Students
Faculty
Curriculum
Financial Information
Physical Plant
Campus Life
Alumni
THE TRINITY VISION
Trinity University is a residential, primarily undergraduate, learning community
committed to the highest standards of academic excellence. Through its academic and
co-curricular programs the University seeks to develop leaders with high moral and
ethical standards. Trinity University is challenged by the opportunity to be a national
leader among liberal arts colleges and universities.
More than anything else, Trinity University is about achievement. For over 125 years
this private, coeducational, liberal arts and sciences institution has charted its
course with a steadfast commitment to excellence. That commitment is manifest in
every facet of campus life. Faculty members are noted for superior teaching skills
and distinguished scholarship. Their interest in students extends beyond the classroom
as well. Students frequently cite the close contact and congenial relationship with
faculty as one of the most meaningful and significant qualities of a Trinity education.
The academic program is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences tradition and further
enhanced with selected professional and preprofessional programs. Paramount among
the skills it teaches is the ability to think creatively and critically and to express
such thinking effectively both orally and in writing. The curriculum is flexible,
intended to provide connections among the disciplines. Trinity's academic program
is challenging, exciting, and most importantly, it prepares students for a lifetime
of achievement.
STUDENTS
Nationally recognized as a selective admissions institution, Trinity students come
from every region of the country and many foreign countries. They are exceptionally
bright, highly motivated, and eager to involve themselves in the abundant mix of
cultural, social, and extracurricular activities available on the Trinity campus.
The University annually enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduate students and 250
graduate students.
The average SAT score for a first year or entering student is 1275; average high
school grade point is 3.80, with a median class rank in 91st percentile.
In 1997-98, total undergraduate enrollment was 2,298 with students coming from 46
states and 18 foreign countries. Sixty-nine percent call Texas home. Fifty-two percent
of the undergraduates were female and more than 21.5 percent were minorities.
Recent Trinity students have won Rhodes, Mellon, Goldwater, Truman, NSF, Minority
Leaders Fellowships, Fulbright, and other scholarships and fellowships for graduate
study.
In addition to being academically talented Trinity students bring other exceptional
talents, interests, and abilities as well as a desire to contribute to the campus
community. They are eager to assume leadership roles in the more than 100 student
organizations and also are known for their sense of social responsibility, evidenced
by the large percentage who share their time and talents through the Trinity University
Voluntary Action Center (TUVAC) and other service-oriented organizations.
Although primarily undergraduate, Trinity offers masters degrees in professional
programs of accounting, education and health care administration. Last year, 262
students were enrolled in these programs; sixty-one percent were female and eighty-six
percent listed Texas as their home address. Two of the masters' programs, the Master
of Arts in Teaching and the Master of Science in Accounting, are five year programs
which generally matriculate Trinity undergraduates.
FACULTY
Trinity University is a community of scholars and educators who share a passion for
the pursuit of knowledge and the expansion of its frontiers. Our 220 faculty members,
drawn from the finest graduate schools, are dedicated teachers, active scholars,
and accessible to students outside the classroom.
Trinity professors, 96% of whom hold the doctoral or equivalent degree, share a dual
commitment to teaching and research. They are drawn to Trinity by the exceptional
caliber of students, the numerous opportunities and spacious facilities for research,
and the strong campus community. Eighteen endowed Distinguished Professorships are
held by internationally known scholars who further enrich the academic environment.
A student/faculty ratio of 11:1 and small classes allow professors to get to know
their students well and they give generously of their time outside of class as advisors
and mentors. Most students report that these close personal relationships with caring,
responsive faculty are among the most treasured aspects of their Trinity experience.
The University is divided into three academic divisions, each headed by a dean who
reports to the vice president of Academic Affairs. The Division of Behavioral and
Administrative Studies consists of the departments of Business Administration, Economics,
Education, Health Care Administration, Physical Education and Athletics, Political
Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, the Urban Studies program (major),
the American Intercultural Studies program (minor), the Cognitive Science program,
and the Prelaw Committee. The Division of Humanities and Arts consists of the departments
of Art, Art History, Classical Studies, Communication, English, History, Modern Languages
and Literatures, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Speech and Drama, and interdisciplinary
programs in International Studies (major), Comparative Literature (minor), Communication
Management (minor), Linguistics (minor), Medieval Studies (minor), and Women's Studies
(minor). The Division of Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering consists of Biology,
Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, and Physics,
the interdisciplinary program in Environmental Studies (minor), the Health Professions
Advisory Committee, and the Animal Care Facility.
