Trinity Lutheran College (Washington)
| Trinity Lutheran College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Intellectual, Faithful, Engaged |
| Established | 1944 |
| Type | Private |
| Affiliation | Lutheran |
| President | John W. Reed |
| Undergraduates | 175 (2012) |
| Location | Everett, Washington, USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Blue and Yellow |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Website | www.tlc.edu |
Trinity Lutheran College is an accredited, Christian liberal arts college located in Everett, Washington, United States that offers bachelor's degrees in Biblical studies; Business, Leadership & Management; Early Childhood Education; Intercultural Studies; Music; Children, Youth & Family Studies; Computer Information Systems; Communications; Psychology; and Graphic Design & Visual Communications. The Campus Center is located in downtown Everett, situated between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound.
Trinity also offers a two-year associates degree in Biblical studies, post-B.A. certificates in professional studies, and a program for students interested in exploring vocational and career interests.
Mission
“Trinity Lutheran College, through biblically-centered education, develops Christian leaders with a global perspective whose lives and ministry serve Jesus Christ in church and society.”
Distinctions
The college boasts a 95% placement rate among graduates from the past three years and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Athletics
Intercollegiate athletics programs include men's and women's cross-country, golf, soccer, swimming and track and field. Teams play as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and Division I members of the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA).
Heritage
Trinity Lutheran College was founded in 1944 as the Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle, rooted in a wider early 20th century movement among American Lutheran denominations. The Lutheran Bible Institute was historically linked to a variety of European and Protestant Bible teaching institutions that grew out of the church renewal movements on the European continent and in Great Britain during the preceding two centuries. These movements sought to offer systematic, in-depth study of Scripture to lay persons in the historic Reformation tradition.
The college’s first campus was located in downtown Seattle, though it soon moved to the Greenwood area of north Seattle. In 1979, the college relocated to the Providence Heights Campus in Issaquah, WA, a 39-acre wooded campus formerly owned by the Sisters of Providence. In 2008, the college moved its campus from Issaquah to downtown Everett, WA, remodeling the former Port Gardner building. The current campus includes the Campus Center, an adjacent parking garage, and two student apartment buildings. The college’s name was changed to Trinity Lutheran College in 1999 to reflect its status as a four-year, accredited college. Trinity is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the United States Department of Education.
Today, Trinity offers over 40 areas of study within 10 majors and 17 minors, as well as a two-year Associate of Biblical Studies degree, one-year Certificates in Professional Studies, and a one-year Certificate in Biblical Studies. Trinity maintains its distinctiveness as a biblically centered institution by requiring all bachelor of arts students to complete the Trinity Crux Curriculum, which includes foundational exploration of biblical texts, personal formation, and service learning.
Commitments
Faith Tradition
The Lutheran expression of the Christian faith emphasizes God’s grace in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Word and the Sacraments are the means of grace by which God’s love reaches people today. The gift of faith through the means of grace makes people right with God and empowers them as inheritors of eternal life. Trinity Lutheran College accepts and acknowledges the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God. The college acknowledges the three ecumenical creeds of the Trinitarian Christian tradition: The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
Church
Trinity is not affiliated with any single Lutheran denomination. As an independent college with a Lutheran heritage, Trinity is committed to uphold that tradition while seeking a close partnership in ministry with all Christian churches and service to the community as a whole. Trinity welcomes students from all backgrounds to join the conversations within this faith-motivated community. They will enjoy both academic freedom and classes with faculty who are willing to address the great questions of life in which faith and scholarship intersect.
Service
Service and service-learning is a way of life and education at Trinity Lutheran College. Its faculty, staff, and students offer their talents and resources to congregations and community service organizations, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Faculty and staff offer a variety of outreach forums. Students participate in the Service Learning Practicum program, performing thousands of hours of community service. Learning and serving go hand in hand in the task of preparing effective disciples for a life of Christ-centered service.
