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Trinity’s accreditation was last renewed in November, 2007.  All institutions of higher education engage in the accreditation process as part of a normal and periodic review of its programs. The accreditation is a major way for students, families, government officials, and the press to determine the educational quality of an institution or program.  In turn, the review offers the College an opportunity to demonstrate and document that it meets and exceeds certain minimum standards; it promotes a period of reflection about the institution's strengths and weaknesses; and it provides a way to validate the effectiveness of institutional planning and learning outcomes. 
 
In fall 2005, President Jones appointed a steering committee of nine members to prepare our institutional self-study report on the extent to which the College succeeds in fulfilling it institutional mission. The reaccreditation process concluded in spring 2007 when a team of outside evaluators conducted its onsite review. 

Accreditation is granted by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).  CIHE is the regional accrediting agency for over 200 colleges and universities in the six New England states.  NEASC uses the self-study report and the observations of the visiting team as a basis to prepare the Commission's Report and for renewing accreditation status for another decade. (Read more about reaccreditation and NEASC)

All NEASC institutions must prepare a self study addressing a set of eleven standards for reaccreditation.  Our institutional self-study report also addressed several topics of particular significance to Trinity.  Attentive to the College’s most recent planning efforts (notably, the Cornerstone and the Curricular Review efforts), we have defined three critical areas for special emphasis: Intellectual & Community Engagement, Budgeting & Planning Processes, and Urban & Global Engagements.  Because we were expected not only to assess what we presently do, but also to articulate specific measures for realizing our future goals, the special emphases focus presented a unique opportunity to make this reaccreditation effort a rewarding process.   

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