The Trinity Tripod

08/25/2022

In an Aug. 18 email to the community, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Joe DiChristina and Chief Financial Officer Dan Hitchell announced Trinity’s COVID-19 policies for the fall semester. The College has rollbacked masking and testing requirements and discontinued the COVID-19 dashboard.

Faculty can now choose to make masks optional in the classroom for “pedagogical reasons.” Otherwise, masking will continue to be required in instructional spaces during scheduled times; health care facilities; any campus space where signage indicates masking is required; and any campus gatherings, offices, or meetings that are designated “mask required.”

“Our most important priority is to protect the academic mission and learning spaces where faculty and students interact the most,” wrote DiChristina and Hitchell in an email to the Tripod when explaining the masking protocols. “We spoke with HHC [Hartford HealthCare] about masking. After inquiring with the academic dean’s office, it was determined best to require masking in academic spaces and to provide faculty the flexibility to make a class mask optional should masking interfere with the teaching.” DiChristina and Hitchell told the Tripod that the College asks unvaccinated students to continue to wear masks in all spaces.
https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/fall-covid-19-policies-announced-masking-and-testing-rollbacks-dashboard-will-not-be-resumed/

Fall COVID-19 Policies Announced: Masking and Testing Rollbacks; Dashboard Will Not Be Resumed August 25, 2022 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Olivia Silvey ’25 News Editor  In an Aug. 18 email to the community, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Joe DiChristina and Chief Financial Officer Da...

08/16/2022

Trinity announced the appointment of five new members to the Board of Trustees in a post on the College’s website from July 11. The Board’s newest members, whose terms began in July, include Olusegun “Shay” Ajayi ’16, Lisa Alvarez-Calderón ’88, Malcolm Fraser MacLean IV ’92, Stephanie Ritz ’90, and Leslie Torres-Rodriguez.

Ajayi is director of operations at Hartford Hospital. After working as a business intelligence consultant at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Ajayi worked at Sports Changes Life and played on Ireland’s National League Team. At Trinity, Ajayi received a B.S. in economics and engineering science. He was also the captain of the men’s basketball team, and was named an NABC Division III All-American and as NESCAC Player of the Year. Ajayi obtained an M.S. in sports psychology from Ulster University; he is now an executive M.B.A. candidate at Columbia University.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/trinity-appoints-five-new-members-to-the-board-of-trustees/

Trinity Appoints Five New Members to the Board of Trustees August 15, 2022 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Melina Korfonta ’25 News Editor Trinity announced the appointment of five new members to the Board of Trustees in a post on the College’s website from July 11. The Board’s newest members, whose term...

07/18/2022

Breaking away from tradition, Trinity College has delayed announcing the enrollment of the incoming freshman class until around late August or September, according to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mathew S. Hyde. In previous years, such data was released before or shortly after the conclusion of the spring semester, as was done for the Classes of 2025, 2024, and 2022.

Many of Trinity’s peer institutions in the New England Small College Athletic Conference have already released data on their incoming students including Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby, Hamilton, Wesleyan, and Tufts.

Explaining the delay, Hyde told the Tripod that the College would like to present the data to the community in a “thoughtful and intentional way.” Instead of “throwing out numbers,” Hyde stated that the College wants to contextualize the incoming class by first reaching out to the Class of 2026 and “pulling out student stories.” Hyde told the Tripod that he has a letter drafted for the students and that he has been reviewing their applications to Trinity.

Hyde, who started his new position in July, stated that the numbers for the incoming class are “strong.” He indicated that the delay is strictly due to an effort to be “intentional with language and presentation.” Hyde noted that he has “never felt comfortable” with “throwing numbers out,” and that he hopes to present the Class of 2026 in a more personal way.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/months-after-ed-data-released-trinity-delays-announcing-the-enrollment-of-the-class-of-2026/

Months After ED Data Released, Trinity Delays Announcing the Enrollment of the Class of 2026 July 18, 2022 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Sammi Bray ’25 Managing Editor  Breaking away from tradition, Trinity College has delayed announcing the enrollment of the incoming freshman class until around late Augu...