Character and Values
Distinctiveness
General education courses instruct students about important disciplines of life. In addition to the integration of biblical themes throughout the curriculum, Trinity emphasizes intercultural and global perspectives, and provides students with opportunities to engage new cultural contexts domestically and abroad. The breadth of all general studies courses helps students become well-rounded individuals who will develop the intellectual tools to address an array of life challenges and opportunities. Students are taught to research thoroughly, argue persuasively, read critically, and solve problems creatively. A liberal arts education, therefore, is one that does not merely communicate facts but helps students develop advanced skills that will allow them to fill positions of leadership in their chosen vocations.
Biblical study has always been an important part of Trinity’s education. Since the Lutheran heritage emphasizes the centrality of the Bible, vocational discernment, and critical thought about living faithfully through service, these are important elements of the core requirements for all students. Recognizing that there is no neutral vantage point from which to engage the core biblical texts and spirituality of ancient Israel and the early Christian church, we invite students from all backgrounds to engage the Bible from their own perspectives. Faculty members bring the perspective of their own rich and varied Christian traditions but respect and support the deep Lutheran roots of the college and its curriculum. Core courses involve what we call the “Common Conversation”; this is because, despite our various perspectives, the biblical texts challenge each of us to examine ways in which our education helps us live, learn, and serve our world faithfully.
The Service Learning Practicum, a key element of the crux, has been a distinctive part of Trinity’s educational program for decades. Full-time students participate in on- or off-campus service experiences that are supervised by faculty and community professionals. Thousands of hours are donated each year to the surrounding community; through this process, students learn about their strengths and their callings in life.
Majors allow students in-depth study of a specific area of interest. Competent and caring faculty members work closely with students to create an enriching learning environment. A very low student-to-faculty ratio is distinctive for Trinity students. This personalized attention helps guide students toward professional placement and graduate school.
The Living-Learning Community
Trinity students are not sheltered or shielded from engagement with society; rather they are encouraged and coached through the process of entering the fray of their immediate community in creative and active ways. Trinity’s Living-Learning Community model makes every square foot of the college a learning laboratory. It fosters an environment in which each community experience is an intentional part of a holistic education. Similarly, the greater Everett area serves as a classroom through service learning and community engagement opportunities.
These are some examples of how the Living-Learning Community affects the student experience:
- The student store becomes a “laboratory” for business students to practice marketing, accounting, and management skills.
- Professors participate in student life by leading conversations, seminars, and other activities that connect classroom and extracurricular activities.
- Staff members participate in the educational experience of students through advising and spiritual development roles.
- Chapel leadership becomes a course that prepares students to become future leaders in community worship settings.
- Professors serve as teachers, using their best gifts and passions for the benefit of the whole community. For instance, professors might teach conflict resolution skills within the context of creating roommate agreements.
- Music & Worship students participate in community church choirs as part of their college education.
Accreditation
Trinity Lutheran College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of six regional associations in the United States that accredit schools and colleges. NWCCU is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education.
Academic Partnerships
Affiliated Learning Partners
Trinity is a member of the Affiliated Learning Partners that exists as a consortium of higher education institutions including Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota; Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, California; Concordia University, Portland, Oregon; and Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington. This consortium acts as the institutional arm of Lutheran Educational Network and Support, which provides enrichment, collegiate, and graduate Lutheran education in the Pacific Northwest.
Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA)
Trinity is a member of the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA). LECNA, which was formed in 1910, is the oldest existing inter-Lutheran organization in the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to encourage, assist, and promote cooperation among Lutheran colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
Campus Location and Facilities
The Trinity Lutheran College Campus Center opened fall semester of 2008 in Everett, Washington and is located at 2802 Wetmore Ave., at the corner of California St. and Wetmore Ave.
The Campus Center has five floors devoted to classrooms, administrative offices, faculty offices, the library, a student store, and a commons area. The center is served by a parking garage connected by a skywalk. Student housing is nearby, as is the YMCA, which is available for student use at no cost.
External links
Coordinates: 47°58′49″N 122°12′27″W / 47.98028°N 122.20750°W