Trinity’s Accreditation Affirmed: Fidelity to Mission Commended
Trinity’s institutional accreditation was renewed in June by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which commended Trinity for the quality of its Self-study Report and self-study process. Commendations are rare and given only after many committees review the reports; it is the highest form of praise that Middle States can extend to an institution.
The accreditation renewal is the culmination of years of planning and preparation by the Trinity community. Every ten years, Trinity completes a comprehensive self-study process and then welcomes a team of visitors who review the documents, interview campus constituents and prepare a report for the institution and the Commission.
With the leadership of the team chair, President Stephen J. Sweeny of the College of New Rochelle, the Middle States team visited campus in April and affirmed Trinity’s compliance with all 14 Middle States accreditation standards. The team expressed admiration for Trinity’s fidelity to mission while adapting creatively to the paradigm shift in Trinity’s student body and organizational form.
The full team report, along with the Self-study report, is
available here: http://www.trinitydc.edu/about/accreditation.php
The following quotes are excerpted from the team report.
THE MIDDLE STATES’ VISITING TEAM IS DEEPLY IMPRESSED WITH THE STORY OF TRINITY.
The Self-study calls it “one of the more remarkable institutional stories in higher education today.” We concur. Transformed over the last two decades by dramatic change and courageous and deliberate embracing of “paradigm shift,” the University has remained remarkably faithful to its rich tradition, the founding vision of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: the special commitment to women, to the primacy of the liberal arts and to the Catholic intellectual, moral and social justice tradition.
GIFTED WITH A FACULTY AND STAFF PASSIONATE ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION, under visionary leadership which is envied in American higher education, the University has embraced a population of students coming from many races, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, religious and personal experiences. Trinity serves this diverse student population in a rich mix of undergraduate and graduate programs and has emerged as an increasingly recognized and appreciated resource for the District and the Washington regional community. Beyond such effective direct service to its students and region, the University has achieved an incalculable contribution to the American higher education enterprise and the American national scene by demonstrating ways to give new life to historic mission.
THERE IS BREATH-TAKING ACHIEVEMENT CHRONICLED IN THE SELF-STUDY: the move to University structure with three schools, the Trinity Center, dramatic improvement of financial results and the financial management systems and processes, NCATE accreditation, major government and private grants, the conversion and upgrading of administrative software. Above all, perhaps, is the success of Trinity faculty in curricular and pedagogical change serving the students of the “paradigm shift.” The team recognizes that faculty and staff are passionate about the mission in a genuinely mission driven institution.
THE TEAM HAS EXPERIENCED IN TRINITY, AT EVERY TURN, A MISSION-DRIVEN INSTITUTION. All constituencies understand the mission and appreciate it deeply… The team commends the Trinity community for its remarkable clarity of understanding of mission and its unswerving devotion to living it out at all levels and in all units. … The team recognizes the impressive congruence of Trinity in 2006 with the original vision of Trinity’s founders in 1897. The team admires and commends the University’s rejection of the notion that paradigm shift means abandonment of historic mission. Rather, we discover in the work and vitality of Trinity of 2006 a most obvious continuity with Trinity’s 110 year old mission expressed with a renewed relevance and rigor.
The visiting team offered a number of very constructive “collegial suggestions” throughout its report, including these:
- Creation of a systematic multi-year facilities plan to address interim strategies to alleviate the current campus space crunch while getting ready for a major facilities renewal and expansion program;
- Continuing expansion and improvement of technology learning environments, and laboratory improvements.
- Continuing development of financial aid resources to support Trinity students.
- More systematic data collection to support ongoing assessment activities in all departments.
- Improved advising and support services for adult students in the School of Professional Studies.
- Careful alignment of resources with enrollment growth to be sure that a larger student body is fully supported.
For more information about the accreditation process, visit the
Middle States website www.msche.org, or write to Middle States at 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.