Experiential Learning

Though the term ‘experiential learning’ wasn’t coined until the 2000s, Trinity students have been doing for more than a century. One hundred fifty years ago, Trinity University began redefining the liberal arts, giving students the opportunity for hands-on learning inside—and outside—of the classroom. From the very beginning of Trinity’s existence, Tigers have jumped headfirst into real-world experience, from creating new cotton gin machines to training to be ministers.

In the late 1800s, college teaching mainly consisted of memorization and recitation. But one Trinity professor strayed from the norm: William Hudson, who emphasized the importance of adaptability and innovation in the classroom. His penmanship students practiced writing and drawing, while his botany students tended to a garden and his science students dissected animals, fossils, and minerals. Hudson even pioneered collaborative learning experiences between students and faculty, forming an exploration society where he and students traveled through nearby counties to collect plants and animals for the University’s museum.

That spirit of collaboration has remained rooted in Trinity’s culture 150 years later. Today, students and professors still work closely together, performing research typically unheard of at the undergraduate level and exploring the world through faculty-led study abroad programs. Tigers take on internships that shake up the status quo and dive into entrepreneurial pursuits that create new products and services. These experiences cultivate a community of lifelong learners with ambition and empathy, driven by a sense of duty to ourselves and to the world.