06/26/2022

Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Compliance Pamela Whitley gave an update on the Title IX Audit into Trinity College’s athletic offerings in email to members of the community on Friday, Jun. 3.

“The attorneys conducting the audit, Phil Catazano and Janet P. Judge from Education and Sports Law Group, have reviewed our facilities and have conducted interviews with coaches and athletic department staff,” announced Whitley. She indicated that surveys and interviews with student athletes are forthcoming.

As the Tripod previously reported, the audit is sectioned into three phases. Phase one includes planning and facility reviews. In phase two, the firm will gather data through interviews with coaches, students, and related staff. Phase three is the feedback process which includes findings and recommendations.

The interviews address 12 of the 13 components of Title IX: (1) provision of equitable participation opportunities; (2) provision and maintenance of equipment and supplies; (3) scheduling of games and practice times; (4) travel and per diem expenses; (5) opportunity to receive coaching, assignment and compensation of coaches; (6) opportunity to receive academic tutoring; (7) provision of locker rooms and practice and competitive facilities; (8) provision of medical and training services; (9) provision of dining and housing services; (10) recruitment; (11) publicity; and (12) support services. The one component that is not relevant is scholarship because Division III institutions are prohibited from providing athletically related financial aid.

Whitley indicated that the College expects the audit to be completed by the end of the summer. A summary of the findings and recommendations will be released in the early fall. Trinity will then use the results to plan and execute short- and long-term strategies “with the goal of ensuring fair and equitable experiences for all our student athletes.”

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/update-provided-on-title-ix-audit-into-trinity-college-athletics/

06/14/2022

In January, the Connecticut Appellate Court stayed an appeal in an ongoing defamation lawsuit against a group of Trinity alums over the 2019 Churchill Club controversy brought by Professor of Political Science Gregory Smith and former Trinity student Nicholas Engstrom.

The Court’s order comes after the alums named as defendants–Aaron Supple ’20, Karen Montejo ’20, Hendrick Xiong-Calmes ’22, and Giana Moreno ’20–appealed the Superior Court’s denial of their motion to dismiss in November. The appeal is pending the disposition by the Connecticut Supreme Court of the consolidated appeals in an unrelated appeals court case titled Pryor v. Brignole, according to the Appellate Court’s order. If the appeal fails, the case is set to go to trial in April 2023.

Supple, Montejo, Calmes, and Moreno, represented by private counsel at Robinson & Cole in Hartford and Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles, attempted to dismiss the lawsuit under Connecticut’s anti-Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) statute, which protects certain free speech interests under the United States and Connecticut Constitutions on “matters of public concern.” The Plaintiffs, Smith and Engstrom, are represented by Beck and Eldergill of Manchester, Connecticut.

Judge James T. Graham of the Hartford Superior Court denied the defendants’ Motion to Dismiss last November in a lengthy decision, finding that Trinity College’s campus was not a public forum for purposes of the First Amendment and that the “defendants’ conduct in posting flyers [did not] constitute an engagement in protected speech.”

Chief of Staff Jason Rojas stated the College’s position on the lawsuit in an email to the Tripod on June 6: “We are aware of the lawsuit filed by Professor Smith and others against a number of former students. As the college was never named a party and the Tripod and two student staff of the newspaper have since been removed in this legal action, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on this case.” Rojas continued, observing that the College maintains that “we do not believe that a lawsuit is the appropriate method for resolving disputes between faculty members and students. The college has well-established processes and practices, both formal and informal, for resolving such disputes.”

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/appeal-in-defamation-lawsuit-against-trinity-alums-over-churchill-controversy-stayed-by-ct-appellate-court-aaronsupple-montejo-calmes-moreno/

05/15/2022

Faculty Governance met virtually on Tuesday, May 3 to vote on the structure of future J-Term sessions. Those in attendance also voted on remote learning in the J-Term and climate education.

