Trustees Talk Teaching

BRENDAN CLARK ’21
NEWS EDITOR

The Trinity College Board of Trustees met the weekend of Oct. 20-Oct. 21 and began with the welcoming of four new trustees, Peter S. Duncan ’81, P’13, ’14, Walter Harrison ’68, H’18, Adrian L ’12, and Louis Shepley ’85. Thereafter, according to a letter to the community from Trinity College President and Professor of Neuroscience Joanne Berger-Sweeney, the college shared the news that first-year retention was up, with Berger-Sweeney adding that the percentage “rose to 91 percent, up from 88.5 percent last year.” Berger-Sweeney credited this retention to the Center for Academic Advising and the implementation of “data-informed strategies.”

Berger-Sweeney added that the “challenging work we did last spring” helped to “lay the foundation for the college’s long-term financial sustainability. Acknowledging the difficulty of position elimination and addition, Berger-Sweeney added that Trinity “end [ed] FY18 with a small surplus.” Berger-Sweeney continued, stating that the “trustees renewed their commitment to improving our campus infrastructure” and reflected upon the discussions of trustees regarding developing a “21st-century curriculum.” The Board also appointed Jeffery E. Kelter ’76, P’18 and Kathryn George Tyree ’86 to chair the upcoming comprehensive capital campaign.

In the same email, Berger-Sweeney elevated Dean Sonia Cardenas to the position of Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation. Additionally, Trinity celebrated the “dedication of CCAN and the induction of…Wall of Honor members.” CCAN, Berger-Sweeney noted, was made possible by Victory and Alex Levi ’67, John Robson ’70, and the Roberts Foundation. This year’s Wall of Honor included the 2017 inductees of Francisco L. Borges ’74, Cynthia A. and James W. Cuminale ’75, P’09, Heather and James J. Murren ’83, Margaret Ann Johnson and Scott W. Reynolds ’63 and the 2018 inductees of Sandra and William E. Cunningham, Jr. ’87, P’19, ’21, Christine M. and Peter S. Duncan ’81, P’13, ’14, Audrey and Daniel H. Meyer ’80, P’20, Neil H. Pfanstiel ’38 (posthumously).