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Trinity College of Quezon City Becomes Trinity University of Asia

Episcopal News Service. October 10, 2006 [101006-1-A]

The Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC) and the Association of Episcopal Colleges have announced the change in status of Trinity College of Quezon City, Philippines, to Trinity University of Asia (TUA).

Trinity's five-year mission to become a university was officially accomplished on July 18 when the Commission on Higher Education granted the change. The September 18 investiture of Dr. Josephina Suerte Sumaya, as the university’s first president, at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John inaugurated the occasion.

In her address, Sumaya, who previously served as the first female president of the college and led the pursuit for the university standing, described the change as a "dream fulfilled" but "we will continue to dream and dare to do bigger things."

"So here we are today, a young and healthy two-month old baby university," she said. "But if we date our birthday to when Trinity College was founded in 1963, we are now 43 years old. Life begins at 40 so they say. Whether the University is two months old or 43, a bright future lies ahead. And we do not intend to rest on our laurels."

Trinity is the first full-fledged college instituted through the concordat of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, or Philippine Independent Church.

It is a private, non-sectarian, non-profit, and church-related institution of learning founded in 1963 by the contribution of funds in 1922 of Proctor and Gamble stock from the Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey Paul Matthews and his wife Elsie Procter. The stock grew in value enabling the foundation of the college.

According to the Rev. Dr. Don Thompson, CUAC’s general secretary, the Association of Episcopal Colleges has sponsored the American "Friends of Trinity College" which helped raise funds for Trinity’s building expansions in the 1990s.

"What makes Trinity outstanding amongst other Anglican and Episcopal Colleges around the world has been its commitment to service learning -- a vision of both education and the church contributing service and knowledge to the building up of community and society," Thompson said. "The work Trinity has done and continues to do is exemplary."

As a university, Sumaya said they will perfect their faculty profile to have 100 percent doctorate and master's degree holders teaching in the tertiary level; continue to revise their curricula to make them relevant and responsive to the needs of the times; update their information technology system and e-learning and teach students skills relevant to the industry; and consider developing new work-focused courses to produce graduates for industry, business and hospitals.

Nonetheless, while preparing students for jobs she said they will stress that a Trinity education should also "develop their moral and spiritual values to make them whole persons."

"Our mission statement reminds us that we should prepare our students 'for a better life through God-centered education and service' and our vision is to 'form integrally developed, competent, productive and socially responsible citizens,'" Sumaya said.

"They have built a remarkable university, and very much at its core are Christian values and service to others," Thompson said.

As a university, Sumaya said more attention will now be paid to their mission and vision statements because "this will be our raison d'etre and it must remain at the heart of the university."

"We will move towards an organization where faculty and staff are intrinsically motivated, inspired by team spirit and common identity, thus harnessing the collective talents and energy of people to achieve most useful corporate results," she said.

Further information is available at Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC).

The Association of Episcopal Colleges is a consortium of colleges with historic and present ties to the Episcopal Church. It was founded in 1962 with a commitment to supporting academic excellence and linking faith and values with learning and service.

For more information visit the TUA website.