Campus Resources

Academic Computing (Graduate)

Teaching and learning at Trinity College are supported by first-class communication and computing services. These extensive resources are described in the Student Handbook of Computing, which is mailed to all students at the start of Fall semester. This information is also provided on the Academic Computing Web pages (http://www.trincoll.edu/acad/acad.html), where it is continually updated. What follows is a brief overview of resources.

The College's shared academic computing facilities are located in the Mathematics, Computing and Engineering Center at the south end of campus. The facilities in "MCEC," as the building is called, are open 24 hours a day whenever classes are in session, to any student with a valid Trinity ID card. In MCECs shared facilities, you will find Macintosh and PC-compatible microcomputers equipped with word processing, spreadsheet, and statistical analysis packages, to name just a few. In addition, the College owns and operates an expanding collection of Sun UNIX workstations. These machines are used for many purposes, including programming, statistical analysis, and graphics.

On the first floor of MCEC are Academic Computing staff offices, the Academic Computing student consultants, the Computing Center main office, and Student Computing Services.

All College computers are connected to a high-speed campus-wide network, which reaches into all academic departments and all student dormitories. The campus network is, in turn, connected to the international Internet. Through this network, campus users can surf the Web, move files, send mail, or initiate logons to thousands of hosts all over the world, including remote minicomputers, supercomputers, data sources, and library card catalogs.

One of the most important network hosts for Trinity's users is the library's on-line public access card catalog, which resides in Middletown, and which we share with Wesleyan and Connecticut College. The Trinity Library also provides access to commercial bibliographic services via the network, including full-text databases.

The network also provides access to dozens of programs that are needed for classwork. Many specialized programs, from Mathematica to MacDeutsch are provided on-line. General purpose tools are also available, like desktop electronic mail, and Yapp, a dynamic electronic discussion group system that is augmenting classroom discussions in a number of academic departments. The College's "Docex" server facilitates the electronic exchange of coursework, syllabi, and other documents.

Many other network services are also available, including the College's Web pages. The Web pages serve as our campus-wide information server. These pages, at http://www.trincoll.edu, contain an enormous amount of information of general interest, including extensive computing documentation (including on-line versions of the Student Handbook of Computing), class listings, departmental directories, event listings, and many other services.

Austin Arts Center

The Austin Arts Center (AAC) administration is Trinity's principal presenter of professional guest artist programs of all kinds. The AAC is also the organization that works with the Departments of Fine Arts, Music, and Theater & Dance to provide community outreach, promotional and operational management of arts facilities.

The AAC is also one of the two primary College buildings dedicated to serving the teaching and presentational needs of all three academic departments in the performing and visual arts. The 381 seat Goodwin Theater, the Widener Gallery, and Garmany Hall, a versatile performance space, are the Center's three venues for the presentation of creative work of all kinds. In addition to music classrooms and private practice rooms, art studio classrooms and theater production facilities, the Center also includes the College Library's Sound Recording Collection, performing arts faculty offices, and the administrative offices of the Director of the Center. Adjacent to the Austin Arts central facility, the Hallden building is the site for all Fine Arts Department faculty offices, several specialized classrooms and study areas, as well as the main Library's Slide Collection. Other arts spaces also include the Wiggins sculpture studio, the dance studios in Seabury Hall, and the Zion Gallery located in a storefront off campus.

The Austin Arts Center is a very active and interesting place. The fall and spring semesters are filled with a wide variety of arts events presented by the Center Artists Series, academic departments, College organizations and greater Hartford cultural organizations. Each year the AAC invites audiences to attend as many as seventy art openings, music concerts, recitals, plays, dance concerts, and musical-theater productions as well as special lectures, symposia, and readings.

With a valid Trinity College Identification Card, all students, faculty, administration and staff may pick up in advance free tickets to all ticketed Center Artists Series, Music, and Theater & Dance Department performances. Since seating capacities are always limited and events are often well attended, prompt and careful attention to ticket policies is encouraged. Call the Austin Arts Center Box Office number at (860) 297-2199 for 24-hour information about all Center events and for ticket reservations during regular afternoon office hours. The Trinity College information line provid es additional events information and helpful prerecorded directions to the campus for visitors at (860) 297-2001.

For further information, give Jeffry Walker, the Director, a call at (860) 297-2498.

The Bistro

The Bistro on Vernon Street boasts an upscale grille and deli featuring Boar's Head meats, gourmet salads, Boboli pizza ,and specialty desserts. The Bistro becomes the Campus Pub and Cafe on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings with live entertainment. The Bistro is open as follows:

Monday & Tuesday . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Wednesday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - midnight
Thursday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - 1:00 am
Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - midnight
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . closed

Campus Bookstores

Trinity College Bookstore is leased and operated by Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Inc. of New York. Located on the lower level of Mather Hall, the bookstore is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Extended hours are offered at term openings. Shorter hours are observed during breaks, such as the holidays, spring vacation, and during the summer.

