The Transformative Colleges Initiative (TCI) serves as a groundbreaking convening platform for college presidents in Illinois, inviting them to rethink and shift their business models toward a collaborative approach with other institutions to innovate for college affordability. This initiative focuses on leveraging the abundant resources of local ecosystems to create proactive, upstream solutions to challenges such as student debt and enhancing student well-being.
Trinity Christian College has already began piloting solutions, which include redesigning academic schedules to enhance student well-being, reducing tuition costs, and creating real-world learning opportunities in partnership with local businesses. It has already shown promising results, such as significant reductions in the use of counseling services by students, a decrease in academic concerns and dismissals, and an increase in student retention rates. Additionally, local small businesses in the South Side of Chicago have benefited from growth funding and increased capacity through partnerships with students.
By inviting college presidents and other leaders to this convening platform, TCI hopes to create a learning community of peers that champions innovation based on mutuality, collaboration, and student-centered solutions.
To learn more about this initiative, please contact President Aaron Kuecker, Trinity Christian College at akuecker@trnty.edu.