President of the College Joanne Berger-Sweeney began the meeting with updates on this year’s budget and admissions cycle. She reported the College will not be ending the year in a deficit despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic and a smaller student body for the Class of 2025. “I think many of you know that the class that is here now as first-years is smaller which means less revenue for us for that class as they stay with us for the next three years,” said Berger-Sweeney. She indicated that the Class of 2026 appears to be at pre-pandemic levels in terms of size. Berger-Sweeney did not report the current number of incoming students, and she did not discuss the details of this year’s budget.

The faculty voted on an amendment to the Curriculum Committee’s (CC) motion concerning the structure of future J-Term sessions which was introduced during the April meeting. The amendment, which was proposed by George M. Ferris Associate Professor of Corporation Finance and Investments Christopher S. Hoags, read as follows: “All January term courses whether academic or co-curricular must be sponsored by a relevant academic department.” Hoag believed the motion should clearly state that courses must be approved by an academic department so as to avoid any confusion regarding the scope of the motion. The amendment was passed with 51 voting yes, 18 voting no, and 15 abstentions.

As the Tripod previously reported, the CC’s motion would return J-Term to its pre-pandemic structure: courses during the term would be an optional stand-alone session and not connected to the fall or spring semesters. The motion stipulates that J-Term courses may be offered in either 2/3-week, 0.5 credit course model or a 3-week credit model. In addition, 0.5 credit J-Term courses may be offered as co-curricular credits (with the prefix JTRM) or as academic courses carrying the departamental prefix (with approval from the home department). J-Term courses can be offered either in-person or remotely. The motion indicates that students may enroll in a maximum of one course during the J-Term. The faculty approved the motion at the May 3 meeting with 75 voting yes, one voting no, and 13 abstentions.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/faculty-vote-on-j-term-structure-remote-learning-and-climate-education/

Faculty Vote on J-Term Structure, Remote Learning, and Climate Education  May 15, 2022 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Jack P. Carroll ‘24 Co-Editor-in-Chief Faculty Governance met virtually on Tuesday, May 3 to vote on the structure of future J-Term sessions. Those in attendance also voted on remote learni...

02/20/2022

In an email to the community Tuesday evening, Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina reported that 79 members of the community (78 students and one employee) are currently isolating with COVID-19. The number of those infected and in isolation has since increased: 156 students and two employees are positive as of Feb. 18, according to the Dashboard. 108 students and two employees are currently in isolation. The surge comes at a time when 98 percent of the community has been vaccinated and a total of three booster shot clinics have been hosted by the College.

“We have 45 students who are isolating on campus with the remainder isolating off campus,” said Rojas and DiChristina in their email Tuesday. Drawing from information gathered by the health center, they believed that the surge in cases at the time was the result of social gatherings. “Our goal remains to mitigate disruption to the in-person learning experience, and we have a shared responsibility to ensure that happens.”

This past week marks the highest surge in cases Trinity has seen to date. In October 2020, the Tripod reported that Trinity’s case count rose to 56. The October outbreak, which was tied to off-campus athletic housing and residences, prompted the College to place infected students on the same floor as non-infected students in the Stowe and Clemens dormitories without any notice to students residing in those dormitories.
https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/trinity-reports-a-record-of-158-covid-cases/

Trinity Reports a Record 158 COVID Cases; In-Person Learning Will Continue February 20, 2022 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Melina Korfonta ’25 News Editor In an email to the community Tuesday evening, Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristin...

01/27/2022

Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and other senior administrators convened in a virtual town hall on Wednesday, Jan. 26 to discuss Trinity’s reopening plans and new COVID-19 protocols.

Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina began the town hall with a discussion of the College’s goals for the spring. He reaffirmed that in-person learning will resume on Monday, Feb. 7. The shift to remote instruction for the first week of classes was announced earlier this month in an email to faculty from Dean of the Faculty Sonia Cardenas. She anticipated a rise in cases during move-in week and noted that close to 10 percent of students on campus were testing positive at the time.

“We’ve had about a hundred positive cases come through the testing center during the month of January so it’s significant in terms of the presence of Omicron,” said DiChristina while discussing the spread of COVID at Trinity. He indicated that these cases derive from the 400 students who remained on campus during the winter. DiChristina told the Tripod in December that 375 students (athletes, international, and J-term) were staying on campus through the break.

DiChristina stated that remote learning will ensure an equitable start for all students: “If a student has tested positive and they’re not able to go to the first week of classes that puts them at a disadvantage. We’re paying attention to that and doing the best we can to support all of our students.”

DiChristina discussed the College’s booster shot mandate. The Tripod previously reported that Trinity will require students, faculty, and staff to obtain a COVID-19 booster shot for the spring. The mandate will go into effect on Tuesday, Feb. 1, and all vaccinated members of the community must submit proof of a booster shot within 30 days of becoming eligible. DiChristina announced that Trinity will host its second booster shot clinic from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. He revealed that a third booster clinic is scheduled for Feb. 24-5.
https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/college-holds-virtual-town-hall-on-spring-reopening-details-new-covid-protocols/

01/10/2022

In an email to the community Tuesday evening, Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina reported a total of 43 active COVID cases. This total–which includes 35 students and eight employees–has since risen to 49 with 40 students and nine employees having tested positive as of Thursday, Jan. 6.

Anticipating an increase in cases as students return to campus at the end of the month, Trinity has moved all spring courses online for the first week of the semester. These plans were originally announced in an email to faculty from Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs Sonia Cardenas. The student body was informed about the remote shift via an email from Rojas on Friday, Jan. 7.

“Like many of our peers we are currently close to 10% of students on campus testing positive, either through pre-arrival tests or from their first PCR test; and the positivity rate in Connecticut is over 20%,” said Cardenas in her email to faculty. “We could start the semester with an unprecedented number of students (and faculty) having to isolate, which would prove highly disruptive to learning.”

Rojas and DiChristina also introduced the new “Isolate In Place PILOT Plan” in their Jan. 4 email to the community. After testing positive, students will have three options for isolation dependent on the circumstances of their regular residential situation.
https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/positive-covid-cases-rise-to-49-trinity-announces-remote-learning-for-first-week-of-spring-new-isolation-protocols/

12/31/2021

Trinity College identified 12 new cases of COVID-19 earlier this week, according to an email from Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina Thursday morning. All but one person is isolating from home.

There are a total of 17 active cases as of Friday, Dec. 30. This number–which includes 14 students and 3 employees–is down from last week when cases surged to 21 and the College shifted to a yellow alert level.

Rojas and DiChristina also announced more details about Trinity’s reopening plans for the spring and J-Term. The Tripod previously reported the College postponed the spring start date to Monday, Jan. 31 to support its efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus.

All members of the Trinity community will complete a weekly PCR test at least through the first month of the spring semester. Testing will be done at the on-campus testing center in the Memorial Field House. In the fall, only unvaccinated individuals with an approved exemption were tested on a weekly basis, while 10-15 percent of vaccinated students were tested each week. More details about the spring testing schedule will be released on Jan. 14.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/trinity-identifies-12-new-covid-cases-spring-reopening-plans-released/

Trinity Identifies 12 New COVID Cases, Spring Reopening Plans Released December 31, 2021 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Olivia Silvey ‘25 News Editor  Trinity College identified 12 new cases of COVID-19 earlier this week, according to an email from Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student ...

