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Dear Winthrop Community:
As
Winthrop University continues to seek its 11th president, we are happy
to report the second phase of the search is progressing as planned. We
are pleased with the substantial pool of qualified individuals who are
interested in this opportunity.
More than 140 individuals
applied, were nominated by others or were contacted by the search
consultant, Bill Funk, of R. William Funk and Associates. More than 80
individuals are considered active, viable candidates. We expect to
conduct preliminary confidential interviews with semifinalist candidates
in February.
Based on the interviews and further reviews of
their candidacies the search committee will recommend three to five
finalists who we anticipate will be invited to campus in late February
or early March. Their visits will constitute the third phase of the
search.
During the visits, candidates will present their vision
for Winthrop's future in a public forum, at which time they will field
questions from the audience. Presentations will be videotaped so that
members of the Winthrop community who are unable to attend the forums
can hear from the candidates. Representatives of key university
constituencies also will meet with the candidates and confer with the
Board of Trustees on their impressions.
The ultimate
responsibility for selecting Winthrop's 11th president rests with the
Board of Trustees, but we are committed to an inclusive process and look
forward to the feedback of our constituents.
Thank you for your interest in the search for the 11th president of Winthrop.
Sincerely,
Kathy Bigham
John Bird
We are in the midst of the 2014-2015 influenza season. South Carolina is considered Widespread flu, which means it is prevalent all around us.
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO GET YOUR FLU VACCINE, IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY. Health
Services has flu vaccines available!
The CDC recommends influenza vaccine for anyone 6 months and older. Individuals
with influenza can have severe illness and complications. Traditionally, the risk
is higher among children younger than age 5, adults 65 years and older, pregnant women,
and those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes. At this
point the predominant strain is H3N2 which was a strain predominant in 2012 and can
cause more serious complications according to the CDC. If you have watched the news
— they state the strain of flu vaccine has drifted — WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
As noted by the CDC, "Most of the H3N2 viruses circulating are "drifted" or different
from the H3N2 vaccine virus; suggesting that the vaccine's ability to protect against
those viruses may be reduced. Two factors play an important role in determining the
likelihood that flu vaccines will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics
of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity
or "match" between the flu viruses in the vaccine and those spreading in the community."
"CDC continues to recommend flu vaccination even when there are drifted viruses circulating
because the vaccine can still prevent infection and also prevent serious flu-related
complications in many people. Anyone who has not gotten vaccinated yet this season
should do so now. This includes people who may already have gotten the flu this season
because flu vaccines protect against three or four different viruses and it's possible
that other viruses will circulate later in the season. It's fairly common for there
to be two waves of flu activity during a season, the second wave is often caused by
an influenza B virus."
THEREFORE- if you have not had your influenza vaccine, you need to get it (unless
your doctor advises against it, or you have a contraindication such as severe allergy
to eggs).
The Fluzone Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine by Sanofi is available in Health Services
for $25.00. The charge goes on your account. Local pharmacies also carry the flu vaccine.
It may be the quadrivalent or trivalent. The Trivalent vaccine has 2 A strains and
1 B strain. The Quadrivalent vaccine has 2 A strains and 2 B strains (B strains have
traditionally shown up later in the flu season as noted above by the CDC). It takes
two weeks for the vaccine to take effect. Therefore, the sooner you get the influenza
vaccine, the better your chances of avoiding the flu this season
What should you do to avoid the flu or if you get the flu?
As stated above, GET A FLU SHOT. You are not only protecting yourself, but you are
protecting others.
Frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water.
Avoid people who are sick. Influenza is spread through droplets. Stay out of others'
"space".
If you get sick, stay home from work, school and extracurricular activities until
you are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicines. You do not want
to spread the flu to others.
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue, if one is handy,
and throw it away immediately after use. Otherwise, use your upper sleeve. Using your
hand may further spread the virus to others as you touch doors, shake hands, etc.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can be absorbed through your
mucous membranes.
Maintain a good immune system- get enough rest, eat healthy, exercise as able!
What are symptoms of the flu?
Fever or feeling feverish/chills
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Flu activity is definitely higher than last year. Check out CDC's webpage for more information on the Flu.
Winthrop is committed to supporting student success, and one way to do that is to
communicate with students in an intentional way about their class progress. In about
a month, most students will be receiving interim grades (also known as "mid-term"
grades). These grades are a guideline to assist students and advisors in assessing
where the student is at that particular point in the semester. Students at-risk can
be referred to the Academic Success Center while high-performing students can be steered towards the Honors Program.
