Message from the President
Over
a century ago, Trinity College was founded by the Sisters of
Notre Dame de Namur as the nation's first Catholic liberal
arts college for women. The Sisters of Notre Dame had a
vision of an institution for women that would be both
national in scope and built upon a challenging liberal arts
curriculum that assumed that women are the intellectual
equals of men. Today, the work and beliefs of the community
of the Sisters of Notre Dame live on as Trinity continues to
educate women of all ages and to offer graduate degrees to
both women and men. In addition to supporting 1,500 students
in degree programs, Trinity educates more than 5,000 other
students each year in non-degree programs ranging from
professional development workshops for teachers and school
administrators, to Upward Bound classes for high school
students, to Elderhostel programs for retired persons.
Beginning with the first graduating class of 1904, the
mission of Trinity continues to be realized in the lives of
her students, individuals whose accomplishments range from
the halls of Congress to board rooms, classrooms and
courtrooms, laboratories and artists' studios, town hall
meetings and family dinner tables.
As the global community moves into the 21st century, the
significance of educating a new generation of transformative
leaders and engaged citizens equipped with the intellectual
perspective and ecumenical knowledge of liberal learning is
as important as any other time in history. The ability to
think critically, to write and speak clearly, to make
ethical judgments, to know the context of history and
literature, to understand the fundamental economic and
political forces affecting the psychology of whole peoples,
these are the quantities essential to effective leadership
in our ever-changing global environment. These are the
hallmarks of a Trinity education. Liberal learning and
continued professional development at Trinity is enriched
and enlarged by the resources of the nation's capital, from
internships in Congressional offices or scientific
laboratories, to research at the Library of Congress, to
participation in classes at any of the major area
universities through the Consortium of Universities.
Trinity's commitment to liberal learning derives its
ultimate meaning from the core identity of Trinity as a
Catholic college. Beyond spiritual growth realized through
theological studies and liturgies, the Trinity community
also lives its faith through active service to people in
need in Washington and around the country. Trinity's
commitment to faith and liberal learning is also realized in
the Honor System that governs all aspects of academic and
co-curricular life on campus.
After more than one hundred years since its founding, the
work of the Sisters of Notre Dame continues to thrive as
Trinity College remains an institution centered on women and
enriched by the Catholic tradition, a place where new
generations of students can gain the knowledge and tools
necessary to succeed in their own lives and give back to
their communities.
Patricia A. McGuire '74
-
-
-
-
|