Employee Handbook: Preface

Trinity College presents this Employee Handbook (2005 Edition) as a guide to the College’s employment policies and practices, as well as benefits and services available to employees of the College. As an academic institution with a religious foundation and a special mission to the education of women, Trinity seeks to ensure that the campus workplace mirrors the goals and values that the College embraces in its educational programs, within the framework of Trinity’s mission.

MISSION STATEMENT OF TRINITY COLLEGE

Trinity College is a comprehensive university offering a broad range of educational programs that prepare students across the lifespan for the intellectual, ethical and spiritual dimensions of contemporary work, civic and family life. Trinity’s core mission values and characteristics emphasize:

Commitment to the Education of Women in a particular way through the design and pedagogy of the historic undergraduate women’s college, and by advancing principles of equity, justice and honor in the education of women and men in all other programs;

Foundation for Learning in the Liberal Arts through the curriculum design in all undergraduate degree programs and through emphasis on the knowledge, skills and values of liberal learning in all graduate and professional programs;

Integration of Liberal Learning with Professional Preparation through applied and experiential learning opportunities in all programs;

Grounding in the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Catholic tradition, welcoming persons of all faiths, in order to achieve the larger purposes of learning in the human search for meaning and fulfillment

All personnel of Trinity College should be familiar with Trinity’s Mission Statement and Strategic Plan, Beyond Trinity 2000, and the history, traditions and values of Trinity.

History

Founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as the first four-year Catholic college for women in the United States, Trinity has historically offered a high quality liberal arts education to women preparing for professional life and leadership in public and private arenas. Since 1966, Trinity has also offered educational opportunities to men as well as women in graduate programs in education and human services. Since 1985, Trinity has also recognized and supported the needs of working women and professional students through the Weekend College and other programs that support the needs of the workforce.

Trinity today is organized into three major units: the historic College of Arts and Sciences for women who take their baccalaureate study in the weekday; the School of Education for men and women earning teaching credentials and master’s degrees in education, counseling and school leadership; and the School of Professional Studies for women and men in the workforce who take classes and earn credentials at Trinity in the evening and on weekends.

In addition, Trinity’s educational programs today encompass Upward Bound for high school students and a range of affiliate programs including Education for Parish Service. Through these programs, Trinity seeks to fulfill the mission of the College and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to promote personal, professional and spiritual growth, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a willingness to take action to promote social justice.

Trinity is dedicated to the achievement of equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, religion, age, color, national origin, physical disability, or other personal characteristics. Trinity conforms its policies and practices to all laws of the United States and the District of Columbia. This Handbook seeks to amplify Trinity’s support for and adherence to the public law and policies governing Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination; Human Rights; Family and Medical Leave; Americans with Disabilities; Employee Retirement Security; Occupational Safety and Health; and similar laws governing wage and salary, worker’s compensation, taxes and insurance.

Incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia, the College’s legal title is “Trinity College, Washington, D.C.” Trinity is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education Colleges.

Purpose and Scope of the Employee Handbook

Trinity College recognizes that all employees are part of the educational dynamic of the College. For that reason, Trinity seeks to promote among its staff the same kind of dedication to intellectual excellence and growth, respect for the truth and human dignity that are the hallmarks of a Trinity education. The policies stated in this Employee Handbook seek to emulate these values of Trinity.

This Handbook articulates policies and procedures, benefits and resources for all staff personnel of Trinity College. Certain portions of this Handbook also apply as indicated to faculty personnel, whose general rights and responsibilities are set forth in the Faculty Handbook.

This manual is designed to be a working guide for supervisory and staff personnel in the day-to-day administration of the Trinity College’s Human Resource Program. Its purpose is to increase the understanding of policy and to ensure consistency in personnel policy administration. Every staff member is responsible for following these policies. Every supervisor of staff personnel is responsible for carrying out these policies in a consistent and impartial manner.

No Handbook can cover all employment situations, nor can policy statements substitute for good judgment and common sense. While these policies are consistent guidelines, they do not cover all situations and are not a substitute for detailed review of individual cases.

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Trinity College reserves the right to interpret or change the policies stated in this Handbook as the need arises. This document is not a contract.

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