Thank you to everyone who participated in Winthrop University's Family Day 2015. We had a great turnout despite the inclement weather. In the morning, families had the opportunity to enjoy coffee, fruit, and muffins while being welcomed to Winthrop by President Mahony. Every family member had the chance to learn about the academic opportunities within his or her student's individual college and hear highlights from students and professors. Due to the inclement weather, we moved the Family Festival indoors at the West Center. Our families enjoyed many family oriented activities throughout the day such as pottery painting, caricature drawings, corn hole tournaments, and Winthrop's Behind-the-Scenes Bus Tours. The Family Picnic was also moved indoors and families enjoyed a Southern BBQ. A good time was had by all. If you missed out, be sure to join us next year!
On Friday, October 9, interim (mid-term) grades will be made available for all current
students to see via Wingspan. This provides a valuable resource for students hoping
to get a better idea of their academic standing in classes they are enrolled in.
These initial grades often act as a good indicator of student performance and can
therefore prompt changes in behavior or coursework as needed.
Evaluating interim grades can ultimately yield modifications to a student's course
load, major choice, use of campus resources, and/or utilization of academic resources.
Interim grades are reported prior to the course withdrawal deadline and the deadline
to elect the S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) option for a full semester course,
both of which are on Friday, October 23. So, there is adequate time for students
to meet with their professors and advisors to discuss their academic options. This
also gives students time to meet with Financial Aid to discuss potential monetary
implications. While interim grades do not affect a student's scholarship directly,
they could be an indication that scholarship money is at risk if a student's final
grades do not meet the minimum requirements at the time of renewal.
If your student receives interim grades that are lower than expected, there is no
need to panic. While interim grades serve as a helpful indicator of overall academic
performance, sometimes they do not show the whole picture. The grades may be based
on only one or two assignments or tests and do not take into account class participation
or improvement. Given that this is only mid-semester, there is still plenty of time
left to make choices and implement changes that can positively impact a student's
final grades.
For those students in need of some additional assistance after interim grades, the
Academic Success Center (ASC) can help! All students, regardless of academic standing
or major, can partake in a wide variety of free services aimed at helping students
learn more effectively. The ASC's services include:
Weekly, individualized, appointment-based tutoring sessions
Please note: To be eligible for this service, students must attend one Tutee Seminar
per academic year. Seminars for the Fall 2015 will be held through Friday, October
23.
Writing Tutor (Fridays from 1-4 p.m. and Sundays 4-6 p.m.)
Interim grade counseling
Academic coaching
Personalized assistance with study skills, time management, and learning strategies
Individualized assistance with any academic questions or concerns
Study spaces for group and individual study
Final exam drop-in tutoring
Please be aware that as your students have the opportunity to learn their standing in the coming weeks, they would benefit from your support in making any necessary changes that will set them on course for success. The ASC office is dedicated to offering services that "help under-prepared students prepare, prepared students advance, and advanced students excel" (NADE). We are delighted to be a part of your student's journey towards greater achievement. For more information about the ASC, please visit our website.
Greetings 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 http://winthrop.campusdish.com/ - 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!
Residence Halls Close for Fall Break Friday, October 16 at 6 p.m. and reopen Tuesday,
October 20 at 2 p.m. Students will not be allowed to enter their residence hall room
after the 6 p.m. closing.
As students depart, residence hall staff will check every room for general health
and safety. These inspections are plain view searches. Staff will be checking for
prohibited items including fire hazards (extension cords, candles, etc.) and will
also check the general cleanliness of the room and suite bathrooms. Residence hall
contracts state that health and safety inspections periodically occur.
Special arrangements for students to stay can be made for those students who are student
teachers, participating in an internship, athletes whose names have been submitted
by the Athletic Department, students with Rock Hill area jobs, and students that live
more than 300 miles from the Winthrop campus. Please keep in mind, dining service
options are extremely limited over Fall Break.
A Break Stay form, which is passed out to all students with more instructions, must
be returned to Residence Life. Students who are staying for the holiday break must
make their own arrangements to stay in Lee Wicker, Phelps, Richardson, Roddey or The
Courtyard, if not currently assigned. All other halls will be closed.
All approved students will receive a permission form that they must keep throughout
the break. Students are not allowed to have room guests during the break. Students
are able to call their Residential Learning Coordinator (RLC) or Residence Life at
803/323-2223 with further questions.
The Center for Career Development and Internships Office at Winthrop University will
be hosting the Fall Career and Graduate School Fair from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. on October
8, 2015 in the Richardson Ballroom. All students are welcome to attend the event,
but please be advised that professional attire and a resume are required. We have
more than 70 employers and graduate schools attending the fair.
Every weekday CDI will be offering walk-in resume hours from 2-3:15 p.m. This is a
perfect chance for your student to have his or her resume looked over! Encourage your
student to come by the first floor of Crawford for resume help. If your student is
looking for full-time, part-time, or internship opportunities, please follow this
link for our week Opportunity List!
Divine food. Fantastic culture. Iconic sights. This combination makes perfect chemistry
for a short-term study abroad adventure to France and Italy! Students can soak up
the Mediterranean sun and eat the Mediterranean diet, while getting 3 credits towards
their general education coursework.
The Winthrop University Spring 2016 course that can do this is, Nutritional Biochemistry
of the Mediterranean Diet (CHEM 125X). The course begins meeting in January learning
about diets, lifestyles, basics of biochemistry, bioenergetics, sugars, fats, proteins,
and foods that are key components of the Mediterranean diet. The travel portion of
the class will be May 12-21, 2016 to France and Italy- Nice, then on to Modena, Florence,
and Rome. Students will also be awarded up to 9 Cultural Event credits for the travel
experiences.
In France, students will walk down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, visiting local
markets and tasting the finest fresh foods from the Cote d'Azur. Some of the sights
they will see in Rome and Florence: Colosseum, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, Piazza
del Duomo, and Piazza della Signoria. A winery, Tuscan lunch, Olive press, cheese
making, as well as balsamic vinegar and olive oil production, are some highlights
from the culinary aspect of the class.
In 2013 the Mediterranean diet was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to UNESCO, "The Mediterranean
diet involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning
crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation, processing, cooking, and
particularly the sharing and consumption of food. Eating together is the foundation
of the cultural identity and continuity of communities throughout the Mediterranean
basin. It is a moment of social exchange and communication, an affirmation and renewal
of family, group or community identity.
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes values of hospitality, neighborliness, intercultural
dialogue and creativity, and a way of life guided by respect for diversity. It plays
a vital role in cultural spaces, festivals and celebrations, bringing together people
of all ages, conditions and social classes. It includes the craftsmanship and production
of traditional receptacles for the transport, preservation and consumption of food,
including ceramic plates and glasses.
Women play an important role in transmitting knowledge of the Mediterranean diet:
they safeguard its techniques, respect seasonal rhythms and festive events, and transmit
the values of the element to new generations. Markets also play a key role as spaces
for cultivating and transmitting the Mediterranean diet during the daily practice
of exchange, agreement and mutual respect.
For more information on this course, please contact Michelle Wolf, director of the
Academic Success Center, at wolfm@winthrop.edu.
Monday-Tuesday, October 19-20
Fall Break No Classes
Friday, October 23
Last Day to Withdraw or S/U a Full Semester Class
