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Resources for Your Student

Academic and Social Leadership

Academic and Social Leadership

Trinity’s administrative structure includes a number of leaders who are responsible for administering both the academic and social aspects of the college. Those leaders are located in various campus offices.

The Bantam Network

The Bantam Network guides students through their Trinity experience by helping them build their network of care on campus. Designed by students for students, it is at the heart of our student’s Trinity experience. All new Trinity students are assigned to a nest, through which they are connected to a unique network of faculty, staff, students, and experiences. Through the network, students have an opportunity to engage in initiatives that build community and traditions that last a lifetime. The Bantam Network honors the holistic nature of our students by engaging them in programs and events that foster students’ academic achievement and person development.

Center for Academic and Experiential Advising

The Center for Academic and Experiential Advising supplements faculty advisers. The center has five faculty fellows—each associated with specific Bantam Network nests— who are available to provide drop-in academic advice to students who have general questions about courses and requirements. Each faculty fellow has scheduled office hours in the center and is available by appointment at other times as well. The fellows offer counsel to students who have yet to designate their majors, utilizing both individual meetings and larger information sessions timed to occur before advance registration each semester.

Faculty Advisers

Every Trinity student has a faculty adviser. First-year seminar instructors serve as advisers to their students for the first two years, or until their students declare a major. Once a student has declared a major, no later than the spring of the sophomore year, a faculty member from the major department then becomes the student’s adviser. Advisers help students select courses, offer guidance on choosing a major, and refer students to other campus resources, such as the Writing Center, the Aetna Quantitative Center, and the Raether Library and Information Technology Center. Students will know their advisers, and every student is encouraged to meet with that person on a regular basis to review academic progress and plan for the upcoming semester.

Faculty Members

Students are encouraged to maintain contact with their professors outside of the classroom. Every faculty member has regular office hours during which students are welcome to stop by with questions or concerns about their course work. Faculty members appreciate hearing from students and are ready to offer advice and assistance as needed.

First-Year Seminars

First-year seminars at Trinity are small, discussion-rich classes where students and their professor engage one another and wrestle intellectually with a topic. Students practice critical reading and analysis, use writing as a mode of learning, and develop essential skills in research and documentation. Seminar instructors serve as academic advisers to seminar participants until they declare a major. Each seminar is supported by a variety of academic resources, including a dedicated upper-year academic mentor and first-year librarian. The intimacy of the first-year seminar prepares students to become active participants in their own learning and fosters the capacity to communicate effectively and collaboratively.

Student Accessibility Resources

Trinity College provides reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. To receive accommodations, students must submit an online application along with detailed documentation from a qualified provider. Visit the Student Accessibility Resources site for more information and a link to the application form. Any questions may be directed to [email protected].

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook contains comprehensive information about the nonacademic aspects of life at the college and certain academic information. Students should be thoroughly familiar with the handbook’s contents, as they are responsible, in accordance with the Student Integrity Contract, for knowing the policies and regulations it covers.

Career and Life Design Center

The Career and Life Design Center provides students and alumni with the opportunity to develop an individualized portfolio of experiences and competencies required to create purposeful lives and meaningful careers. Our friendly staff works with students from the beginning of their Trinity experience through graduation and beyond. The center supports students with a dynamic range of resources to achieve academic, professional, and personal success. Students utilize the center’s numerous services, including individual career coaching, internships, treks, recruiting events, and extensive alumni mentoring and networking.

Study Away

The Trinity College Office of Study Away contributes to the college’s mission of providing students with a well-rounded liberal arts education that extends beyond the classroom. Trinity offers a wide variety of study-away programs and best-in-class study-away advising, staffed by highly experienced advisers who are committed to helping students choose the destination and program that they will get the most out of academically, personally, and professionally. All students are assigned a study-away adviser who helps them through every step of the process, including while they are away and when they return, so they always know where to turn to find answers to their questions. Approximately 50 percent of Trinity students choose to study on one of Trinity’s signature study-away programs, which have been designed intentionally to integrate with their Trinity educational experience in Hartford. Trinity signature programs are located in Cape Town, Rome, Shanghai, Vienna, and New York City. They provide students with outstanding academic experiences that engage with the host cities as well as with co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities, including internships, community engagement projects, volunteer programs, and structured social activities. In addition, students may choose from more than 75 approved external programs that have been selected because they have academic and extracurricular strengths that complement a Trinity education. Students also may choose from a suite of J-Term and summer study-away options.