12/23/2021

Trinity College reported a total of 21 active cases of COVID-19 via the dashboard on Thursday, Dec. 23. This number–which includes 19 students and two employees–is up from 12 earlier this week. Since the College’s last COVID update on Sunday, eight additional students and one employee tested positive through self-administered tests and on-campus surveillance testing, according to an email from Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina Thursday morning. The surge in cases comes at a time when 98 percent of students and employees are vaccinated against the virus.

“Most of the individuals are isolating away from campus. Out of an abundance of caution and because there are students remaining on campus during break, we will be adjusting our alert level status to yellow to remind our community of the need to be vigilant, wear face coverings, and maintain social distancing,” said Rojas and DiChristina.

They also announced the start of the spring semester has been postponed. The spring start date is now Monday, Jan. 31 which is four days later than originally planned. Students will return to campus beginning Jan. 26 instead of Jan. 22; all returning members of the community will be required to complete a PCR COVID test.

As a result of this change, Trinity Days–a two-day break from classes scheduled for late February–has been removed from the current academic calendar. The spring start date was delayed to support the College’s efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus on campus.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/positive-covid-cases-surge-to-21-campus-alert-level-changes-to-yellow-spring-start-date-postponed/

12/21/2021

Trinity College reported a total of 12 active cases of COVID-19 via the dashboard on Sunday, Dec. 19. These cases–which include 11 students and one employee–were reported following test results from Thursday, Dec. 16 through Sunday, Dec. 19, according to an email from Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina and Chief of Staff Jason Rojas Sunday afternoon. The test results were from both self-reported rapid tests and the on-campus testing program.

“All individuals are isolating away from campus. Throughout contact tracing protocol, we have identified that the student cases are connected to a small cluster of individuals in living areas and we do not have evidence that any transmission took place in classroom settings,” said DiChristina and Rojas. They also indicated that the College is monitoring information about the Omicron variant as “Reports are showing a significant increase in cases across the United States and globally.”

The College implemented a series of safety protocols following the rise in cases. Faculty now have the option to administer final exams remotely this week. In dining halls, more to-go containers will be prepared to reduce the number of people in Mather. Students and employees are encouraged not to attend social gatherings. Human Resources now supports employees contacting their supervisors inquiring about working remotely this week.

Despite the surge in cases, Trinity remains at a Green alert level as of Tuesday morning.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/trinity-covid-19-cases-rise-to-12-safety-protocols-implemented/

Trinity COVID Cases Rise to 12, Safety Protocols Implemented December 21, 2021 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Jack P. Carroll ‘24 Managing Editor  Trinity College reported a total of 12 active cases of COVID-19 via the dashboard on Sunday, Dec. 19. These cases–which include 11 students and one employee.....

12/15/2021

Trinity College will require students, faculty, and staff to obtain COVID-19 booster shots for the spring 2022 semester, according to an email from Chief of Staff Jason Rojas and Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management Joe DiChristina Tuesday Morning.

“It is clear that a highly vaccinated community, with the additional protections of a booster shot, is our most effective strategy to mitigate transmission of the virus, preventing serious illness, and ensuring that we can continue to live, learn, and work together,” said Rojas and DiChristina. They cited the emergence of the Omicron variant and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

The mandate will go into effect on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. All vaccinated students, staff, and faculty must submit proof of a booster shot within 30 days of becoming eligible. In addition, students will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of arrival. Students who are unvaccinated and have an approved exemption will be tested upon arrival while those who are unvaccinated will not be tested.

The new vaccine policy follows Trinity’s booster shot clinic in late November. The College will host another on-campus clinic from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2.

Trinity joins the ranks of other colleges and universities nationwide which are mandating booster shots. Syracuse University, St. Olaf College, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst announced earlier this month that they will require eligible students to obtain a booster shot before returning in the spring. Some of Trinity’s peer NESCAC institutions–including Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Wesleyan–have also mandated booster shots.
https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/trinity-mandates-booster-shots-for-spring-return-safety-protocols-to-remain-in-place/

Trinity Mandates Booster Shots for Spring Return, Safety Protocols to Remain in Place  December 15, 2021 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Jack P. Carroll ‘24 Managing Editor Trinity College will require students, faculty, and staff to obtain COVID-19 booster shots for the spring 2022 semester, according to a...

