On Monday, October 13, current students will be able to see their interim (Mid-Term) Grades in Wingspan and get a better idea of their current standing in their classes. These initial grades can often be a good indicator of a student's performance in the course and can therefore prompt valuable changes in habits or coursework (if necessary) before it is too late.
Interim Grades can lead to significant evaluation of a student's course load, major choice, use of campus resources or utilization of academic options such as S/U. Interim Grades will be reported 10 days before the Course Withdrawal Deadline and the deadline to elect the S/U option for a course (both Friday, October 24), which allows students time to meet with professors or an academic advisor to discuss their academic options. This also gives students enough time to meet with Financial Aid to discuss scholarship implications because, while interim grades will not affect a student's scholarship directly, they could be an indication that scholarship money is at risk if final grades do not meet minimum requirements at the time of renewal.
If your student receives some interim grades that were lower than expected, there is no need to panic. While interim grades can be a good indicator of a student's overall academic performance, they sometimes can also be based only on one or two assignments or tests and do not account for class participation. There is also still plenty of time left in the semester to make academic choices and changes that will positively impact final grades.
If your students find they are in need of a little more help after seeing their interim grades, the Academic Success Center (ASC) is here to help! No matter what their major or academic standing, all students can learn more effective study habits that will set them on course for success. The ASC offers a wide variety of free services including:
Come mid-October, be aware that your students have the opportunity to learn where they stand in their classes. Support them in making any necessary changes that will set them on course for success. The ASC is an office dedicated to impacting student success at Winthrop through "helping underprepared students prepare, prepared students advance and advanced students excel" (NADE). We are delighted to be a part of your student's success journey. For more information about the ASC, please visit our website.
When I was asked to write a short piece for this newsletter, I must admit that I was a little overwhelmed. It was the same feeling I get when I stand in front of the juices at the grocery store. I just stand there like a zombie sometimes because there are just so many choices! I have the range of human experience to consider here. Should I write about Depression? Anxiety? Suicide prevention? Disordered eating? Relationship issues? I had to find a focus, so I thought about my clients and their relationship with their parents. What do my clients really need their parents to understand? What's a common thread that is woven through many if not all of the student/parent relationships? It's this: Your student is afraid of your reaction.
So many of your students are worried about you! While you are sitting back home hoping that your student is eating well, sleeping well, making friends, getting good grades, etc.; your student is so very conscious of how his or her decisions and behavior will impact you. If she acknowledges that she's sad and not making friends, will you worry? If he tried really hard and still got a bad grade, are you going to come down hard? She thinks she picked the wrong major; will you support a switch if it means an extra semester of tuition? If he finds that his romantic attention is so much more directed at other guys than girls, will you keep paying for college? She drank a little too much at a party, and knows it was a bad idea, she'd really like to hear your advice, but how will you react?
Your young adult student is still your kid. He or she still needs that unconditional love that can only come from you. It just doesn't mean the same thing coming from anybody else. When a person keeps information secret due to fear of shame, guilt, or fear of punishment, it only makes the pain that much worse. Take the time to listen. Before you offer any advice, check in to make sure you really understand. When you ask your student how he or she is really doing, make sure they know by both your words and your actions that you will accept him or her no matter what. There really is no greater gift that you can give your students at this point in his or her lives. Your student is making hard choices and he or she is probably make some mistakes. Your student needs to know that these mistakes are actually an opportunity to grow closer and won't cut him or her off from you. Odds are, your student will be reaping some natural consequences from those decisions and behavior, and he or she needs your support to figure out what to do next.
As you guide your kiddo in taking greater and greater responsibility for himself or herself and learning to be self-sufficient in so many ways, let him or her know that Counseling Services is available. We offer short-term counseling on a wide range of presenting issues from relationship problems and homesickness to depression and anxiety. There is no additional charge for your student to see a counselor and what we talk about in session is confidential. If your student tells you he or she is in counseling, please support that decision. Affirming the decision for (or recommending) counseling is just one way that you can work with your student to problem solve and take personal responsibility for their own growth and development.
Feel free to contact me or any of the other counselors on our staff with questions or concerns about your student. We may not be able to offer specific information due to confidentiality laws, but we are more than happy to share general advice and guidance regarding next steps.
