Update on Saturday’s Balcony Collapse
September 13, 2016
Dear Members of the Trinity Community,
The past several days have been a blur for many of us here at Trinity College as we work through the aftermath of Saturday night’s balcony collapse accident. While almost all of the students transported to the hospital have been discharged, I know this is a critical time for all. Physically and emotionally we are still raw.
Right now our highest priority is to continue to care for and support all students who were involved in the incident, as well as the students’ families. Administrators and support staff are working continuously with students and families on follow-up medical care, support for academics, housing, transportation, and counseling resources.
As the owner of the property, the College is investigating the cause of the accident. Trinity has engaged structural engineers and inspectors to assist with this investigation and evaluate the safety of all properties in which our community members are living. I have spoken with Joe DiChristina, our Dean of Campus Life and Vice President for Student Affairs, as well as Chris Card, our Dean of Students, and they are very clear that the students who live in the house and hosted the social gathering on Saturday night were diligent with following procedures to register and host their event.
The amount of support and care from the Trinity community over the past several days has been extraordinary, and I ask that everyone continue to consider the impact this incident has on a large number of our students, friends, and community members. I ask that everyone please be respectful of the time of our staff, as they have a great deal of work ahead. We will post daily updates to our website, where we will share new information. This is also where you can see whom to contact for additional support.
Please take care of yourselves and those around you.
Sincerely,
Joanne Berger-Sweeney
President and Trinity College
Professor of Neuroscience