12/11/2021

The Nondiscrimination Policy Working Group held a virtual forum on Monday, Dec. 6 to discuss revisions made to Trinity’s Interim Policy on Nondiscrimination. During the meeting, the group–which includes faculty, staff, and senior administrators–highlighted changes to the adjudication process, investigations, and appeals. The revisions follow a Mar. 15 email from General Counsel of the College Dickens Mathieu in which he publicly released the original Interim Policy on Nondiscrimination along with the Policy on Sexual Harassment.

Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Anita Davis began the forum with updates to the adjudication process. She announced that the final decision in all cases will be determined by a single adjudicator–a position that will be occupied by the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for DEI. The original interim policy charged several administrators with deciding the outcomes of discrimination cases. The Associate Dean of Faculty and Development presided over disputes between faculty, the AVP for Human Resources determined claims filed by staff, and the Dean of Community Life and Standard ruled on disputes between students.

The adjudication process was the most critiqued section of the original interim policy. Davis reported that faculty members were concerned about their supervisors making decisions in discrimination cases. There were also complaints about the lack of consistency among the adjudication processes for students, faculty, and staff.

The group considered other adjudication models including a panel of adjudicators. However, the panel format was met with strong opposition from faculty, staff, and administrators alike. “I was one of the persons that was not supportive of the panel–especially as we think about adjudication for faculty matters. If we look at the makeup of those panels sometimes they’re not reflective of the broader campus community–especially because representation of our faculties still is not where we might want it to be in terms of folks from underrepresented backgrounds,” said Davis. Staff members were concerned that they would not be available to serve on these adjudicator panels.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/working-group-makes-revisions-to-interim-nondiscrimination-policy/

Working Group Makes Revisions to Interim Nondiscrimination Policy December 11, 2021 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Jack P. Carroll ‘24 Managing Editor  The Nondiscrimination Policy Working Group held a virtual forum on Monday, Dec. 6 to discuss revisions made to Trinity’s Interim Policy on Nondiscriminat...

11/27/2021

Trinity College has received a $10 million donation from former Trinity Trustee and Connecticut State Treasurer Francisco L. Borges ‘74, H’20, his wife Luisa, and siblings Peter L. Borges ‘80, Francesca Borges Gordon ‘82, Maria Borges Correia ‘85, and Joaquina Borges King, who attended Wesleyan University. The admissions, financial aid, and student life building will be renamed the “Manuel and María Luisa Lopes Borges Admissions Center” in honor of the Borges siblings’ parents.

“The Borges family’s contribution will specifically support outstanding students who would not otherwise be able to attend college,” said Berger-Sweeney in an email to the Trinity College community Tuesday. “This gift is the largest commitment to date to the college’s $500 million campaign. It also pushes the total raised for financial aid to nearly $50 million, which is halfway to our $100 million goal for that purpose.”

Vice President for College Advancement Michael Casey told the Tripod via email that Trinity will begin to use the donation to award scholarships next year. He indicated that the gift will be invested along with Trinity’s endowment, “similarly [sic] to how we responsibly manage all donations to the College with the involvement of an appropriate governance group.” Casey noted that Trinity has raised roughly $48 million for financial aid.

https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/news/francisco-l-borges-74-and-siblings-donate-10-million-to-trinity-for-financial-aid/

Francisco L. Borges ‘74 and Siblings Donate $10 Million to Trinity for Financial Aid November 26, 2021 trinitytripod NEWS 0 Jack P. Carroll ‘24 Managing Editor Trinity College has received a $10 million donation from former Trinity Trustee and Connecticut State Treasurer Francisco L. Borges ‘7...