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Summit: The Preface

Set on Summit Street in the capital city of Hartford, Trinity College is where the liberal arts meet the real world. Since it opened its doors in 1823, founded in the Episcopal tradition and rooted in principles of religious and academic freedom, Trinity has remained steadfastly committed to providing a liberal arts education that is both relevant and timeless.

Today, as we look toward the College’s bicentennial, we do so in the context of a world in which technology has led to innovations we couldn’t have imagined a half-century ago; in which scholarship has advanced understanding of our history, ourselves, and our planet; and in which our lives on campus can connect to those around the globe in ways that are at once instantaneous and enduring.

At the same time, we contemplate our future and that of the College in a challenging moment. Higher education has a singular role to play in creating knowledge, promoting inquiry and freedom of expression, and developing citizens who think critically, embrace complexity, and engage across differences in building a free, just society.

Trinity College is distinctly positioned to advance these ideals and meet these considerable responsibilities, all the while attending to the stability and sustainability of this historic institution. The strategic goals we set forth here will serve as our roadmap in this all-important work. As we pursue our goals, we affirm our values as an institution of integrity and intellectual vitality and as a community that encourages innovation, builds resilience, promotes balance, and instills the joy of lifelong learning.

  • As a small, residential liberal arts college in a state capital, we can provide a distinctive, rigorous educational experience that will equip students with the perspectives, knowledge, and skills to advance society. We have a responsibility to bring together students, faculty, and staff from different backgrounds and to challenge and empower them to be active campus community members and global citizens.
  • As an engine of innovation and creativity in one of the most socioeconomically, culturally, and ethnically diverse cities in the country, we can meaningfully connect the classroom and the world. We have a responsibility to be a virtuous institutional citizen, to be a leading partner in advancing the Hartford region, and to demonstrate for our students the power of education to transform the world.
  • As participants in a nearly 200-year old educational idea, we can create a built environment that fosters collaborative, interdisciplinary learning and realize opportunities to secure lasting financial strength. We have a responsibility to steward this College for future generations and to embrace environmental and financial sustainability as fundamental values.

It is our collective endeavor—our ability and our responsibility—to envision the Trinity we want to be and to pursue it unwaveringly. Together, we will honor the College’s history as we ascend to an ambitious new summit in the years ahead.