Title IX Coordinator

The college’s Title IX coordinator is Shannon Lynch. She may be reached at [email protected] or 860-297-2688. The Title IX coordinator is responsible for ensuring that Trinity establishes and follows a prompt, thorough, and equitable process for addressing allegations of sexual misconduct and discrimination or differential treatment based on sex. The Title IX coordinator is responsible for providing leadership and centralized support for compliance with all requirements under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX), the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and other federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to sex discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence. The Title IX coordinator serves as the college resource on Title IX requirements and compliance and provides consultation as needed. The Title IX coordinator also is responsible for creating and implementing complaint and investigation procedures, as well as training programs related to Title IX compliance. See the Complaint Investigation and Adjudication Process section of the Policy on Sexual Harassment for the Title IX coordinator’s specific duties related to complaints of sexual misconduct.

Trinity College Bulletin

The Bulletin is an important guide to all academic matters at the college. It lists all courses and faculty members and has an extensive section on academic regulations, covering everything from degree requirements to special programs. The Bulletin is the essential reference that guides students toward successful completion of these degree requirements. Students must know how to access the Bulletin and how to use it to meet the requirements for their course of study.

Student Involvement

Campus life at Trinity College is vibrant and appealing no matter your student’s interest area. Bantam Link, our student organization portal, will be your student’s main connection for getting involved. This portal is linked to a free app, CORQ (available on Android and Apple devices), that provides an up-to-date listing of all student events occurring on and off campus. While your student will have to log in to Bantam Link with Trinity credentials to join student organizations and to get the full list of scheduled events, you may see our complete student organization list here. New organizations come to life every year, so your student can visit the Office of Student Activities, Involvement & Leadership (S.A.I.L.) to talk to a staff member about starting one if existing groups are not of interest. Student leaders also are a great resource for your student. All are specially trained to assist with academic and social matters. These leaders include first-year mentors, QUEST leaders, teaching assistants, resident assistants, and P.R.I.D.E. leaders. Often students are most comfortable approaching their peers with questions before they seek staff assistance. Your student is likely to find these peer leaders to be an invaluable source of initial advice and information. We hope that you will encourage your student to utilize these resources, if needed.

Spiritual and Religious Life

Spiritual and religious life at Trinity supports spiritual formation and cultivates community life on campus, student well-being, social justice, and music and the arts. We embrace pluralism while promoting the common good. We help students to express faith and to engage in practice. We encourage members of the Trinity community to explore and appreciate a range of religious and nonreligious traditions and worldviews. Our multifaith team of professional staff and campus affiliates offers resources and care to all.

Health, Wellness, and Safety

Health Center

The Health Center, located in Trinity Hall, is available to all students enrolled in at least two classes. The center is an outpatient clinic staffed through a partnership with Hartford HealthCare, a local health care leader. The center functions as a primary-care office for students, referring urgent care to local providers and specialists. The Health Center charges a $20 fee to use the center each time a new complaint is presented for evaluation. Insurance is needed to cover charges for laboratory services and pharmaceuticals. It is important that ALL students carry insurance cards and prescription cards with them at all times.

Health Insurance Requirement

Trinity College requires that all enrolled students have active health insurance coverage regardless of site of study. We recommend benefits and coverage similar to the plan offered by the college to assist with access to local services. To ensure universal coverage, Trinity offers an annual undergraduate Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) that is billed to the student’s tuition account. Information about the college’s plan can be found on the Student Accounts website. Students/Parents may elect to maintain their coverage from home instead of keeping the college’s plan by completing a waiver that opts out of the coverage, informs us of active coverage from home, and reverses the charge off of the student’s account. Be advised that if your coverage originates outside of Connecticut, i.e. HMO plans or state Medicaid plans, we highly recommend purchasing the SHIP, as your coverage may not allow access to local providers in Hartford without additional fees. All families need to take action by the annual deadline posted on the Student Accounts Office website. Choose to enroll in the SHIP or to decline the SHIP by completing the waiver through the link found on the student account bill.

Immunization Requirement

Trinity College students must comply with State of Connecticut laws regarding immunizations required for enrollment at an institution of higher education in our state. Currently, these requirements include documentation of the following vaccines PRIOR to arrival on campus:

  • Two doses of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (one dose after 12 months of age and one dose at least 30 days after first dose)
  • Two doses of varicella vaccine (one dose after 12 months of age and one dose at least 30 days after the first dose)
  • One dose of Neisseria meningitidis vaccine [A,C,Y, W-135] after 16 years of age and within five years of enrollment date.
  • A completed series of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Please contact the Health Center at 860-297-2018 with any questions.

