Provost’s Message to the Trinity Community

(Image above): View of the Trinity Quad on April 14, 2025

Dear Members of the Trinity College Community:

Thank you to each and every one of you – students, faculty, staff and alumni – for making my first 10 months as your Provost truly incredible.

On campus, the winter term has been an extremely busy and exciting one: from new initiatives and re-imagined ones to enhance the student experience; to scholarly events to enliven our intellectual community; to networking and mentorship events to foster connections; and to occasions to build community, including celebratory gatherings and moments where we support one another. Thank you for your commitment, involvement, volunteerism and leadership. Thank you for making Trinity a special place to learn, live and work.

Since my last community message, we have made marked headway on two key College priorities: the strategic planning process and the Lawson Centre for Sustainability. Work on the new residence and academic building continues at a steady pace and we are excited to see how the Lawson Centre will transform the Trinity campus (view our progress below). The east wing (Whiteside House) is almost complete, structural work on the west wing (Arthur Scace Academic Building) and centre wing (Nevil Thomas Wing) are near completion, and the second (and final) crane was disassembled earlier this week. Although there has been significant progress on the construction site (see photos below), ongoing challenges in construction and supply chain management have resulted in delays, and we are now planning to open the doors for our community in 2026.

With regard to Strategic Planning, over the past few months we’ve engaged with many of you through in-person and online sessions, gathering valuable insights from various groups in the Trinity community. These discussions have helped us identify key priorities and opportunities that will shape the future of Trinity College as we develop a strategic plan to guide us for the next five years. As part of our ongoing strategic planning process, we have compiled the findings from these sessions and are seeking your feedback to ensure our direction truly reflects the values, needs, and aspirations of our community. Your input will play a crucial role in refining our vision and guiding the next steps in this important journey. We invite you to take a few moments to complete our Strategic Planning Survey before it closes on April 20. Thank you for being a valued member of our community and for contributing to this process. Your voice matters, and we appreciate your time and thoughtful input.

As the term comes to an end: students, whether you are in the midst of final exams and assessments, or looking forward to your next steps, please know that your hard work has not gone unnoticed and I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate how far you have come. I have included a snapshot of a few end-of-year events below. Please stay tuned for my next community message in June, which will include a wrap-up of the 2024-2025 academic year and highlight recent accomplishments by members of the community.

For those graduating in the coming months, congratulations on reaching this remarkable milestone! I look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at the Faculty of Divinity Convocation on May 13 and the Trinity College Arts & Science Convocation on June 12. At the Divinity Convocation we will confer an honorary degree upon John Randall Franklin, while at the Arts & Science Convocation we will hear a message from Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). And for those who graduated either recently or decades ago – I hope you will return to campus for Trinity Reunion on May 28 to June 1 to reconnect with classmates and the College.

As William Shakespeare said “April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” While April 2025 in Toronto has been a bit more cold and wet than anything Shakespeare may have experienced, we can hope for more springlike weather around the corner. I wish you all renewed energy and new beginnings.

Yours truly,
Nicholas Terpstra
Provost & Vice-Chancellor

Lawson Centre for Sustainability: View Our Progress – Fall 2022 to April 2025

Recent Activity on the Construction Site

(Image below): Top row (left) view from Devonshire Place of the Arthur Scace Academic Building, and (right) Provost Nicholas Terpstra joins a construction site tour – pictured: the group is on the George & Martha Butterfield Rooftop Farm on January 29; Middle row (left) view of Whiteside House (residence) coming from Philosopher’s Walk (April 14), and (right) exterior view of the Nevil Thomas Wing, with Whiteside House on the right, on April 4; Lower row (left) one of the residence rooms – ensuite studio (April 10), and (right) one of the academic spaces – the W.B.G. Humphries Lecture Hall (April 4). Learn more about the building and view architectural renders here. Updates will be posted on the Construction Notices website.

Celebrating Students at End-of-Year Events

Click here for details about the snapshots below of end-of-year events and celebrations: Last Lecture; Quad Social; Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program; Ethics, Society & Law Program; More End-of-Year Events – Divinity, Welcome Desk, Chapel Choir, Friends of the Library, Student Leaders; plus a recap of TCURC and presentation winners!

Categories: College News; Faculty & Staff; Provost’s Messages; Student News