A strong advising program matches a faculty advisor with every student. Together
they develop an academic plan, choose courses, and select a major. One feature of
Trinity's curriculum is an opportunity for students to participate in research projects
with faculty mentors, and it is not uncommon for students to present their findings
at professional conferences or to have them published in professional journals.
Approximately 85 percent of the faculty at Trinity University are tenured. The faculty
oversees and assesses the common curriculum as well as the academic departments and
disciplines.
CURRICULUM
The Trinity curriculum establishes for undergraduates a foundation for understanding
the varied domains of human knowledge and experience. The curriculum also develops
the skills necessary for active participation in the academic life of the University
and of the larger community. Paramount are the abilities to think in disciplined,
critical, creative ways, and to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Seeking to be faithful to its academic ideals and Judeo-Christian heritage, Trinity
dedicates itself to the open pursuit of truth and knowledge. A Trinity education
nurtures the development of intellectual insight, moral direction, and tolerance
for diverse opinions through the involvement of faculty, staff, and students. Academic
programs in the liberal arts and sciences and preprofessional and professional fields
are consciously intertwined to provide mutually reinforcing intellectual experiences
for students and faculty.
The Common Curriculum is the heart of Trinity's rigorous academic program. The Common
Curriculum establishes a basis for understanding the various domains of knowledge
and experience which include the First Year Seminar, the Writing Workshop, and a
selection of courses designed to fulfill six fundamental understandings: Intellectual
Heritage of Western Culture, World Culture, The Role of Values, The World Through
Science, The Human Social Context, and Aesthetic Experience and Artistic Creativity.
Additional requirements include demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language, mathematics,
and computer skills plus participation in a lifetime sport or fitness activity.
The First Year Seminar serves to induct students into an intellectual discussion
of substantive issues, and to enhance their speaking, writing and bibliographic skills.
The Writing Workshop addresses the refinement and enhancement of skills in critical
reading, analysis, judgment, and written composition, making students proficient
in the use of these essential tools early in their academic careers.
Trinity offers undergraduate programs with majors in 26 departments and programs.
Nine interdisciplinary minors are also offered. In addition to strength in the liberal
arts and sciences, these majors include excellent professional programs in communication,
education, business administration, and engineering science. Degrees offered include
the bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees. Two five-year
programs lead to a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree in education or
accounting.
An Honors Program allows students to demonstrate their capacity for analysis, synthesis,
and creativity through completion of a senior honors thesis. Academic distinction
is recognized through Trinity's Phi Beta Kappa chapter and more than 20 academic
honor societies.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Trinity University has benefited from strong fiscal management and dramatic growth
of its endowment over the last twenty years. Currently valued at approximately $525
million, Trinity's endowment ranks 68th among all reporting institutions in the NACUBO
endowment study, and 38th in endowment per FTE student. The University's endowment
produces substantial revenues in support of the budget and creates stability for
the institution's future.
During the past ten years, the University's budget has grown at a controlled rate
of approximately five percent a year, while the endowment has nearly doubled. Tuition
has grown at a rate of approximately four percent a year, a rate that tends to be
at or below most of Trinity's peer institutions.
The growth in Trinity's expenditure budget by program and the growth in endowment
funds provide evidence of sufficiency of financial resources. Budget figures show
increased funding each year for instruction and academic support. Instruction and
academic support per FTE student has also increased in recent years. More comprehensive
budgetary measures also show growth from 1985-86 to 1998-99: educational and general
budget, from $31.0 million to $60 million; total operating budget, from $36.8 million
to $71 million.
The University is committed to assisting students whose families need financial help
in attending Trinity. University funds allocated for financial aid have risen from
less than $1 million in 1985-1986 to $11 million in 1998-99. This item is the fastest
growing expenditure in the Trinity budget. In addition to offering need-base aid,
Trinity awards merit scholarships to students of exceptional ability and achievement.
PHYSICAL PLANT
The physical development of the Trinity campus over the last fifty years is a fascinating
story of vision and good planning. On the site of an abandoned quarry on the near
north side of San Antonio, Trinity planned and then developed one of America's most
attractive college campuses. Today the Trinity campus encompasses 117 acres and boasts
handsome, red brick buildings, accented by native live oaks, well-kept grounds, and
sparkling fountains. Set up on a hill, the campus offers a commanding view of historic
downtown San Antonio.