Counseling and Wellness Center

The Trinity Counseling and Wellness Center provides a full range of counseling and psychological services to all students who desire assistance in coping with personal and emotional difficulties and social relationships. All counseling services offered by the center are free, and all contact with members of the staff is privileged and confidential as provided by law. In addition to counseling and psychotherapy, the center provides medication consultation and evaluation (for students in counseling or psychotherapy in the center) for which student insurance is billed, as well as referral to off-campus providers if requested. The center sees approximately 40 percent of the students in any given year and more than three-quarters of them at some point during their four years at Trinity. The center provides help with problems such as anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug issues, eating disorders and concerns, stress management, social adjustment issues, homesickness, identity issues, relationship problems, and many other matters.

Campus Safety

The mission of the Campus Safety Department, located at 76 Vernon Street, is to promote and provide a safe, secure environment where members of the Trinity community can live, study, and work. The department strives to provide effective safety services, prevent crime, and foster an atmosphere in which members of the college community practice personal safety. The department serves the Trinity community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Please feel free to contact Campus Safety at 860-297-2222.

Living and Dining

Bantam Bucks

Bantam Bucks are the funds deposited to a student’s Trinity ID card, which works as a debiting system that may be used for purchases at many on- and off-campus venues. Some of these venues include the Underground Coffeehouse, Cinestudio, Peter B’s, the College Bookstore, and any of the campus dining facilities. Bantam Bucks also may be utilized for laundry/vending machines and public printers.

Birthday Cakes

Parents can have a birthday cake made and a card delivered to the student’s mailbox by calling the college’s dining service, Chartwells, one week in advance at 860-297-4086.

Campus Dining Services

All students living in college housing (except for members of Trinity-authorized eating clubs) must purchase a meal plan. Visit the dining services website to learn about the dining plans, the many on-campus dining venues, and other dining-related topics.

Sending Flowers and Gifts

If you want to send flowers to a student, they should be delivered to Mather Hall Front Desk. The delivery should include the recipient’s cell phone number and email address for notification.

Billing and Notifications

E-Billing and Student Accounts Office

Trinity College offers online e-billing and payment options and does not print and mail paper billing statements. All billing is handled electronically, and email notices are sent to the student’s Trinity College email address and any authorized payer email address each month. A student must create authorized payer access on Nelnet Campus Commerce system for any parent(s) or person(s) assisting with payment on the student account. The student and any authorized payer may access the account online and make payments by e-check or credit card (transaction fee applied to credit card payments). Payments also may be made by check and mailed directly to the Student Accounts Office at 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106. All billing information is private and secure. Both students and payers should check email from [email protected] regularly. Failure to view and pay bills by the established due date each term may result in late fees and financial holds on registration. All users of the Trinity system are expected to safeguard their personal login credentials and should not share their username or password information with anyone. The Student Accounts Office processes payments, handles all billing inquiries, and assists with private student loans and Parent PLUS loan questions.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Learning responsibility for one’s actions is an important part of a college education. With this in mind, Trinity affords students the rights and responsibilities of adults and works directly with them in matters pertaining to bills, grades, course credits, and academic and disciplinary status. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, also referred to as the Buckley Amendment) prohibits the disclosure of a student’s education records to anyone other than the student and “school officials with legitimate educational interest.” The college encourages students to keep their parents informed of their academic and disciplinary standing and expects that students will inform their parents when there is a problem. However, Trinity believes that there are some situations about which parents should be informed, and amendments to FERPA permit us to do so. They are as follows:

  • Academic records—Parents of students who are financially dependent may have access to information concerning their child’s academic records according to U.S. Internal Revenue Service rules. Trinity sends information to all students, requesting them to indicate their financial status. This same form has a separate section that students, regardless of age, may choose to sign, authorizing the college to release any conduct information, in addition to what is described in the following, to parents.
  • Health and safety—Parents may be notified when the college learns that a student has been admitted to the hospital or is suffering from a life-threatening illness, or there is reason to believe that a student’s health and well-being are in jeopardy. Parents also may be notified if the college learns that a student has been arrested and is unable to arrange for his or her quick release.
  • Drugs and alcohol—With the exception of extraordinary circumstances, the college adheres to the following guidelines: Parents may be notified if the college hears from law enforcement officials that a Trinity student under the age of 21 has been arrested during the academic session for an alcohol- or drug-related violation. Parents of students under the age of 21 may be notified if their child incurs a serious sanction for a first-time offense (such as removal from housing, censure, suspension, or expulsion) or incurs any sanction for a second or subsequent violation of the college’s drug and alcohol policy. Lastly, parents may be notified if their student repeatedly puts himself or herself at risk due to alcohol or substance abuse. Although in practice we may notify a student when a parent or guardian has been contacted, we are not required to do so by law. In addition, under some circumstances, we are permitted by law to release the student’s records to a court without the student’s or parent’s consent. For a discussion on Trinity policies relating to alcohol and other drugs, please see the Student Handbook.