It's the most wonderful time of the year!
I’ve enjoyed getting to talk to so many of you over the last week or so at our Welcome Back event and at Convocation. Campus is brimming with excitement as we kick off our 139th academic year, and in case you missed some of the highlights at the Welcome Back event, I just want to reiterate that things are on the rise. Latest reports show a 5% increase in freshmen, a 20% increase in transfers, an on-campus housing occupancy rate of 97%, increased attendance at athletics events and increased corporate sponsors, and a near record-breaking fundraising year with more than $4.6 million raised. It's truly a great time to be an Eagle, and I’d like to thank everyone for helping us build this incredible momentum going into this new year. Please take a moment to review some of the updates that I’d like to share with you below:
Strategic Plan Town Hall
Please join me on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m. in Dina’s Place as we review Winthrop: United in Excellence and talk more about the initial dozen or so objectives that have been identified
in the first phase of project work. These projects will generally be of about 12-18-month
duration, led by the respective vice president, with progress monitored by me and
the Board of Trustees. I'm excited that we are at the project implementation stage
and look forward to sharing the details with you!
9/11 Remembrance
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, there will be several remembrance events occurring on campus.
The first gathering of students, faculty and staff will take place at the Tillman
fountain plaza beginning at 8:30 a.m. Flag lowering, patriotic music, and a moment
of silence at approximately 8:46 a.m., the exact time a plane struck the World Trade
Center North Tower, are among the plans. Other events will be held throughout the
day at the Coliseum. Watch for additional details coming soon.
Fall Sports and Homecoming Tailgate
I encourage you to support our fall sports teams – soccer, volleyball, basketball
– at some games this season. Even more of an incentive to attend is that the athletic
department offers free admission to employees and their immediate family members to
all regular season home events! Check out the teams’ schedules, and best of luck on successful seasons. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for
Saturday, Nov. 8, for two special Homecoming games. At noon, the men’s basketball
team will play the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the volleyball team will
follow at 5 p.m. with a match against UNC Asheville. If you plan to tailgate before
these games using a tent, reserved tailgating spots go on sale Sept. 5.
Garnet and Gold Fridays
I hope you’ll continue to join me on Fridays by wearing Garnet and Gold! Sport that
Winthrop sweatshirt/T-shirt/hoodie to show off your Eagle spirit! If you need some
new Winthrop apparel, check out the bookstore and use your employee discount in the store to score some new swag or you may purchase
items online here and here.
2024-25 Board of Trustees Meeting Dates
Meetings for the full board and the executive committee have been set for 2024-25.
View the dates and get them on your calendar if you are interested in attending the public meetings.
As always, thank you to our trustees for the work, time and dedication they put into
conducting Winthrop’s business.
As you can see, we’re off to a busy start to this academic year. Let’s work together to have a great semester!
Always an Eagle,
Edward
