Trinity Washington University

Last updated
Trinity Washington University
Logo-Trinity-Washington-University.jpg
Former names
Trinity College (1897–2004)
Type Private university
Established1897
Accreditation MSCHE
Affiliation Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Religious affiliation
 Catholic Church
Academic affiliations
President Patricia McGuire
Students1,800
Location
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Colors Purple & Gold
  
Nickname Tigers
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division III
MascotTiger
Website www.trinitydc.edu

Trinity Washington University is a private Catholic university in Washington, D.C. [1] The university was founded as Trinity College by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1897 as the nation's first Catholic liberal arts college for women. Trinity was chartered by an Act of Congress on August 20, 1897. It became Trinity Washington University in 2004.

Contents

Trinity is a comprehensive university with five schools; the undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences maintains its original mission as a liberal arts women's college, while men attend Trinity's other schools at both the graduate and undergraduate level. [2] It enrolls more than 1,800 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing and Health Professions, School of Education, School of Business and Graduate Studies, and School of Professional Studies. Trinity enrolls more District of Columbia residents than any other private university in the city and in the nation. More than half of Trinity’s students are residents of D.C.

An elite collegian institution in its early life, the college faced declining enrollment by the 1980s. It chose to begin recruiting local underprivileged students, and became predominantly black and Hispanic. [3] Trinity’s student body in 2020 includes about 95% ethnic minorities, including about 65% Black/African American and 30% Latina/Hispanic. Trinity is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Minority Serving Institution and is the only university in the D.C. region, as well as one of only a few in the nation, designated as both a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Trinity has a 97% acceptance rate with 35% of students graduating, and 63% of graduates earning more than a high school graduate. [4]

History

After its founding in 1897 as the nation's first Catholic liberal arts college for women by the by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Trinity educated middle-class Catholic women, who were underrepresented in America's colleges, for more than 70 years. [3] (For more background on women's higher education, see Origins and types of Women's colleges in the United States.)

When many all-male colleges became co-ed, Trinity's full-time enrollment dropped from 1,000 in 1969 to 300 in 1989. The school's 12th president, Sister Donna Jurick, responded in the early 1980s by opening a weekend college for working women from the District of Columbia, a racially diverse population the school had previously not served. The first such program in Washington, it became very popular; within three years, it had more students than the undergraduate program. [5]

Under Patricia McGuire, a Trinity alumna, who became president of the college in 1989, Trinity became a multifaceted university that reached out to the Black and Hispanic women of Washington. McGuire split the college into three schools. The historic women's college became the College of Arts and Sciences; the higher-revenue teacher college became the School of Education; and the continuing education classes were folded into a School of Professional Studies. Trinity began recruiting at D.C. high schools. She expanded the professional schools, whose combined enrollment rose from 639 in 1989 to 974 in 1999. By the school's 1997 centennial, it had become the private college of choice for women from D.C. public schools. [5]

In 2004, the college gained university status and became Trinity Washington University. [6]

Academics

Five schools

Trinity has an annual enrollment of more than 1,800 students in the university's five schools, which offer undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Special academic programs

Trinity offers professional programs at a satellite classroom located at THEARC, a multipurpose community facility in Southeast Washington — the only private university to offer college degree programs in the District of Columbia's underserved neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

Rankings

Student body

Of Trinity's more than 1,800 students, 95% were persons of color, including about 65% Black/African American and 30% Latina/Hispanic as of 2020. Ninety-four percent of the students are women, reflecting the university’s historic and ongoing commitment to women’s education.  About 80% of full-time undergraduates are eligible for Pell Grants, with a median family income of just about $25,000. Slightly more than 100 Trinity students are undocumented immigrants. [9]

For 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Education, Trinity had a 97% acceptance rate with 35% of students graduating, 33% transferring, 30% withdrawing, and 2% still enrolled. Sixty-three percent of graduates earn more than a high school graduate. [4]

Trinity is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Minority Serving Institution and is the only university in the D.C. region, and one of only a few in the nation, designated as both a Predominantly Black Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution.

