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Imaginative Vision: Provost Linda Doyle Dr Linda Doyle became the 45th Provost of Trinity College Dublin on the 1st of August 2021. She is the first female Provost in the University’s history. A significant contributor to research and the arts, Linda is also a passionate advocate for women in STEM education and industry. The entire Trinity Access team looks forward to her tenure as Provost, and to contributing to her imaginative and inclusive vision for the University and our students. These are her words. What does the work of Trinity Access mean for the University? How have our students responded to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic? What is your vision for the future and what does that look like for our students?
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What's Next for Trinity Access? Since March 2020 we have all been part of a virtual community, connected in ways that were previously unimaginable, even in this digital age. Community, as a concept, has always had multiple meanings. Traditionally, it referred to a group of people residing together, physically and geographically. But now especially, it also means a communion of minds, a partnership of the converted who believe in and work towards the same ideals. In Trinity Access, we understand the power of community. The patterns of life that emerge from the shared experiences of individuals, families, and communities offer us precious insights into what must be preserved and what must be re-imagined. Institutions like Trinity are built on the foundation of community. This means that such institutions can only be effective as agents of change and beacons of learning when they meet the needs of every individual within that community. As our community of students continue to grow, we are excited to expand our community of supporters. United, we must work to fully support our students; financially, academically and personally. The pandemic has widened the gap between those who have access and those who don’t. Those who are empowered to engage in education, and those who aren’t. The spaces in which we learn and teach have become even more contested. As we emerge into a new world, the words of our new Provost, Prof. Linda Doyle resonate loudly, “imagine how much more we can be.” As we imagine our Trinity Access into the future, the learnings of 2020/2021 have focused our priorities – community, technology, teaching & learning and connectivity. With and through technology we will connect, and we will create spaces dedicated to teaching & learning and communities of practice. We will make meaning in the spaces that we occupy because it is in those spaces dedicated to teaching and to learning, that the world is reimagined. It is our mission in Trinity Access to make those spaces accessible to everyone.
