Trinity University Board of Trustees Extends President Vanessa Beasley’s Contract Through 2031

The Trinity University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a new five-year contract for President Vanessa B. Beasley, Ph.D. , the university announced today. Beasley, who became Trinity's 20th president in 2022, still had one year remaining on her current contract.

"Under President Beasley's thoughtful and innovative leadership, Trinity's reputation as one of the best liberal arts and sciences universities in the country has grown tremendously," said Ted Beneski P'11, P'14, chair of the Board of Trustees and CEO and managing partner of Insight Equity in Southlake, Texas.

"The trustees have complete confidence in President Beasley's ability to execute her vision for Trinity's continued success, and so do the alumni, students, faculty, and staff I talk with," Beneski added. "Her energy and passion for Trinity are infectious, and her keen understanding of the higher education landscape is vitally important. She is the exact right leader for our time."

"Trinity University is a special place, and I am deeply honored and thoroughly enthused to continue working with, and on behalf of, the Trinity community," Beasley said. "Our students are extremely bright and hardworking; our faculty are superb teachers, scholars, and mentors; and our staff works tirelessly on efforts seen and unseen. Likewise, we are so fortunate to have alumni and supporters who are deeply committed to Trinity and our future."

Beasley, at the board's direction, began a new era of the Trinity presidency in 2022 by building external support for the university and increasing its national profile. She regularly travels to visit alumni and donors across the country, from Seattle to New York. She also serves as a board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) and as vice chair of the Executive Committee of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT).

Since being named Trinity's president, Beasley has implemented or managed key initiatives to advance the university. Among them:

• In 2023, Beasley led a strategic planning process that resulted in Ready. Set. Rise. , which focuses on strengthening student-focused education, cultivating character-driven leaders, reimagining spaces and connections, and promoting the unique history, culture, community, and economy that being in San Antonio lends to educational opportunities; the plan's first year ends this summer with several new pilots in place.
• Student recruitment efforts have resulted in the highest number of applicants in history and, for the incoming Class of 2030, the highest number of students who committed to Trinity early in the admissions process.
• Fundraising is on track to reach the $300 million goal of Our Time: The Campaign for Trinity University . The campaign's top priorities are providing more financial aid to increase access for students and more opportunities for research, internships, and study away, and it has set new records for alumni engagement.
• Trinity received two of the largest single gifts in university history: $26.5 million to name the D. R. Semmes School of Science and $25 million to name the Carlos Alvarez School of Arts and Humanities .
• An additional $6.1 million gift from the Semmes Foundation will increase opportunities for students and faculty in the sciences, making Trinity students even more competitive for careers and graduate schools and strengthening the university's reputation as a leader in undergraduate science education among all U.S. colleges and universities.
• Trinity University is now increasingly recognized in national rankings, including rising on the U.S. News and World Report's "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges" list to No. 37 after debuting at No. 55 when Trinity moved to the national category in 2022, reflecting timely graduation rates, low average student loan indebtedness, increased peer scores, and other metrics.

In March, Beasley recommended, and the Board of Trustees approved, a contract extension for Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Megan Mustain, Ph.D. , reflecting a shared understanding of the university's strategic opportunities and future trajectory.

"Working with our community, we've achieved some meaningful accomplishments, and yet there is more to do," Beasley said.

"Our ambition is nothing less than becoming the ideal university for the 21st century," Beasley said. "Trinity University's unique combination of academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, combined with cutting-edge curriculum in business and engineering, makes us the right university to meet the needs of our time. We also believe strongly that San Antonio's steady growth and cultural richness put our university in the right place to prepare future leaders. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, and supporters to turn this vision into even more of a bright reality."