President's Newsletter, Fall 2009

Dear Alumnae and Alumni, Family and Friends of Trinity,

2,000! Trinity has enrolled more than 2,000 students in the Fall of 2009!

800! Trinity has enrolled more than 800 students in Trinity College, our historic women's college.

More than 900 students are enrolled in the School of Professional Studies and nearly 350 are in the School of Education.

Fall Enrollment Chart Such great enrollment success – the largest total enrollment in Trinity's history, a 19% increase over last fall, and the largest enrollment in the women's college since 1969 – is a tremendous accomplishment especially in this year when so many other universities are experiencing enrollment declines as a result of the recession.

Several key factors are driving Trinity's growth:

The Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports: Since the Trinity Center opened in 2003, Trinity's full-time undergraduate enrollment has grown by 62%. With more than 30,000 visitors annually, the Trinity Center has dramatically increased Trinity's visibility in the Washington region.
Nursing: Since Trinity started the Nursing Program in 2007, enrollments in both the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the School of Professional Studies (SPS) have grown by 30% or more, due largely to new enrollments in nursing.
Improved Retention: A major focus on improving retention in all academic units has reaped a steady increase in students returning from one semester to the next, with the most dramatic increase in CAS – a full five percentage points improvement in retained students this year from 79.4% last year to 84.4% this year, with an overall institutional improvement from 81% to 84% from Fall 2008 to Fall 2009.
Learning Communities and First Year Experience: The dramatic retention improvement in CAS is a direct result of the tremendous effort that the faculty has devoted to developing a new General Education Program with a distinctive focus on the First Year Experience.
Enrollment Services and Academic Resources: Major reorganizations to locate important service groups in "one stop shop" clusters have reaped great benefits. Enrollment Services – Financial Aid, the Registrar, Student Accounts – is now one central stop on the Marble Corridor. Academic Resources – the Writing Center, tutorials, learning skills support, career services – are conveniently available to all students on the first floor of the Library. Studies show that convenient and accessible services improve student satisfaction, retention and ultimate success.
Online Services and Communications: Trinity's virtual campus environment makes it easier than ever for our students and faculty to communicate, and for alumnae and alumni to follow campus developments and stay in touch. Students register and follow their accounts with IQ.Web, and faculty and students use the Moodle platform for course management – syllabi, class chats, assignments, other electronic resources. Upgrades to Trinity's Admissions website have made it even easier and more appealing for prospective students to interface with Trinity's programs and staff. Trinity is also now on Facebook and Twitter!

Become a fan of Trinity on Facebook
Follow Trinity on Twitter @TrinityDC

And let's not overlook this clear fact – Girls Rule! Trinity's many well-known alumnae success stories influence young women in high school and older women in the workplace. We find that our students today affirmatively embrace the value of women's education as a platform for lifetime success. Consider these statements from the application essays of three Trinity freshwomen this year:

"When I go to college and successfully complete my major, I will be the first in my family to hold a college degree. I believe one can rise from the bitterness of obscurity to accomplish the dream of a lifetime… Just as Mrs. Rosa Parks has inspired and motivated me and left her footprints in the sand of history, I, too, not only want to make an impression, but an impact."

"I know that education is the ‘key to success.' In the United States, I am free to make all my dreams come true. I am able to be whoever I want to be…We are tomorrow's leaders and I want to be one of them."

"Trinity's unparalleled commitment to women's education… has been a model of inspiration for women seeking to pursue higher education. As an immigrant from a developing nation I recognize that such a unique commitment can never be taken for granted. Many women in developing nations face economic and social constraints that impede them from accessing quality education. Trinity's steadfast mission to educating resonates with my own deeply held convictions on diversity, justice, fairness and compassion..."

Faculty and Staff Appointments

With enrollment booming, Trinity has expanded instructional and administrative capacity in some areas, including these new appointments:

Ms. Telaekah K. Brooks, J.D., is our new Dean of the School of Professional Studies, joining Trinity's administrative team from Southeastern University.
Ms. Mindy Schuster joins Trinity as Associate Provost, having had her most recent experience at Howard University.
Dr. Antoinette S. Mitchell becomes Associate Dean of the School of Education, following her work with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Dr. Gladys Williams also joins EDU as the Program Director for the Educational Administration Program, having served previously as the director of the Baltimore Leadership Academy for the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.
Ms. Andrea Cadyma is Trinity's new Director of Campus Housing.
Brother David Eubank is our new Director of Campus Ministry.

New faculty members include:

Dr. Cynthia DeBoy – Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Biology
Dr. JiEun Choi – Assistant Professor of Biology
Dr. Jasmine Gardner – Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Monica Feazell – Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Daphne Waite – Assistant Professor of Nursing
Ms. Susan Solomon – Assistant Professor of Nursing
Mr. Vernon Scott – Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Dr. Christopher Bishop – Assistant Professor of Psychology

We are also pleased to congratulate two members of the faculty who received tenure this year:

Dr. Diane Forbes Berthoud – Associate Professor of Communication
Dr. Deborah Litt – Associate Professor of Education

Getting Ready to Build Again…

With enrollment booming, space is now at a real premium – student housing is completely filled (277 beds), classrooms are overflowing, and faculty and staff offices are increasingly spread through every available nook and cranny. The need to provide modern, functional space of sufficient size and technological capacity for Trinity's programs today is more urgent than ever. So, in the months ahead, we will begin the formal process of detailed planning for some of the new and improved facilities envisioned in our Campus Master Plan – new student housing, new academic facilities, and significant improvements to our historic buildings.

Undertaking a building program of any size will require significant financial support, and we know that this will be a challenge. Even as the recession eases, credit will remain tight, and charitable giving will be cautious. Yet, many other universities are moving forward with their building and campaign plans – so, why should Trinity hesitate, when our work here is some of the most important and effective education accomplished in our nation?

To our future investors we say with confidence: Trinity's current success will multiply many times over with your support. Trinity's success today – a booming enrollment, a budget in the black, strong management and sound strategic plans – will ensure a high yield for donors looking to invest in a unique and powerful mission. Even as Trinity has grown and changed in many ways, our core mission values remain steadfast: a primary commitment to women's education, deeply rooted in the liberal arts as the essential platform for professional and lifelong success, inspired by the spiritual center that arises from the Sisters of Notre Dame and the Catholic faith, embracing all sisters and brothers of many faiths. As we move toward launching a new campaign to secure Trinity's Second Century, we venture forth with firm confidence that Trinity's distinctive mission is more vital than ever.

Thank you for your generous support and loyalty to Trinity!