The bookstore provides all required textbooks and classroom supplies. In addition, the bookstore offers reference materials, educationally discounted software, merchandise such as clothing and Trinity giftware, health and beauty aids, dorm room supplies, magazines, cards, beverages, and snacks. Services provided include 1) used book sales and end of term "buyback;" 2) special ordering of books and software; 3) class ring sales, and 4) check cashing.

Check cashing policies are as follows: 1) students must show a valid Trinity ID; 2) a $30 limit is observed for personal checks; 3) a $100 limit is observed for Trinity College payroll checks; 4) no third party checks will be cashed, since checks must be made out to Trinity College Bookstore; and 5) a nominal service charge is collected for each check cashed.

Gallows Hill Bookstore and Cafe is also leased and operated by Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Inc. It is located on the first floor of the Hallden building and is open 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Gallows Hill offers a selection of over 12,000 classic and contemporary books. The selection is designed to complement the diverse array of disciplines offered at Trinity and to support individual academic and intellectual interests. The store also provides a cafe setting for the campus with various coffees, expresso, and light foods. In addition, an extensive selection of periodicals is offered. Special order service, exhibition space for campus and local artists, poetry readings, and various discussion seminars hosted by authors and faculty members are also available. In conjunction with the Austin Arts Center and Cinestudio, the store is a member of the Summit Arts Group.

Campus Safety Office

The Campus Safety Office, located at 76 Vernon Street, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All Campus Safety personnel stand ready to offer their assistance in any emergency situation. They look forward to working with any member of the College community who needs assistance. They may be reached for emergency, as well as routine calls, by dialling extension 2222 on campus, or (860) 297 2222 from an off-campus line

Brian Kelly, Director of Campus Safety, has his office at 76 Vernon Street. He is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. He may also be contacted through the Campus Safety Office after normal business hours by calling (860) 297-2222. He is aided by the Associate Director and the Assistant Director, who are available most evenings, and can be reached through the Campus Safety Office.

Campus Safety staff also enjoy a close working relationship with the Hartford Police Department. In those few cases requiring an immediate law enforcement response, the Police Department Emergency 911 line is available through the phone system.

The College encourages victims to report criminal acts to the Hartford Police Department, in addition to Campus Safety or other College officials.

The Cave

The Cave, conveniently located on the lower level of Mather Hall, is a popular meeting place for the Trinity community. Grilled and deli sandwiches, fresh-baked pizza, rotisserie meats, an upscale salad and fruit bar, daily specials, Dunkin' Donuts, and quality grab-and-go items are all available. The Cave is open as follows:

Monday - Thursday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:00 am - 12:30 am
Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00 am - 12:30 am

Cinestudio

Cinestudio is a student-operated cinema that brings the best of international, independent, and Hollywood films to the Trinity community and the Hartford region. Founded by students in 1971, Cinestudio is celebrated for its state-of-the-art sound system and wide screen, as well as its balcony and trademark gold curtain reminiscent of the glory days of classic movie theaters. Located in the Clement Chemistry building, Cinestudio screens films every night during the school year, and is host to a variety of film festivals in the summer.

The College Chapel

Trinity College was founded by members of the Episcopal Church, and the Charter, granted May 16, 1823, provided that the College "shall not make the religious tenets of any person a condition of admission to any privilege in said College," whether as a student or teacher. From this beginning, Trinity continues to be an independent college having this historic relationship with the Episcopal Church, as well as a Chapel and Chaplaincy.

Founded in freedom, Trinity is proud that a diversity of religious affiliations exists in its student body. The College provides resources and an atmosphere where the religious dimension of life is taken seriously and examined. All its members may find Trinity not only a place for deepening their own faith as a part of the educational process, but also a place where the educational process is confronted by the perspective of faith.

The Chapel Tower, which rises high above the campus, has always held much intrigue and interest for the students. The top of the tower affords a view of the surrounding city and campus area. It also houses the carillon, which consists of 49 bells. The College Carillonneur is available to give lessons to interested students. Since the stairs to the top are unsafe, the tower is not accessible to the general student body.

The College Chapel, which is under the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Bishop of Connecticut, is both a part of Trinity College and also a Christian church maintained by an endowment provided by benefactors. The regular services of the Chapel, while deriving from many and often ecumenical sources, accord with the provisions and traditions of the Episcopal Church. Other Christian communities use the Chapel for services--for example, Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays and on holy days, and other times as announced by the Newman Chaplain.

