WARDEN’S REPORT This report could begin with the many clichés that defined 2020, but, by now, we all know what kind of year it was, and what kind of turmoil and uncertainty it brought about. It was certainly a challenging year for Trinity, as our teaching and living environment needed to change swiftly and often to adapt to the evolving COVID-19 crisis. Though we’re not out of the woods yet, when I reflect back on 2020, I do so with a sense of pride and accomplishment, because what we as a College achieved was quite extraordinary, particularly as we shifted our teaching programs online in a matter of days. Chair of the Trinity College Board, Charles Sitch, reflected that 2020 could indeed be considered Trinity’s finest year. We did manage to squeeze in one major event before the pandemic took hold, and that was the opening of our new residential building on 7 February. The building was opened by the then federal Minister for Education, MP for Wannon and Trinity alum the Hon Dan Tehan, and the opening was attended by 160 alumni, staff, students and friends of the College. Though we had reduced student numbers for much of 2020, many students still got to benefit from this comfortable and modern space, which has plenty of common areas for socialising and study, and makes quite the statement on our Parkville campus. Despite Trinity’s finances taking a hit in 2020, we were also able to progress development and commissioning of our second campus at 611 Elizabeth Street, which we are committed to completing to give our students and staff access to the best teaching facilities possible. Timing on completion of this project depends on the return of international students to Melbourne when Australia’s borders open to these people. Unfortunately, the financial impact of COVID-19 meant some difficult decisions needed to be made, and this included a number of staff redundancies and fraction reductions. These decisions were not made lightly, and it still saddens me that we went into 2021 with a leaner cohort of staff compared to the same time in 2020. To the staff who remained at Trinity College, however, I am incredibly thankful for their dedication and flexibility, as they worked – almost always from home – to keep Trinity operating as the respected institution that it is, inspiring students of exceptional promise to imagine and achieve a better world. Of course, I’m also proud of our students in each division, who adapted to the changing learning and living environment with such grace and understanding, while maintaining our strong sense of community.
2020
3 ANNUAL REPORT
