Why Do We Have Residential Colleges At Trent?

They offer you – the member of college - an immediate sense of identity and community within the larger university.

They offer you a rich and varied intellectual, cultural, social and recreational life. In any year, your college might host special lecture series, a college citation program, seminars and other meetings, plus offer you many chances to get to know faculty members (College Fellows) in informal settings.

By getting elected to the student-run college cabinets (or councils), members of college work closely with college staff to plan programs and activities according to the interests of college members.

College Rivalry:

The colleges are rivals, as well, often competing with one another for various intercollegiate bragging rights. For example, in 2009 Otonabee College won the Intercollegiate Spelling Bee, and Champlain College won the prestigious Trent Grail for college participation in intramural sports. All of this college-based activity helps to define your life at the university.

The Purpose of the Colleges At Trent:

The founders of Trent University were concerned that over time Trent would become too big and students would get lost in the bureaucratic machinery of running a large university. In order to prevent this from happening, they borrowed a tradition in community development that first emerged in the Middle Ages in England: the residential college system.

The Key Experience is Membership:

Even if you don’t live in the residence part of the college, even if you are a part-time student, the most important thing is membership: You are still a member of college: a safe haven, a place where you are known and a home away from home.

Here to Help:

Each college has staff that can help you with all manner of questions about your academic success and overall progress in the university. The college team includes the Head of College, the College Assistant, and the Senior Tutor. The residential colleges at Trent also have a Residential Life Co-ordinator, Dons and Living Learning Community Mentors. We are all here to befriend you and to help you along in your journey toward success.