The College Chaplain's office (860-297-2012) is also available to assist those who would like to find a local parish of their own denominational affiliation.

Holy Eucharist, following the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church, is celebrated each Sunday at 12:00 noon. All members of the College are invited to attend services in the Chapel, and such participation is not understood as a change in denominational affiliation. Student sacristans assist at all Sunday Eucharists, and all members of the worshiping community are invited to share the duties of acolytes and readers.

Within the context of Episcopal Canon Law, the Chapel and its facilities are available to members of the College for baptisms, weddings, funerals and other special services. The Chaplain and Chapel staff are available to consult and advise about such events.

The College holds certain of its own events in the Chapel, such as Matriculation and Honors Day. These services follow the College's own tradition. Many musical events also take place in the Chapel and often use its fine organ. Occasionally the Chapel is used for dramatic productions and the showing of films.

The Trinity College Chapel is a community of commitment, which witnesses and celebrates the religious perspective, and in that context confronts issues of contemporary life. A large portion of the offerings at Chapel service is given to support community service projects in which students are involved. The Chapel often joins campus groups in sponsoring activities of common concern such as lectures, discussions, and related social activities. The College Chaplaincy is joined in its ministry on campus by Trinity Hillel, the Newman Chaplaincy, and the Trinity Christian Fellowship.

Ferris Athletic Center

Use of the Ferris Athletic Center by all members of the campus community and alumni has continued to exceed the College's most optimistic expectations. Programs involving neighborhood and disadvantaged youngsters have also been accommodated in the Center.

The Athletic Center is, however, experiencing serious problems in connection with its evening and weekend operations. Use of the facilities by a burgeoning number of unauthorized persons has resulted in two unfortunate consequences. First, there has been serious overcrowding so that Trinity students and faculty are often without play space; and second, there have been recurrent instances of malicious vandalism and theft. In the interest of preserving priority rights to these facilities, controls have been instituted upon admission to the Center on evenings and weekends.

They are as follows:

1. The only entrance which can be used for access is the set of doors facing west toward the walk up to the Austin Arts Center. One of these doors has an ID card reader which well enable a current Trinity ID to open this door between the hours mentioned below. All other doors are on an alarm system and are not to be used. Please keep informed of the times and dates the Center is open.
2. There will be a student worker at the Control Desk who will request identification of all who enter. Students, faculty, administration, and staff must produce their current I.D. cards. No one will be admitted who cannot produce proper identification.
3. Faculty and administration members or students who wish to bring a guest may do so, but they must secure a Guest Pass from the Athletic Director's Office in advance, and present it upon admission to the Center.
4. Faculty and administration members or students who wish to bring a group in at any time, including weekends, must make arrangements to do so through the Athletic Director's Office.
5. Some of the Center's facilities will not be open during the evening and weekend hours. The schedule varies due to other uses (intercollegiate sports, intramurals, etc.).
6. Issue of locks, lockers, and towels will be limited to undergraduate students, faculty, and staff. Return all locks and towels on the last day of spring semester classes. Master's Degree candidates and Graduate Scholars, upon payment of a $60.00 fee in lieu of the undergraduate "General Fee" of $500,00, will also be entitled to the above privileges.
7. During recreation hours, some athletic equipment will be available at the Control Desk.

These measures are being taken not to discourage use of the Ferris Center, but rather to protect the rights of the campus community for optimum use and to minimize the need for added security costs. The official student recreation times are: Monday-Friday 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Sunday Noon - 11:00 p.m. This official recreation time is staffed by students and, if no students show up for work, then the building will be locked. Normally the building opens at 7:00 a.m. (Monday-Friday) and it is available for any unofficial student recreation activity during the day. These hours will not pertain to certain times of the academic year, such as Reading Week, vacations, finals, etc.

The Library

Trinity College supports an exceptionally large and comprehensive library. Its collections are designed to meet the needs of an undergraduate student population and a faculty of serious scholars. Current holdings of books and periodicals total over 900,000 volumes; microform and other non print materials total an additional 572,000 items. Each year approximately 20,000 new print titles are added to the collection, and the Library subscribes to over 3,000 periodicals. A number of journal subscriptions are now received in an electronic format, reflecting the increasing importance of non traditional and technologically sophisticated formats within an academic library environment. The College also is a selective depository for United States government publications, and receives approximately 30 % of the material published by the Government Printing Office.

