Message from the Director
Professor Michael Kessler has served as the Raymond Pryke Chair and Director of the Trinity One Program since 2014.
Hello and thank you for your interest in the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program. As Raymond Pryke Chair, it is my privilege to direct the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program. Trinity One has distinguished itself over the last fifteen years as one of the most desirable destinations for highly motivated incoming university students looking for continued success at the next level.
The goal of Trinity One is to provide students entering the University of Toronto with the opportunity to have the kind of advanced seminar experience that is usually reserved for upper year courses. As we have all learned through the pandemic years, there is simply no substitute for being together and puzzling through challenging intellectual problems with a group of peers. That is why small discussion-oriented courses are the heart of the Trinity One Program. Here you will engage with central issues across a range of disciplines through a pedagogical process that allows students to get to know each other, to work collaboratively, and to develop their own individual perspectives.
Trinity One courses are designed to challenge bright students through specialized assignments and readings. As a student in the program we will help you develop the key abilities needed to excel in university. The most significant skill you will hone in Trinity One is the ability to place your own ideas in dialogue with the ideas of others. This will allow you to grow as an academic, as a researcher, and as a colleague to your classmates. The courses we offer in each stream are designed to give you the tools to thrive as you move into your chosen majors in second year and beyond.
The program will also provide you with a small supportive community. This is one of the most rewarding dimensions of Trinity One. We carefully select applicants we believe will get the most out of the focused courses we teach, but who will also contribute to the program’s active intellectual environment. Coming out of the pandemic, we have found that students greatly benefit from being able to spend time with colleagues outside of seminar. In the last few years we have developed several new layers of support for our students that extend beyond the classroom. We have a great team of junior and senior student mentors who are alumni of the program. With their help the program hosts study groups, career development events, social outings, and many other enrichment opportunities for Trinity One students.
If you are just learning about first year programs at the University of Toronto I am happy that you are considering applying to Trinity One. Please reach out if we can answer any questions about the program. If you have already been accepted into Trinity One, congratulations, and I look forward to meeting you in person very soon.
Prof. Michael Kessler
Raymond Pryke Chair
Assistant Professor & Director
Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program
Trinity College, University of Toronto
Contact Us:
Sharon Reid
Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program Coordinator (Acting)
trinityone@trinity.utoronto.ca
