THE YEAR THAT WAS

Dr Denis White, the Executive Director of Trinity’s Foundation Studies program from 1991 to 1998, released a book, The University Dream, documenting the rocky but rewarding journey of establishing our Foundation Studies program, and how the program became a benchmark for international education in Australia. Available to purchase at shop.trinity.unimelb.edu.au

Our Pathways Student Wellbeing team sent care packages to onshore Foundation Studies students during Melbourne’s extended lockdown. A flood of kind messages confirmed these were well received!

The Pathways School hosted two series of live lectures, presented by around 30 Foundation Studies academics. More than 7000 students from 30 countries tuned in to learn about topics such as the chemistry of food waste, design solutions for a sustainable future, and using economics and accounting principles to understand the fundamentals of investing.

A group of Residential College students established the Trinity Respect Committee to develop and implement programs that inform students about consent and respectful and positive behaviour within the College. The Kumergaii Yulendji committee was also officially launched (pictured) to recognise and promote matters related to the lives of Indigenous students in the College and to promote greater understanding of reconciliation and Indigenous culture.

We welcomed Patrick ‘Paddy’ Bates as our new Senior Student in the Residential College. Following two years of lockdowns, Paddy says 2022 will be our best chance to return to the aspects of College that make it so special. ‘With an understanding of what’s “normal” thrown out the window, we have an opportunity to change and shape college to what we, the students, want to make of it. Everything from our events to the academic tutorial program and, most importantly, our culture, can always be improved. I know staff and students alike are optimistic for the new year, so I am excited about everything to come.’

The Trinity Recreational Alpine Club (TRAC) went on a mid-year trip to Tasmania, when 30 residential students camped, hiked and explored the state for two weeks.

In line with Reconciliation Week in May, Trinity students competed in the intercollegiate Buroinjin Cup … and won! Buroinjin is a ball game devised and played by the Kabi Kabi people of south Queensland.

In Semester 2, the Theological School, supported by the Sharwood bequest, ran Australia’s first and only unit on Anglican Church Law and Governance, attended by 47 students from across Australia. Classes were supervised by Michael Shand QC AM and the Revd Dr Alex Ross and were presented by 12 guest lecturers.

The Theological School also announced a new partnership with the St James’ Institute in Sydney, which will see a series of intensive units taught by Trinity College faculty in Sydney from 2022.

A group of Foundation Studies students started the Trinity Connection newsletter to share health tips, poems, videos, short stories, short films and photography (above image by student Christian Valerian) to stay connected while learning remotely.

This year we held six fireside chats on topics including ‘Looking after your mental health’ with Sabina Read and Jonathan Clark, ‘A photography journey that started at Trinity’ with Professor David Tan, and ‘Women’s health’ with Dr Alyce Wilson and Dr Rebecca Mitchell. We also held five Career Connect events, covering management consulting (pictured), biomedicine, law, engineering and arts.

The Trinity College Theological School was awarded a large grant from the University of Divinity to examine questions stemming from religious enmity through a project titled ‘Figuring the Enemy’. The project, to be led by Dr Scott Kirkland and the Revd Dr Chris Porter, will look at the conditions under which enemies are created and maintained through socialpsychological, political and theological lenses.

After 25 years of faithful service, the Kenneth Jones organ in the Trinity College Chapel has been dismantled and is undergoing tonal revisions. In 2022, it will be reinstalled in two cases to allow more natural light to filter into the Chapel.