At last week’s meetings of the Winthrop University Board of Trustees, the board took action on several items, including approving the 2026-27 budget and a contract extension for me. The $209.8 million budget calls for a core expense balanced budget of $132.1 million, as well as a $77.7 million non-core budget that includes $71.3 million in capital project expenses.
The budget includes funding for a 2-percent salary increase currently being considered by the State, which is expected to be offset by $1 million in money from the State, if approved. I’m also pleased to report that the budget assumes no increases to tuition rates for students and includes $1.15 million to fund new initiatives. Trustees also heard the positive news that our 2025-26 budget should end up significantly in the black.
In other action, trustees voted to:
Grant emeritus status to two longtime faculty members - Professor Josephine Koster and Professor Jeffrey Sinn - who have a combined 60+ years of service to Winthrop;
Honor trustee Tim Sease ’87 with a resolution recognizing his 16 years of dedicated service as he comes off the board;
Lease half of the American Legion parking lot to Ace Solutions VV2, LLC for three years for $180,000 annually;
Approve the annual information security report; and
Fund several facilities projects, such as:
1. Renovating the Winthrop Bookstore space to make way for a new office for the Center for Career Development and Internships.
2. Demolishing the original fuel tank containment structures, grading the site for future development and making landscaping improvements. The work will be completed by First Class Construction and is state funded.
3. Turning two West Center racquetball courts into a new physical education, sport, and human sciences sports science lab to replace the former lab space from the Lowenstein Building. Renovations will be state funded and completed by Johnson Laux.
4. Upgrading the WiFi at the Winthrop Coliseum and at the Withers/W.T.S. Building with $1 million in state dollars to improve connectivity.
5. Renovating the existing courts at the Tennis Center, with a gift funded at $900,000, to add pickleball courts.
6. Refurbishing the Amphitheatre tiered seating with a $900,000 gift to create a new multipurpose space.
You can read more about the board action in this release or in the resolutions that are posted online. Thank you for your interest in the activities of the Board of Trustees.
Edward
Edward A. Serna
President
