Trinity College Becomes Trinity

Transition Caps Decade of Transformation and Growth

WASHINGTON, DC - Driven by a significant resurgence in undergraduate enrollment and a broad expansion of its graduate and professional studies programs, Trinity College in Washington, D.C. will become Trinity. The announcement will be made during a celebration at Trinity's campus at 125 Michigan Avenue, NE, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 10.

The transition to Trinity caps a decade of strategic growth and initiatives that have widened Trinity's programmatic reach to meet a variety of contemporary educational needs, particularly in business and technology and the education and health professions. Trinity's Board of Trustees agreed to the transition after a year of study that included surveys of students, alumnae and alumni and other key constituencies, the majority of whom enthusiastically embraced the change as emblematic of Trinity's evolution as a multi-dimensional institution that responds to global education challenges.

Currently enrolling 1,700 degree-seeking students, Trinity has offered generations of students a rigorous liberal arts education with an emphasis on leadership for the business and public sectors. During the past 15 years, Trinity has revitalized its undergraduate options, strengthened its bonds with the Washington-area business community and responded ambitiously to consumer and workforce demands for graduate and professional education. Today Trinity consists of three distinct academic schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, which is the undergraduate women's college; the coeducational School of Education; and the coeducational School of Professional Studies, which offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs for women and men in the workforce.

"Today's announcement marks the formal beginning of a new era for Trinity, but it's also an opportunity to celebrate the collective efforts that have prepared so many Trinity graduates for the demands of contemporary work, civic and family life," said Trinity President Patricia A. McGuire. "If you look around, you'll see those graduates everywhere from the cloakrooms of Capitol Hill to the boardrooms of corporate America and in classrooms, law offices, medical clinics and state capitols around the nation. If you look ahead, you'll see new generations equally prepared to make a meaningful difference in our world."

Greater Washington Board of Trade President Robert A. Peck heralded the transition for its impact on the Washington region's workforce. "As the ranks of graduates in leadership positions can testify, Trinity has always offered a first-class education enhanced by the resources of the nation's capital," said Peck. "But during the past decade in particular Trinity has been a real engine of opportunity for Washington area professionals seeking career advancement, and a key resource for employers seeking workers with the skills to advance the economic expansion of our region."

Now a top-choice for undergraduates and graduates seeking a rigorous academic program offered through small classes and direct access to senior level faculty, Trinity offers many courses to professionals in an accelerated format geared to 21st century workplace demands and opportunities. In 2004 Trinity awarded 220 master's degrees and 135 baccalaureate degrees. Trinity has also developed a successful M.B.A. program, with its first graduates in 2004. Trinity educates more graduates of Washington, D.C. public schools than any other private higher education institution in the Washington area.

Trinity recently opened the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports, a $20 million state-of-the-art complex that is the largest athletic facility dedicated to women and girls. The Trinity Center is part of the economic renaissance in the Brookland-Edgewood community in Northeast Washington.

"For generations of alumnae, this transition is a time to celebrate Trinity's enduring tradition of excellence while embracing the opportunity to evolve and grow," said President McGuire. "For today's students, it's an opportunity to carry those traditions forward at a multi-dimensional institution offering more undergraduate, graduate and professional studies opportunities than ever before."

The Friday, September 10 announcement will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a gathering of students, alumnae and alumni, faculty, staff and Washington-area leaders on Trinity's front lawn at 125 Michigan Avenue, NE. Led by a marching band, Trinity students will lead a colorful procession of flags of the many states and countries represented in Trinity's student body to the front lawn of Trinity's campus. The official announcement will be made at 12 noon by President McGuire, who will be joined by Alumnae President Eileen Maxwell and Student Government President Rewa Burnham. A new Trinity sign will be unveiled on Michigan Avenue, and a new Trinity web site will be launched at www.trinitydc.edu

Trinity College was founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Notre Dame and chartered by an Act of Congress. Trinity continues the founders' commitment to offer students of all faiths a quality academic program, a value-centered education, and a focus on the intellectual development of each student. The September 10 announcement will kick off a three-day Symposium celebrating the Bicentennial of the Sisters of Notre Dame and focusing on the worldwide challenge of educating girls and women. The Symposium will be held on the Trinity campus.

Interviews with Trinity President Patricia McGuire and filming of the campus can be arranged in advance of the September 10 announcement. Trinity is located at 125 Michigan N.E., just one block east of North Capitol Street.