Scholars at Trinity College,Wesleyan University, and Connecticut College have direct access to more than 3,000,000 volumes through the CTW Library Consortium. These three institutions share a common computerized bibliographic system and have reciprocal borrowing privileges. Books located in the other CTW institutions may be requested online and a weekday delivery service between the schools normally fills requests within 24 hours. The CTW Libraries information system serves as a gateway to more diverse electronic services, including online indexes to several thousand periodicals as well as a national bibliographic database containing the holdings of over 15,000 libraries. Both traditional inter-library lending and online document delivery services are used to secure items not in the CTW Consortium holdings.

The Reference Collection contains over 15,000 printed volumes and many specialized CD-ROM databases which provide factual, statistical, and bibliographic information in fields relevant to Trinity's curriculum. The Reference Librarians provide in-library, telephone, and email assistance and are prepared to give subject specialized bibliographic service.

The Slide Collection is housed in Hallden Hall and primarily services the Art History faculty. The Music and Media Services Unit incorporates both the Sound Recordings Collection, located in the Austin Arts Center, and the Film and Video Collection, located on the third floor in the Main Library. Facilities associated with the latter collection include viewing, listening, and multimedia workstations.

The Trinity Library also is home to the Watkinson Library, an endowed research library consisting of rare books, manuscripts, and a number of special collections. Particular strengths of the Watkinson holdings include the Enders Ornithology Collection, 19th century American and British history and literature, and representative examples of private press imprints from the 18th through the 20th centuries.

The Trinity College Library is well equipped to support graduate scholarship with generous study space and well maintained equipment. Procedures on the use of the Trinity College Library are described in the Trinity College Student Handbook, the Trinity College Library Handbook, and on the Trinity College Library homepage at http://www.trincoll.edu/library.html.

Mather Campus Center

The campus center is a focal point of student activity on the campus. The building is open from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, except when the College is not in session. In addition to housing the "Cave" (a snack bar and favorite meeting place), Mather Hall is also the site of the following facilities:

Information Desk: The Information Desk is operated daily. This area has student directory assistance, class schedules, campus activity information and sports information (game schedules and scores when available).
Lost and found: Mather Information Desk does not operate as a general lost and found department. It accepts books and IDs; all other items are forwarded to the Campus Safety office at 76 Vernon Street. Any thefts must be reported to the Director of Campus Safety. The Director can assist with insurance claims and in the notification of local law enforcement officials.
Game Room: The Game Room is located on the lower level of Mather. Billiards are available, as well as several video games. Tournaments can be arranged by the Game Room Manager. Refunds may be obtained during business hours.
Vending Machines: There are a number of vending machines located in Mather. These machines are owned and operated by a private company. Should any of the machines malfunction or appear to be vandalized, please call April Brown at extension 2049. Refunds may be obtained by completing a refund slip at the Mather Front Desk. Problems with all other vending machines should be reported to the secretary of the building in which they are located.
Vendors: Mather sponsors a limited number of vendors who set up their wares in the basement lobby. These vendors are screened by the Mather staff for quality of merchandise and general appeal to the student body.
The Underground: The Coffeehouse is also located on the lower level of the campus center. It is open Sunday-Saturday nights and offers live entertainment on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

The Registrar's Office

Located in Seabury 1-9, the Registrar's Office provides a variety of services to the faculty, students, and administrative departments of Trinity College. Each semester, the Office prepares and distributes the schedule of classes, class lists, midterm evaluations, final grade rosters, grade roster confirmations, exam schedules, classroom preference forms, advisee schedules and advisee grades to the faculty. To students, the Registrar's Office provides information and enrollment forms for participation in the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education and the certification of Veterans; registration and add/drop materials; enrollment confirmation and midterm evaluations; and provides to alumni/ae and current students copies, either official or unofficial, of their Trinity College transcript.

A main task of the Office is to oversee the enrollment of students during Trinity's registration periods: 1) Advance Registration, which occurs in April for the Fall semester and in November for the Spring semester; 2) The Add/Drop period is the first week of classes each semester. The last day of the Add/Drop period marks the last day to make an adjustment to one's schedule. To accompany the Registration and Add/Drop periods each semester, the Registrar's Office publishes the College's comprehensive course publications, known as the Schedule of Classes in April and November, and as the Course Listing in August and January.

As the custodian of the students' records, the Registrar's Office is also responsible for posting transfer and Advanced Placement credit, grades and grade changes, departmental distinctions, and notations of academic status to the students' transcript in accordance with faculty guidelines. Although advisee schedules and grades are sent to faculty advisers at scheduled intervals each term, the adviser of record may receive a copy of an advisee's transcript from the Registrar's Office at any time. In compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, and at the written request of the student, the Registrar's Office provides official copies of the transcript to all students, matriculated, non-matriculated, or visiting, who have enrolled in the College. All requests for transcripts should be directed to the Registrar's Office.