of Access Act request reveals what Khoury actually told the selectmen. Those who have followed his takeover at the college know that little comes from his office that is not misrepresentation.
Despite the fact that the Unity campus and associated facilities are nearly abandoned, the Press Herald’s July 2 report stated that the institution was not “struggling” and that “enrollment has grown exponentially.” The number of students enrolled online does not equate to the 700 full-time, onsite students who availed themselves of the unique, hands-on learning style that was found at Unity. Khoury cast aside most of the faculty and abandoned the campus to achieve his bottom line. Little in the story has been reported in the press, with the exception of what was printed in an August 2021 Down East Magazine article.
Many Unity residents welcome the idea of housing refugees, who could add diversity to our area, but financials should ensure that the town is reimbursed for costs associated with the increased population. The larger issue, however, may be in having Khoury in charge of any transition that occurs.
Tom Aversa
Unity
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