Our physical resources, such as the superb Coates Library, the magnificent Bell Athletic
Center, and sophisticated laboratories and classrooms, engage our students in learning
experiences not normally available to undergraduates at other liberal arts colleges
or large research institutions.
Trinity University provides exceptional facilities for learning. Each residence hall
room offers individual connection to the campus network and Internet. Electronic
classrooms further enhance the learning environment and permit access to multimedia
resources.
The Coates Library, among the leading undergraduate libraries in the country, contains
more than 800,000 volumes, vast resources in micro format, and has an acquisitions
budget of more than $1 million annually. Students access these resources easily through
TROILUS, the on-line catalog with terminals in the library and with network access.
Last year a $3.7 million expansion of the Coates Library created a new first floor
with a revamped Instructional Media Services (IMS) facility housing $400,000 in the
latest technological equipment. The focal point of IMS is the Multimedia Development
Center with state-of-the-art computer workstations, scanners, color printers, audio
and video digitizers, film recorders, and synthesizers offering students and faculty
the flexibility to develop multimedia presentations, reports, and projects. Users
can connect to the Internet, download video clips, images, sounds, and documents
from all over the world, modify these resources and incorporate them into their research
and instructional materials. The remainder of the new floor includes a 24 workstation
computer lab, a video conference/integrated learning center (equipped with satellite
down-link and two-way video conference facilities) and some of the library's holdings.
Modern, spacious science laboratories are equipped with sophisticated instrumentation
and provide hands-on experience generally found only at the graduate level. The Richardson
Communication Center offers two television studios with control rooms, remote and
cable news feed and production services, electronic editing suites, and a live news
room with regional news services. KRTU, the campus radio station, broadcasts daily
to classical music and jazz aficionados throughout the city.
The three-building Ruth Taylor complex houses studios, practice rooms, and performance
facilities for the fine arts. These include painting and sculpture studios, three
theaters, and an auditorium for music.
The University learned during the last two decades that the task of building a college
campus is never complete. The decision to become a primarily residential campus and
the aggressive plans for improvements of the library, academic and athletic programs
had a significant impact on the physical facilities of the institution. The University
has spent more than $40 million in the past ten years on capital renovations, new
construction, acquisition of property for additions to the campus, and improvement
of recreational facilities.
CAMPUS LIFE
Trinity University is a residential community where all first year students, sophomores,
juniors and many seniors live on campus. Time management is a skill that Trinity
students learn quickly as they strive to balance the rich mix of extracurricular
activities with heavy academic demands. Instrumental and choral ensembles, debate,
and drama productions are among the many options open to all students regardless
of major.
Several endowed lecture series present noted figures like John Major, Simon Peres,
Gen. Colin Powell, William Styron, and Margaret Thatcher. Phi Beta Kappa and other
honor societies are among more than 100 clubs and organizations that include local
fraternities and sororities, service organizations, and a wide variety of special
interest groups. Many Trinity students share their time through the Trinity University
Voluntary Action Center. An interdenominational chapel program and student religious
groups provide opportunities for spiritual growth. Numerous plays, concerts, films,
special events, and exhibits enhance the campus cultural environment. Thanks to the
mild South Texas climate, outdoor activity is possible all year long.
In addition to popular intramural sports and outdoor recreation programs, Trinity
fields 18 intercollegiate teams--nine each for men and women. Tiger teams compete
in NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Trinity has
captured five consecutive SCAC President's Trophies, awarded annually to the school
with the best overall conference record.
ALUMNI
Of the 1998 graduating class, 42 percent directly entered graduate school, attending
78 institutions in 26 states, Washington D.C. and three foreign countries. Ultimately,
more than 50 percent will enter graduate or professional schools within five years.
Trinity University has approximately 26,000 alumni of which the University regularly
communicates with approximately 21,000. The Trinity University Alumni Association
is governed by a board consisting of thirty-six members elected at large, a representative
from two of Trinity's graduate programs, and the presidents of ten alumni chapters.
Trinity has active alumni chapters in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas,
Denver, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. In addition to the chapter
infrastructure, there is a nationwide network of alumni residing in more than twenty
cities who assist with student recruitment, career advising, and the development
of alumni events and activities in their areas. Approximately sixty class agents
correspond with their classmates once a year to encourage interest and involvement
with the University. Alumni Weekend is a popular annual event that attracts more
than 600 Trinity alumni back to campus each fall. |
|