Trinity Christian College

For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College (disambiguation).

Trinity Christian College
Motto	Momentum for Life
Established	1959
Type	Private University, Reformed
Religious affiliation	Christian Reformed Church, IAPCHE, CCCU
President	Steve Timmermans
Academic staff	80
Students	1,450
Undergraduates	1,450
Postgraduates	0
Location	Palos Heights, Illinois, United States
Campus	Suburban, 138 acres (55.8 ha)
Nickname	Trolls
Website	www.trnty.edu

Trinity Christian College is a liberal arts college located in Palos Heights, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The college was founded in 1959 by a group of Chicago businessmen who wanted to establish a college providing students with a Christian higher education in a Reformed tradition. Today, Trinity Christian College boasts a traditional student enrollment of just over 1,200 students and offers degrees in 30 fields. The college has also undergone extensive building projects over the past decade to become a modern, technologically rich institution. This college is not to be confused with Trinity International University in north suburban Deerfield.

History

Trinity Christian College was founded in 1952. By April 1956, this visionary group had drafted a constitution and incorporated the Trinity Christian College Association. The first board of trustees was elected in 1959, and they purchased the Navajo Hills Golf Course in suburban Palos Heights for the campus. After remodeling the former clubhouse and pro shop, the college opened that fall with a class of 37 students taught by five full-time faculty members.

As the response of the community grew and students embraced the college's unique perspective, it became evident that Trinity Christian College was fulfilling a greater need beyond providing a solid liberal arts education for two-year students. In 1966, the board initiated the process for the college to become a four-year, degree-granting institution. The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in May 1971.

Campus

The Martin and Janet Ozinga Chapel, a 1200-seat facility, serves as a cultural and spiritual focal point for the student body as well as the greater community. The building provides practice and rehearsal rooms for the music department, and houses the campus ministries program under the direction of the campus chaplain. The Grand Lobby has hosted a variety of events beneath its striking stained glass window, the first of a series of stained glass panels hung throughout the building designed to celebrate Trinity Christian's mission in Reformed higher education.

The Heritage Science Center is a state-of-the-art facility, comprising 38,000-square feet (3,500 m²) of classroom and lab space for chemistry, biology, and physics programs, as well as classrooms and a lecture hall for technology and computer science studies.

The Art and Communication Center (ARCC), provides Trinity Christian students with ample space and tools to bring forth a whole new foray into the world of creative expression, with art and design studios, a graphic design lab, student gallery, and black box theatre for the performing arts. In process of construction as well are new athletic fields and a new athletic complex. The new gym features a state of the art lab for exercise students students, a rock climbing wall, and a fitness center.

Organization and administration

The college president is Steve Timmermans.

Academic profile

Trinity Christian developed a cohesive approach to its core curriculum of philosophy, history, English, and theology. In the years since its original vision was conceived, the college has kept pace with the changing educational landscape by offering a broader scope of courses and programs. The curriculum has expanded to include business, criminal justice, education, and nursing in addition to its traditional liberal arts focus. Today, there are adult learners seeking to complete their undergraduate degrees along with recent high school graduates exploring a future in disciplines such as information technology, graphic design, social work, exercise science, and communication disorders. Many pre profesional programs are also offered; including pre-medicine, pre-physical therapy, pre-seminary, pre-law, allied health sciences, and most recently, pre speech and language pathology.

The traditional (not including adult learners) student body has swelled to more than 1000 undergraduates, taught by a dedicated faculty of more than 80 instructors. With a student/faculty ratio of 12:1, Trinity Christian students receive individual attention that affirms their spiritual and academic experience. Although students are drawn from predominantly Reformed and Presbyterian church backgrounds, students also come from diverse traditions, including Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic.

With more than 40 majors, Trinity Christian offers a variety of educational and ministry experiences including studies abroad; interim trips to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Italy, London, Paris, Egypt, Jamaica, and Israel; and internships with corporations and non-profit organizations. The college's proximity to the resources of metropolitan Chicago offers students an exceptional "classroom" that provides experiential learning opportunities. The college offers a Chicago Semester program in cooperation with sister institutions in which junior and senior students live in downtown Chicago, attend cultural events, work internships in their chosen field, and take seminar courses about urban life. On campus, students can also purse the interdisplinary urban studies minor, including courses from many departments such as sociology, history, political science, church ministry, and biology. Inter-collegiate sports for men and women, student-run ministry programs, and a full scope of creative expression in fine arts and student publications complete the Trinity Christian experience.

In Fall 2012, Trinity began its first two master's degree programs, in counseling psychology and special education. Both programs take about two years to complete, and utilize hybrid courses that combine face-to-face classroom sessions with online learning components, to provide flexibility with living arrangements and work schedules. The school also began a three year speech and language pathology program, in which students take classes at Trinity for three years majoring in communication disorders. Then for two years can attend either Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL or Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan to finish their bachelor degree from Trinity and receive a master degree in speech language pathology.

2004-2005 enrollment figures

• 973 traditional students, 1280 total
• 13:1 student/faculty ratio
• 649 students living in college residences
• Average class size - 13
• 44% of students from out of state
• 14.4% minority students

Adult Studies

In 1998 Trinity Christian College opened the TRACS department, now called Adult Studies, to serve the needs of the non-traditional student. Adults 23 years of age and older can complete their college degree through this program.

The Adult Studies programs are offered in a cohort format, so students begin the program as part of a group (20 maximum) and move through each course together. The cohort format encourages friendships and creates a supportive environment. Each course in the Adult Studies programs is accelerated. Courses that would normally require 16 weeks to finish are completed in five-, six- or seven-week periods. Classes will cover the necessary course material in a shorter timeframe, helping students finish their degrees and/or teaching certificates in less than two years.

To simplify the process further, courses are held on the same night of the week during the same time period (usually 6 p.m.-10 p.m.) throughout the program. For example, if the first class meeting begins on a Tuesday evening, the class continues to meet every Tuesday evening for the duration of the program. When students enroll in the Adult Studies programs, they are registering for every course in the program. This predetermined sequence and registration will help eliminate the need to modify students' personal or professional schedules.

Programs offered in the Adult Studies department are:

• B.A. in Education / Teaching Certification (offered in Palos Heights, Addison and Chicago)
• B.S. in Business (offered in Palos Heights)
• English as a Second Language / Bilingual Endorsement or Approval (for certified teachers) (offered in Palos Heights)
• Special Education Endorsement or Approval (for certified teachers) (offered in Palos Heights)

In Fall 2012 the program was expanded to include an RN to BSN nursing program and a criminal justice program.

Student life

Sport

Trinity Christian athletic teams are known as the Trolls; the college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) competing in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). The Trolls also compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.

In Fall 2011, an NAIA men's golf team was started. In November 2005 the women's soccer team collected Trinity Christian's first national title by winning the NCCAA National Soccer Tournament. In November 2007, the women's soccer team made it to the NCCAA national finals in Kissimee, Florida.

The Mascot for Trinity Christian College is the Troll. It is the only college in the nation that has this particular mascot. The Trinity Troll was among the Top Ten College Team mascots according to ESPN U.

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• Campus map
• Adult Studies website