Trinity’s Enrollment is at an All-Time High

President Patricia McGuire announced that Trinity’s fall 2008 enrollment is 1,756 — an all-time high in the history of Trinity. This record enrollment includes 655 students in the historic women’s college, the College of Arts and Sciences.  Another 783 students are enrolled in the School of Professional Studies and 318 in the School of Education.  In total, more than 600 new students joined the Trinity community this fall.  In her Fall 2008 Newsletter, President McGuire noted that “This growth in Trinity’s enrollment is a great affirmation of Trinity’s strong reputation and innovative programming to serve the educational needs of our region.”

Trinity continued its strong enrollment performance in its undergraduate women’s college, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), also still known as Trinity College; 255 new students from 18 states and with backgrounds from 20 nations joined the College this fall, swelling the total CAS enrollment to 655.  According to President McGuire, “The dramatic increase in the number of new students during the last four years is a direct result of the investments Trinity has made in facilities and programs.  We are especially grateful to the benefactors who made the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports a reality – the new sports center has been a definite attraction for many of our new students.”  Additionally, students enrolling in the College of Arts and Sciences are flocking to new major programs in nursing and criminal justice, while also enrolling in greater numbers than ever before in business, psychology and communication. 

The number of residential students is also growing in number, now occupying three residence halls.  This fall, Trinity reopened Main Hall for student residence – 4th North now houses 40 of the total residential population of 250 students.

Continuing the upward enrollment trends, the School of Professional Studies is at an all-time high of 783 students enrolled in all programs, including the associate of arts degree at THEARC, the baccalaureate programs on Trinity’s main campus, and the master’s degrees – MA, MSA and MBA.  President McGuire noted that “the rapid growth in the nursing population is clear evidence of the huge market demand for nursing education, and we are moving as quickly as possible to try to recruit faculty and expand facilities to support this surge.”  Criminal justice is also growing rapidly with future growth potential in homeland security as well as law enforcement. 

Trinity’s School of Education, with an enrollment of more than 300 students, is focusing on ways to support the District of Columbia’s school reform initiatives while also developing new programs that are responsive to the wave of change in urban education everywhere.  Programs that support new forms of teacher education, new methods for developing principals and new avenues for the training of all school professionals are essential for school transformation.

President’s Newsletter, Fall 2008