Reining in Growth

In two years as president of Trinity College in Connecticut, Joanne Berger-Sweeney has shown no fear of sharply changing course. Since starting at Trinity in July 2014, Berger-Sweeney has guided the 2,400-student private liberal arts college in Hartford, Conn., through a series of policy changes and course corrections large and small. The college put in place highly publicized admissions changes in the last year, dropping standardized test requirements, emphasizing applicants’ qualities like curiosity and persistence, and adding optional essay prompts. The college has also moved to end a recent history of freshman classes creeping larger and larger -- a move coming at a time when many liberal arts institutions are scrambling to try to bolster incoming classes.