1. Can an elite liberal arts college, steeped in tradition, fundamentally
recast its approach to liberal education in a way that reflects an increasingly
urbanized, interdependent, and changing world?
Anticipated outcomes:
- Development of an institutional infrastructure and supportive culture that
actively encourage learning through engagement with the larger community.
- Increased effectiveness in helping students appreciate and develop the
values of civic responsibility.
- Increased faculty involvement in community affairs and sponsorship of
collaborative projects.
- Increase in students’ general academic engagement, understanding,
knowledge, and skill acquisition through exposure to Community Learning
Initiative courses, Cities Data Center projects, and other experimental
initiatives.
2. Can a prestigious liberal arts college help the surrounding, troubled
urban neighborhood transform itself?
Anticipated outcomes:
- Creation of neighborhood linkages with faculty, students, and staff that
will foster greater community self-reliance, resource access, knowledge, and
skill acquisition.
- Increased neighborhood use of information, technology, and technical
expertise to address community concerns.
- Acquisition of knowledge, skills and habits that will help foster
neighborhood health and responsibility.
- Development of an effective community voice and leadership role in the new
educational and social service entities.
- Ensuring successful management of the Learning Corridor and its
sustainability in the future.
- Obtaining additional external financial and institutional resources for
the Learning Corridor and neighborhood initiatives.
3. Can the College build and sustain a common ground of understanding and
communication between itself and the surrounding neighborhood?
Anticipated outcomes:
- Establishment of a culture of understanding and responsibility among
faculty, students, and staff that is reflected in the academic core of the
College and within its residential life.
- Involvement of a range of city partners (educators, scientists, children's
experts, artists, health professionals, social workers, policymakers, and
community leaders) in new and proposed academic initiatives.
Creation of meaningful vehicles and activities (committees, conferences,
special events) on campus that will attract city participants and lead to
collaborative projects in the future.
- Effective communication among all elements of the Trinity community and
the neighborhood regarding the planning and operation of the Learning Corridor
and neighborhood initiatives.
4. What role can technology play in building an extended learning
community?
Anticipated outcomes:
- Development of communication linkages among the College, neighborhood
institutions, residents, and businesses.
- Increased neighborhood use of information, technology, and technical
expertise to address community concerns.
- Increased interactions between the neighborhood and the College through
electronic communication.
- Development of new job skills for residents through access to computing
facilities, computer-based training, and technology support.
- Increase entrepreneurial opportunities by creating a demand for
technology-related and technology-dependent businesses.