Mr. Peter J. Knapp 20 Buena Vista Rd. West Har tford, Conn.
06107
TRINITY REPORTER VOLUME 3 NUMBER 5
TRINITY COLLEGE, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
WAY BACK WHEN-Out of the College archives comes this photograph of Trinity's Long Walk, taken circa 1880, when Seabury, Northam Towers and Jarvis were spanking new, before the elm trees or ivy were planted, before the grazing land became the Quad. The picture is part of an exhibition in the College Library depicting various stages in the College's history. Prepared by College Archivist Peter J . Knapp '65, the exhibit b~an Jan. 15 and runs through June 1. Remaining displays, which change every two weeks, are: student organizations
FEBRUARY, 1973
(March 12-25); sports (March 26-April8); Jarvis Physics Lab, Boardman Hall and Alumni Hall (April 9-22); Trinity's chapels (April 23-May 6); Trinity's libraries (May 7-20); and Trinity's presidents and faculty (May 21-June 1). If that picture above doesn't seem rustic to you, consider this note from Professor Glenn Weaver's History of Trinity College: In 1878, twelve students formed a lawn tennis club , setting_up a court at the south end oLthe new campus, "and a rope was put up to keep out the cows which were pastured on the college grounds."
A Look Beyond the Traditional By EDWIN P. NYE Dean of the Faculty
Non-traditional Study. Alternate Approaches for the Delivery of Higher Education. These phrases, fast growing in importance, are part of the language educators use when they probe new possibilities for higher education. State-wide and nationally, committees have been formed whose task, figuratively speaking, is to survey the area outside the circle of higher education and to suggest ways the circle can be expanded to include new kinds of students, new kinds of programs, new teaching technology . Trinity, through several programs initiated over the past few years, has already begun to chart her course through this expanding educational universe . Some of the College's " non-traditional" programs, such as the Freshman Seminar, the Open Semester, the Intensive Study Program, or student-taught courses are already "old stuff." The Individualized Degree Program, which enrolls its first students this semester, even more clearly expresses Trinity's commitment to explore the "non-traditional," and shows also where Trinity departs from certain aspects of non-traditional study . Last December, the State Committee on Alternate Approaches for the Delivery of Higher Education reported back its findings and recommendations to the State Commission for Higher Education, mentioning Trinity's IDP in several instances as one of the unique new programs in the state. 0 n a broader scale, the national Commission on Non-Traditional Study, co-sponsored by the College Entrance
Examination Board and the Educational Testing Service, recently completed its study which is expected to be fairly influential over the next few years. Its basic recommendation is that "the oft-stated American goal of full educational opportunity should be made realistically available and feasible for all who may benefit from it, whatever their condition of life." Of this commission's 58 proposals about half directly pertain to the philosophy or mechanics of the IDP. The ones which don't, either fall under state jurisdiction, are beyond Trinity's means to accomplish (for example, satellite broadcasting), or go against Trinity's educational purpose. Trinity's IDP is an alternative means of earning the regular bachelor's degree which bypasses the regular course-credit system and relies instead on completion of "study units" and specific projects. The IDP can be completed in three to 1.0 years, and it is expected that the bulk of the IDP students will be non-resident older persons.
Two freshmen have enrolled in the IDP, Susan Thorn of Elkhart, Ind. , and Henry Holz of Norwalk, Ohio. The non-resident applicants to the program currently range in age from 22 to 68, and include people with no college experience to up to two years of college. Beyond making the college degree available to more people the IDP meets other commission criteria such as providing "flexible arrangements" for study, giving students of traditional college age the right to join the program, and, on the other hand, not denying students the option of staying within the traditional academic framework. Two other commission recommendations which are emphasized in Trinity's IDP are that each institution should "relate such a (non-traditional) program to its whole process of curriculum development," and that programs should be absorbed "into the normal process of degree-granting instead of keeping it an ancillary part of their total program." In regard to the first point, the
academic requirements of the Trinity IDP have been developed through faculty committees and individual departments, with great care taken to insure that the IDP student is evaluated by the same rigorous standards that apply under the regular curriculum. The second point illustrates one area in which Trinity's IDP is far ahead of other programs; the recommendation indicates that most existing "non-traditional" programs are in fact external degree programs which need to be absorbed into the regular program. Trinity's IDP from the start has offered the regular bachelor's degree . In addition, it is expected that Trinity's IDP students will make use of the resources of the College as they pursue their studies. The regular course offerings, while not required, are available for IDP students; use of the library; attendance at special lectures and programs, and consultations with faculty members, are generally expected of IDP students. (see REPORT, page 4)
May 16 Gift Deadline is Nearing With Charter Day only a few months away, Trinity's Annual Giving Campaign is at 68 percent of the $475,000 goal, according to Judson M. Rees, director of development. So far, the College has received 2,029 gifts and pledges totalling $320,989. Of these, 490 donors are new contributors,
including 346 alumni, 113 parents, 18 classified as Friends and 13 from business or industry. The campaign is making better progress than last year's successful drive, Rees said. At this time last year, the campaign was at 64 percent of the $425,000 goal, but ended in June at $440,421, or 104 percent of that goal.
For Trinity's 150th anniversary year the goal was increased $50,000. Because this is the anniversary year, Rees said, it is especially important that the drive be completed by Charter Day on May 16, and he urged donors not to delay in making their gift, so it can be received in time: (see Annual Giving, page 3)