Students can access their interim grades for classes that meet the whole semester
through the online portal, Wingspan, beginning Monday, March 2. Interim grades do
not appear on a transcript (unofficial or official), and students should keep in mind
that their grade is only reflective of the amount of graded work done in the class
up to that point. Most often, there is plenty of time to bring up a low grade. If
not, students have time to consult with the instructor, advisor, or other support
unit about whether to withdraw from the class.
Students with questions about their interim grades should confer directly with their
instructors.
The Center for Career Development and Internships community is home to three distinctive programs at Winthrop University: career development, service learning, and volunteer/community services. Center for Career Development and Internships provides students with a comprehensive approach to career preparation, personal growth, and service to the community with experiential learning as a key component. Career development provides students and alumni with resources and services for all career-related matters. Some of the services provided include career guidance, professional development workshops, resume critiques, mock interviews, internship assistance, employment fairs, and our own employment database, EAGLElink.
Center for Career Development and Internships hosts walk-in hours for resume building
every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. If the hours do not work
with the students' schedules, the office is able to make appointments, as well. EAGLElink
allows students to search for part-time jobs, internships, full-time jobs, and volunteer
opportunities. Center for Career Development and Internships is hosting three career
fairs this February.
The Summer and Part-Time Jobs Fair on February 17 will be hosted from 10 a.m. to 1
p.m. in the DiGiorgio Campus Center Lobby. This event is for all students looking
for career opportunities for the summer along with part-time occupations.
The Education Career Fair will be held February 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the
Richardson Ballroom. This career fair is for all graduating education majors looking
for jobs.
Finally, the Career Showcase on February 19 is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Richardson
Ballroom and is for all students seeking full-time job opportunities and professional
internships.
On January 19th, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, our office hosted several
different service opportunities for Winthrop students to help impact the Rock Hill
Community. We had more than 200 Winthrop students provide community service. Here
is a short video clip of our Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service activities.
Coming up in March, Winthrop students will be attending an Alternative Spring Break.
Alternative Spring Break is a program that provides college students with opportunities
to engage in meaningful service during their spring break. They will be completing
short-term projects for different community agencies. This year, there will be two
different spring break trips. One will be traveling to Savannah, Ga., and the other
will take place in Selma, Ala.
Volunteer & Community Service also houses S.O.A.R (Serving Others And Reflecting)
and Winthrop's Homework Clinic. Both of these programs seek to provide services to
others. S.O.A.R is a student run organization that coordinates service projects
and volunteer initiatives for a variety of issues, including fighting for the rights
of animals, children, the elderly, & individuals with special needs. In addition,
the homework clinic is an off campus service that provides local fifth graders one-on-one
tutoring and mentoring sessions from trained Winthrop students. Center for Career
Development and Internships is also home to the Close Scholars, which is a program
that awards scholarships to a small group of incoming freshmen. The Close Scholars
are required to provide 112 hours of community service each semester.
We encourage all Winthrop students to take advantage of the diverse offerings that
the Center for Career Development and Internships office provides!
If you have any questions about Center for Career Development and Internships please
contact us at 803/323-2141 or visit us online.
You have made it to the spring semester! We have had a lot of new things happening
here with Winthrop University Dining Services.
We have a new station in the Thomson Caf. The Mongolian Grill at Thomson Caf is a
create-your-own stir fry option where you choose your vegetables, rice or noodles
and sauce — then we stir fry it for you right there. It's a perfect way to get a customized
meal.
Also, in order to better accommodate your students we have changed the hours of our
Eagle Express convenient store located in Thomson Hall. Eagle Express is now open
until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. These late night hours will give your student
a late night option to grab a study snack or any convenient items they should need.
It's a new semester and commuter students still have time to purchase a meal plan!
We still have six meal plans commuters may choose from — two being created specifically
for commuters. To purchase, your student can log onto their Wingspan account and choose
the Meal Plan of his or her choice — this will be charged to his or her student account.
If you would like to pay it immediately, you can go to the Cashiers office and pay
— otherwise it will be placed on your student's next bill from the university. As
an extra incentive, we are running a Caf Cash promotion during the month of February.
From February 9 to February 27 we will add an extra $10 for every $100 of Caf Cash
you add to your account. For more information please check our website and click on "Meal Plans." If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
the Dining Services at 803/323.2119.
Hope to see you dining on campus this Spring!
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @winthropdining
Monday, February 2
Last day to apply for August or December 2015 graduation without a late fee
Tuesday, February 10
Last day to S/U or Withdraw from a first half of the semester class
