Updates following the Board of Trustees Meeting—February 2025
February 18, 2024
Dear Members of the Trinity College Community,
As we enjoy the blanket of snow from recent winter storms, I am excited to see what will transpire during the rest of the spring semester and how our students will create joy on our campus. As I always do, I am writing to update the community regarding the meeting of the Board of Trustees, which was held on Thursday, February 13.
As this was my last winter trustee meeting, I titled the presidential update “This Summit Is in Sight,” alluding to the strategic plan and how much we have accomplished together to reach “this” summit while recognizing that more and higher summits will be in Trinity’s future. To start the meeting, I shared proud moments for Trinity since last October, including the recent award of a three-year, $500,000 Mellon Foundation Grant to the Urban Environmental Justice in Hartford collaboration; the highly successful Tuck Business Bridge Program, which 37 students successfully completed over J-Term; and the Wellness and Recreation Center expansion to Ferris that we will complete in the coming months.
Most recently, I was pleased to report that Trinity will be listed in April in the Carnegie Foundation and American Council of Education’s “Research Colleges and Universities” category, which recognizes 218 institutions that have a high volume of research activities. Being recognized in this category underscores Trinity’s commitment to research and scholarly activities, along with commitments to excellence in teaching. Congratulations to our community, particularly our faculty, for this prestigious recognition and for being one of 30 small private liberal arts colleges with very strong research activity!
Given changes driven by the federal administration and the various executive orders issued (some rescinded) in the past month, we recognize that higher education may be in for a tumultuous time. We will continue to gather information, to analyze, and to respond to changes as government policies shift. To provide some perspective, I invited Lawrence Bacow, former president of Harvard and Tufts Universities and a personal mentor of mine, to talk with the board about the state of higher education. We had a thought-provoking discussion about how higher ed remains a catalyst for social mobility but is faced with the complexities that contribute to rising tuition and costs. He talked about the importance of allowing a needed transition period for Trinity’s next president to acquire knowledge about the community and to understand the culture of the College—to listen and to learn before embarking on a strategic plan. He reminded us that Trinity remains a highly competitive college and that the value of a liberal arts education is undeniable and remains relevant to future workplaces that our students will enter.
Board Actions
The board voted to approve updated governing documents that included revised standing rules and committee structures. Trustees also voted to award emeritus status to seven retiring faculty members, tenure and promotion to Adam Hill ’08 (chemistry), and three promotions to full professor: Ciaran Berry (English), Isaac Kamola (political science), and Per Sebastian Skardal (mathematics). Congratulations to all! In a notable moment of shared governance, the trustees voted to approve a joint statement on academic freedom that had been approved by the faculty earlier in the month.
Additional Campus Updates
| • | We welcomed new Associate Vice President for Student Life Maria del Carmen Flores, who recently joined Trinity from Queens University of Charlotte. Under her leadership, we will see a stronger Bantam Network and student life experience. Trinity also is fortunate to welcome new Assistant Director for Hillel Ella Ofek-Geva and Director of the Rome Campus Caitlin Hurley, who will start next month. All three will bring new energy to their respective programs. | |
| • | We addressed in-progress technology updates. You may have noticed that on-campus connections now run 10 times faster thanks to a recent network upgrade. The TrinCore ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) project to modernize cloud-based system upgrades remains on target and on budget. | |
| • | We look forward to the successful completion of the All In comprehensive campaign this year. We have raised $414.6 million to date thanks to the remarkable leadership of Interim Vice President for Advancement Carrie Pelzel ’74 and her team. | |
| • | The Enrollment Committee provided updates on the current admissions outlook. More than 700 students applied Early Decision (ED1) and Early Decision 2 (ED2), so far yielding 190 newly enrolled ED1 students with another 60 ED2 offers of admissions launched last week. We will know better how the Trinity Class of 2029 shapes up when accepted students claim their spots during Regular Decision later this spring. | |
| • | The Student Life Committee provided an update on discussions regarding policy changes afoot to address the time, place, and manner of protests. As soon as the working group concludes its recommendation and shares it with the community, we anticipate having this revision in the Student Handbook this spring. | |
| • | I was proud to report that Trinity continues to earn an A2 stable credit rating designation from Moody’s, which specifically noted Trinity’s very good strategic positioning, substantial wealth, and effective leadership, though the Northeast admissions market is weakening. Despite our strong balance sheet, the Finance Committee is concerned about our long-term revenue growth and constrained operating budgets. |
Shortly after the meeting, we learned that Dan Hitchell, vice president of finance and chief financial officer, has decided to leave Trinity and to assume the role of executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, with April 13 being his last day working for Trinity. Last week, Guy Drapeau, assistant vice president of finance, was announced as the next vice president and chief financial and administrative officer at University of Hartford, effective June 1. Certainly, Dan’s and Guy’s departures will leave big shoes to fill, and we wish them Acontinued success. Plans to find interim leadership for the division and for their eventual successors are underway.
In closing, while this is a time of transition, it remains my personal goal to leave the College in a strong position for my successor, Dan Lugo. As Larry Bacow noted, Trinity is a college of distinction and prestige. Indeed, we have a great deal of which to be proud.
Onward,
Joanne Berger-Sweeney
President and Trinity College Professor of Neuroscience
