Student Success:
Embrace the Challenge
With record positive outcomes rates, Trinity University celebrates the journey and the destination
Student success means everything to universities striving to reach positive outcomes.
And Trinity University has a unique take on this goal: What if success means finding joy on the path instead of only focusing on the finish line?
At Trinity University, successful outcomes spring from a culture of celebrating milestones and their end results. Across the campus of this liberal arts institution, nestled in vibrant San Antonio, Texas, these celebrations happen within the context of a commitment to intentional inclusion, perpetual discovery, and enduring excellence.
Trinity’s celebrations happen at big events such as the University’s newly established Major Declaration Day, where students choosing their academic paths are cheered on by their professors and peers. They happen through robust and flexible academic resources, where tutoring and support services prompt breakthroughs on tough subjects, and innovative curricular pathways prompt fearless exploration and collaboration. And they happen through a rich set of hands-on experiences on and off campus, driving students to make discoveries about themselves, their career fields, and their worlds.
Proof this is working? Trinity’s graduates have achieved a 98% positive outcomes rate. This means within six months of graduating, 98% of undergraduate alumni in the Classes of 2021 and 2022 were either employed, accepted to graduate school, enlisted in the military, or engaged in volunteer-oriented service.
"When people ask me how a positive outcomes rate like this is possible, I point them immediately to the resources we have for academic success, advising, and career placement," says Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D., Trinity University president. "Of course, part of the fabric of the education at Trinity University is hands-on learning. When students are in interviews for jobs or for graduate schools, they can talk about the things they did themselves: the research they discovered, the problems they engaged with, the solutions they developed. This is the nature of a Trinity liberal arts education."
And this path of celebration starts before most students even reach campus, says Eric Maloof, Trinity University’s vice president for Enrollment Management.
“As each new Trinity first-year class takes shape from a skyrocketing pool of talented and ambitious applicants, this University has—and will remain—committed to bringing a diversity of skills, backgrounds, and life experiences to our San Antonio campus,” Maloof says. “Every year, we are increasingly proud to see the potential that each of these first-years display—the potential beyond just being hired four years later. We see the potential to lead, discover, and create new paths to success, both for these students and for the ones following in their footsteps.”
So—what do each of these classes experience along their paths to success at an institution like Trinity? What are the values guiding the path to success?
At its heart, Trinity University is no enigma: Instead, the University is defining an experience driven by qualities both unique and familiar.
Trinity University values Enduring Excellence, holding its community to the highest standards by challenging and supporting its members to thrive in a world of rapid change. It’s the versatility, curricular flexibility, and scale-of-one vision of the liberal arts merged with the problem-solving power of programs in business, engineering science, education, and more.
Trinity University values Intentional Inclusion, and students, faculty, and staff care deeply to connect across differences, act with radical empathy, and nurture enduring relationships. They build bridges between disciplines, push each other to succeed, and support hands-on learning through strong internal resources for international experiences, career and service ventures, and a diverse set of research opportunities across all disciplines and fields.
And, true to a philosophy of embracing the whole journey, Trinity University values Perpetual Discovery, a passion that drives lifelong curiosity—a passion that turns curiosity into new knowledge, into deep and meaningful thought and action.
And that’s why passion must show up at every moment in higher education. Passion must transcend disciplines, enrich groundbreaking hands-on opportunities, and flow through lifelong ties that bind students and their faculty mentors. Driven by this passion, Trinity students use their degrees to do more than succeed: They discover continually, they lead inclusively, and given the chance, they transform themselves and their world thoroughly.
At Trinity University, the path ahead for higher education is too exciting to do anything but celebrate.
The proof is in the passion:
- Hear Ayanna Blake’s story about putting her mental health first.
- Hear Jalen White’s story about reinventing himself beyond basketball.
- Hear Erika Jones’ story about discovering the power of Trinity connections.
This sponsored content is provided by Trinity University and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.
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