ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – On Oct. 29-30, the Winthrop University Board of Trustees heard more about the institution’s plan to move forward with building a new residence hall to house 400 students.
Gathering for their quarterly meeting, board members heard that the new 95,000-square-foot residence hall will be built on Cherry Road where two aging high-rise residence halls – Wofford and Richardson - were demolished in 2024. Construction on the new four-story building would start next year with a goal to open for residents by the end of 2027. The design features double rooms with pods of private restrooms in close proximity, as well as lounges, kitchens and study rooms.
Concepts for a second residence hall have been considered to be built adjacent to the new facility as part of phase two, along with the possibility of a new dining hall in the same vicinity.
Chairman Joel Hamilton said the need for more housing comes at a time when enrollment is climbing and the university is rolling out several new degree programs. Currently, a number of students are housed at CampusWalk in partnership with Walk2Campus Properties. Winthrop will go before the State for initial approval of the new residence hall in December.
Plans are to reconfigure a section of Alumni Drive to intersect Cherry Road at the existing Camden Avenue traffic light to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety in the area. This project would mean closing the current Alumni Drive entry, and possibly the Ebenezer Avenue entry, to direct traffic to the Camden intersection.
In other news from the two days of meetings, board members:
*Voted to award an honorary doctorate at the Dec. 20 Commencement Ceremony to the late Glenn McCall, the board’s chairman who passed away this summer.
*Directed Facilities Management to work with the state to dispose of empty lots at 226 Sidney Streetand and at 642 College Avenue.
*Awarded the Dalton fire alarm replacement to the low bidder, Farmer Construction, for $347,670.
*Approved the fiscal year 2025 financial and single audit report, the purchasing card State-mandated audit report, and the accounts payable internal audit report.
*Voted to return $1.8 million to department budgets for fiscal year 2026 due to enrollment increases and the extra money brought in by attracting more students.
*Approved a resolution honoring Lisa Cowart, vice president for human resources, who retired this fall after 20 years with the university.
*Voted to elect Kathy Bigham to serve as board vice chair.
*Approved a consent agenda containing 16 resolutions previously passed by the board.
*Heard updates on the new career center, the tuition transparency initiative, the strategic plan, and an upcoming capital campaign, among others.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
