Provost Mayo Moran’s 2018 Holiday Message to the Community

Dear Members of the Trinity Community:

Photo of Trinity College by John Birkett

As we come to the end of 2018, there are so many reasons to be grateful.

Our wonderful students are at the heart of Trinity College. Their commitment to the community, to their studies and to others in need is inspiring. As Provost, it is a privilege to work with such creative and outstanding students – they always strive to make a positive difference. I particularly want to acknowledge our Student Heads and the many other student leaders. On top of their studies, they commit themselves to making a difference at Trinity, the University of Toronto and the broader community.

I want to extend a special thank you to our alumni community at this time of year. I am proud of what we are able to do for our students here at Trinity, but we can only do it with the support of our alumni.  Whether as mentors and volunteer leaders, through philanthropic support or in myriad other ways, it is our alumni who enable us to ensure our students thrive. We are so grateful to have generous and committed alumni who support our students and the College in so many ways.

I also want to thank our staff, faculty and academic community for their dedication to our students and the College. Not only do they educate, advise and nurture students, but their invaluable contributions and deep commitment strengthen our community immeasurably. Our staff and faculty are constantly thinking about how we can improve student life at the College and we are all so lucky to have them.

It has been a busy, active year so far at Trinity. This September, we were thrilled to welcome the first cohort of students to the new Butterfield Environment & Sustainability stream of the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program. We have always been a green leader on campus; our new stream enables us to take this leadership to a whole new level. It is the only program at U of T that allows first-year students to look at today’s critical environmental issues from both an arts and a sciences perspective – and is another example of how we are working to make a difference in this incredibly important area. And as a result of the breadth of our co-curricular programming, all of our students in Trinity One have an opportunity to be exposed to issues of sustainability and the environment.

We are also very fortunate to learn, work and live on a beautiful, historic campus and we are committed to taking care of and improving it in every possible way. In January, we will begin the construction phase for the new Student Services Centre in the main hall. These renovations are designed to highlight the historic beauty of the front hall and to ensure that the College’s important spaces are thoughtfully used. The interior space (formerly the Bursar’s and HR Offices) will undergo significant renovations that will also incorporate and restore some long lost heritage features. In recent consultations with our students, it was clear that they are thrilled about the new Centre and how it will transform the student experience here at Trinity. Bringing key student services from the Offices of the Registrar and Dean of Students together into this new space allows us to do a number of important things: integrate our services to enhance what we are providing to our students, provide confidential counselling and advising space, and offer a warmer welcome and a more accessible experience for all.

Along with the new Student Services Centre, we have been busy working on the early planning process for our proposed new building. Thank you to all who have joined various consultation sessions over the last few months – your ideas and comments have been very helpful. There will be many opportunities for additional input in the coming months, so please stay tuned for further information.

It is such as a privilege to be part of this incredible community. Thank you for your individual and collective efforts that make Trinity the very best place it can be. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends and all the best for 2019!

Mayo Moran
Provost and Vice-Chancellor

Categories: Provost’s Messages