Dr. Gretchen Baldwin
Psychologist, Clinical Coordinator for Counseling Services
Center for Student Wellness
217 Crawford Building
803/323-2206
www.winthrop.edu/csw
Is your student stressed out from school or just life in general? Do they need an avenue to relieve that stress in a healthy manner? Here at the West Center, we have several options and opportunities for students to do just that! The West Center features four basketball courts (also compatible for volleyball and badminton), four racquetball courts, a 36-foot indoor rock climbing wall, an 8,000 square foot weight room, five cardio stations, an indoor track, a 25-yard indoor pool with 8 lanes and two aerobic/activity rooms. Want to know the best part? Use of this facility and all of its features are FREE to currently enrolled students! The West Center is open seven days a week during each semester. For hours of operation, please see our website.
Beyond the facility itself, we have many more stress-relief options for your students! The Office of Recreational Services consists of program areas designed to get students involved and active. One such program is intramural sports, which gives students the chance to play in games and tournaments in a variety of sports. This semester's intramural sports include soccer, softball, flag football, volleyball, basketball, kickball, sand volleyball, racquetball, wiffle ball and disc golf. If your student is looking for a little more competition, there are several club sports on campus including men's lacrosse, fencing, taekwondo, women's volleyball and quidditch.
We also have programs available for students who would like to improve their health and fitness. Group fitness classes are available throughout the semester free of charge. This semester we have a large variety of exercise classes scheduled such as Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Aqua Sculpt and Boot Camp. We also have personal trainers available to students for free.
For more information on the individual program areas, check out the Recreational Services website.
Greetings Parents and Family Members!
Homecoming at Winthrop is an important part of the spirit and tradition of the University, involving students, faculty, staff, alumni and you, as a Winthrop parent or family member. We are extremely excited for this year's homecoming week, November 10-15, themed, A Mardi Gras Winthrop: Bourbon Street Meets Alumni Drive. The Student Homecoming Committee is constantly working to improve Homecoming events and this year has added a brand new signature program we would to highlight. The first ever Homecoming Comedy Show scheduled for Friday, November 14 will feature actor and comedian Brandon T. Jackson, with opening comedian Chad Daniels. Advance tickets will be available for purchase. You may visit our Homecoming webpage at www.winthrop.edu/homecoming for more information.
One other major event the Homecoming Committee has planned is our Paint the Town Garnet & Gold event. We have recruited several local businesses who have agreed to celebrate this week by decorating their window storefronts in support of Eagle Pride! We believe this will help to build an even stronger relationship between the Rock Hill and Winthrop community. This event has been the subject of many conversations and planning in past years, and we are extremely excited to see it come back for a second year.
It is through these new initiatives that we hope to generate more student involvement and promote the importance of school pride. The Homecoming Committee is dedicated to jolting such an effort, and believes parents and family members have a place in helping to continue the traditions of Homecoming at Winthrop, and encouraging your student to take advantage of an important experience in their college lives. We encourage you as a Winthrop parent or family member to support these events and help to establish and build those traditions of which we are so fond and proud. Please take a moment to visit www.winthrop.edu/homecoming for more information or contact the Student Homecoming Committee Advisor Deborah Allen at allend@winthrop.edu
Sincerely,
The Student Homecoming CommitteeGreetings from Dining Services! We have enjoyed getting to meet your new students here at our dining locations. With a new selection of students, we have noticed many new trends in food habits. The managers are working hard to keep up with the latest trends and hope that your student is enjoying dining here at Winthrop University. If you should ever have any feedback or concern, please feel free to contact us — we are here for your student and want them to feel at home every meal!
We also know that students are now beginning to understand their meal plans and Caf Cash. During these next few months, we start to notice students getting low on Caf Cash. We are now running a Caf Cash Add-On Special available for a limited time only. For every $100 of Caf Cash you purchase, we will credit your student's account with an additional 10% for FREE. Caf Cash can be used at any dining services location on campus (including the Eagle Express convenience store). You can easily add Caf Cash with a credit card on our Winthrop Dining Services website. The website is www.winthrop.edu/dining - you will need to set up a user name and log-in. Remember, Caf Cash will carry over into spring if your student does not use all of it.
Please make sure you check out our Dining Services Website, Twitter and Instagram to see all the exciting things we are doing in the dining locations. You can find us on social media by searching for Winthrop Dining Services (@winthropdining). Our theme meals have been a hit, and we are excited to offer more — you never know, you might just see your student in our pictures!
Saturday, October 4
Family Day
Friday-Monday, October 17-20
Fall Break; no classes
Wednesday, October 22
Advising for Spring 2015 begins
Friday, October 24
Last day to Withdraw from a Full semester class
Last day to elect the S/U option for a Full semester class