Trinity's 2020–21 tuition for a full-time undergraduate is $24,860 for a full year. All full-time undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences receive a scholarship between $10,000 and $15,000. About 80% of the undergraduate students receive Pell Grants and most D.C. students receive D.C. TAG (D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant). With additional grants and loans, the average student pays $1,000 to $2,000 out-of-pocket for tuition. [5]

Athletics

The Trinity Washington athletic teams are called the Tigers. The university is a member in the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing as an NCAA D-III Independent since the 2015–16 academic year (which they were in a previous stint from 2007–08 to 2011–12). The Tigers previously competed in these defunct conferences: the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) from 2012–13 to 2014–15; and the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference (AWCC) as a founding member from 1995–96 to 2006–07.

Trinity Washington competes in five intercollegiate varsity sports: basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Facilities

The Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports was completed in 2003. It features a basketball arena; walking track; swimming pool; spa; fitness center with weight machines, free weights and cardio equipment and dance studio; tennis courts; and an athletic field. It is free for Trinity students and offers memberships to local residents.

Campus buildings

Trinity Washington University TrinityUniv.jpg
Trinity Washington University
Main Hall, designed by Edwin Forrest Durang. Trinity Main and Chapel.jpg
Main Hall, designed by Edwin Forrest Durang.

The campus includes the following buildings:

Honor societies

Notable alumni

Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, class of 1962 Official photo of Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019.jpg
Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, class of 1962

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Patricia McGuire is the 14th president of Trinity Washington University in Washington D.C.; she was appointed president in 1989. She is credited with successfully transitioning the institution from one that primarily served elites and was on the verge of collapse to one that primarily caters to underprivileged students, mostly local black and Hispanic women.

References

  1. ↑ "Spotlight On: Trinity at 125 — Moving Forward in the 21st Century". snddenusa.org -Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur . Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  2. ↑ "All Programs at Trinity".
  3. 1 2 Schmalz, Julia (March 25, 2015). "How an Elite Women's College Lost Its Base and Found Its Mission". The Chronicle of Higher Education . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Trinity Washington University". collegescorecard.ed.gov. U.S. Department of Education . Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Daniel de Vise (February 14, 2010). "The Devoted: She spent her life transforming Trinity. So where does Pat McGuire – and the university she rebuilt – go from here?". The Washington Post .
  6. ↑ "Mission and History". discover.trinitydc.edu. Trinity Washington University. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Nursing and Health Professions Home - Nursing & Health Professions".
  8. ↑ "Trinity Washington University". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report, L.P. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Trinity DARE: Driving Actions for Racial Equity – Trinity DARE". Trinity Washington University. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  10. ↑ "How this women's college got its first new academic building in 50 years". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Nancy Pelosi '62". Trinity Washington University. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ Reader, Stephen (November 9, 2010). "Bloomberg's Choice for NYC Schools: Publisher Cathie Black | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC.
  13. ↑ Bellinger, Dawn. "Rosemary M. Collyer". Historical Society of the D.C. Circuit. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Q&A with Kellyanne Conway '89 – TRINITY Magazine 2006 – Trinity Washington University" . Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Eagan, Claire". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  16. ↑ Fox, Margalit (December 18, 2013). "Cynthia Eagle Russett, Chronicler of Women's History, Dies at 76". The New York Times.
  17. ↑ Sun, Baltimore (October 23, 2007). "Sister Joan". baltimoresun.com.
  18. ↑ "KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". History, Art & Archives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  19. ↑ Schudel, Matt (January 7, 2007). "Maria Leavey, 52; Political Consultant". The Washington Post.
  20. ↑ "Dr. Jane Dammen McAuliffe '66, Director of National and International Outreach at Library of Congress, to Speak and Be Honored at Trinity's Commencement". Trinity Washington University. May 4, 2016.
  21. 1 2 Bank, Anna (March 27, 2008). "The Fall and Rise of Trinity Washington University". The Georgetown Voice. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  22. ↑ "NCR's 2019 newsmaker of the year: Nancy Pelosi". National Catholic Reporter. December 20, 2019.
  23. ↑ Greenhouse, Steven (March 20, 2009). "State Labor Commissioner Is Picked for Federal Job". The New York Times.
  24. ↑ Olkowski, Tyler S.B. (June 6, 2014). "Kennedy School Names Clinton Advisor as New IOP Director | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com.
  25. ↑ "Alanna Fields". Assembly. Retrieved April 12, 2022.

38°55′39″N77°00′18″W / 38.9275°N 77.004872°W / 38.9275; -77.004872

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