United in Excellence!
That will be Vice Presidents Kevin Butler, Amanda James, and I as we present our budget requests to the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee on Feb. 26. This presentation is another important step in the state budget request process and will give us a chance to share all of the good news coming from Winthrop as well as the support we need to make the university stronger in service to South Carolina. As always, I’ll keep you updated on the process.
Now, I’d like to share with you below a few of our recent wins and other items that may interest you:
Winthrop Day at the State House/Garnet & Gold Tuesday – February 24
A group of students and alumni will travel to Columbia on Tuesday, Feb. 24, for Winthrop Day at the State House. This annual event is an opportunity to advocate for Winthrop to our legislators. To support our efforts in Columbia on that day, I am declaring Tuesday, Feb. 24, as Garnet & Gold Tuesday! Please show your support by wearing Winthrop gear or garnet and gold. We also will be encouraging our alumni and supporters to participate as well via social media. We hope to have a sea of garnet and gold across the state so that our legislators know what a profound impact Winthrop has on South Carolina.
Board of Trustees Retreat
The Winthrop Board of Trustees will hold its annual two-day retreat Feb. 25-26. Members of the cabinet and I will share updates from some of the major divisions of the university. A detailed agenda will be sent via e-mail in the days leading up to the retreat.
Eighth-Straight Year at #1!
I am very pleased to share with you that for the eighth-straight year Winthrop has secured the top spot among South Carolina’s four-year state universities in meeting goals for recruiting, retaining and promoting minorities and women, according to the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. This is evidence that Winthrop continues to value and prioritize the diversity of its faculty and staff. To see how other schools compare to Winthrop, view the S.C. Human Affairs Commission report.
Men’s Basketball and Spring Sports
The men’s basketball team is currently leading the Big South Conference with a 19-8 overall and 11-1 conference record. There are only two home games remaining this season, so I encourage you to come out to the Coliseum and support the team as they take on USC Upstate on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. and Presbyterian on Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. These last few games will be the run up to the Big South Conference tournament that will take place March 4-8 in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Finally, our spring sports teams – baseball, softball, lacrosse – also are in play, so please make plans to support these hard-working student-athletes. 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. Go Eagles!
As always, thank you for your efforts and contributions to the outstanding work that is happening here.
Edward
Edward A. Serna
