Dear Colleagues,
I hope everyone was able to enjoy some fun (and rest!) during last week’s spring break. Whatever your plans included, I hope it recharged you so that we can successfully finish our spring semester. It’s hard to believe the finish line is in sight!
I have a few items of interest to share with you this month. They include:
SACSCOC On-Campus Visit
Our SACSCOC reaccreditation on-site visit will begin tomorrow and run through Thursday. The on-site committee will be holding meetings, reviewing our QEP, following up on any off-site committee compliance concerns and finishing its visit with an exit conference. If you see members of the committee on campus, please extend to them a warm Winthrop welcome! Once the committee has completed its visit, we should expect a reaccreditation decision in December. Thanks again to everyone who helped get us to this very important part of this process.
Transition to a Laptop Campus
This past October, members of the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Winthrop’s move to a laptop campus. Beginning in August, each student will be required to have a laptop for 2022-23 academic year classes. IT and facilities management staff are currently in the process of upgrading the campus-wide Wi-Fi system in residence halls and academic buildings to help us provide an expansive and reliable Wi-Fi network. You can read more about this transition to a laptop campus in this press release.
Campus Beautification Initiative
With spring officially here and warmer weather setting in, you may notice more Campus Beautification Initiative undertakings happening to help spruce up campus for our visitors and prospective students and their families. One initiative that will soon take place is the installation of several branded window clings in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. These vibrant clings will enhance the visual appeal of this high traffic area while infusing additional school spirit in and near the student center. In addition, our Rock Hill and Charlotte alumni chapters are participating in an April 9 event to plant shrubs and bushes near McLaurin Hall. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has helped in some way in this very important university initiative, and please remember that all of these initiatives are 100 percent supported by donor gifts.
March COVID Vaccine and Testing Clinic
There will be another opportunity for faculty, staff and students to get a COVID-19 vaccine or test during a March 23 DHEC-sponsored clinic in McBryde Hall from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The testing portion of the clinic will look different from past on-campus clinics. DHEC will now make rapid and PCR self-administered tests available and have individuals mail their PCR swabs for test results. Even as COVID cases continue to decline, we still must remain vigilant in order to keep our Winthrop family safe and the best way to do that is through vaccination. Please make plans to get yours if you have not.
Upcoming Board of Trustees Meeting
The Board of Trustees will hold its quarterly meeting April 7-8. We will be discussing a wide variety of topics from across the university during committee meetings as well as at the full board meeting. Be on the lookout for the meeting agenda which will be e-mailed to the campus community closer to the dates.
In other board news, I am happy to share that David McDonald ’01 was selected by his fellow alumni to join the board in July. David will fill the seat currently held by Jane LaRoche ’69, ’70, as her term expires. You can read more about David in this press release, and I thank Jane for her years of dedicated service and leadership to Winthrop.
Faculty/Staff/Retirees Ceremony
I hope you will join me on Tuesday, April 26, at 9:30 a.m. in McBryde Hall to celebrate and recognize the achievements of our retirees, service award recipients, and winners of the Award of Excellence, Staff Member of the Year Award, Faculty Student Life Award and Mary Spann Richardson Award. It will be wonderful to see everyone for such a celebratory time! I look forward to seeing you there.
As always, thank you for all that you do for Winthrop.
Sincerely,
George
George W. Hynd
Interim President
