Dear Students,
We are writing today with some information to address recent concerns shared by our students.
· Title IX – We hope that you saw the earlier announcement of the hiring of Kevin Sheppard Sr. as Winthrop’s new Title IX/ADA Compliance Officer. This is great news for our campus community. You can read more about Kevin and his background in this release.
· Campus Safety Walk – CSL’s Safety Committee took a walk around campus on Sept. 29 accompanied by Facilities Management and Campus Police to assess safety and security concerns. The walk confirmed problems with a few of the blue emergency call boxes which had been tested over the summer. Information Technology and Facilities Management are working to problem-solve those issues, and the walk was beneficial to identify lighting needs and trees to be trimmed to increase visibility.
· Facilities – Please join CSL for Garnet Table Talk with James Grigg, associate vice president for facilities, on Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Richardson Ballroom A. James will present on some of the challenges and opportunities we have with a historic campus and available funds for facility/infrastructure improvements this year and into the future.
· Accessibility – The administration continues to listen and respond to student concerns. ADA compliance will be part of the new Title IX officer’s job, and the Office of Accessibility will continue to work with campus partners to address improved access for individuals. Funds have been set aside in this year’s budget for a campus-wide accessibility study, and accessibility also is a big part of the Campus Master Planning process. Additionally, CSL is currently coordinating an Accessibility Walkthrough with key institutional partners and students for later in the semester.
· Vaccinations – We are proud to say that approximately 68 percent of our student body is now fully vaccinated. Our clinics are working, and another one is scheduled for today until 3 p.m. in McBryde. An impressive 93.7 percent of respondents to a recent survey of faculty/staff reported being fully vaccinated and nearly 90 percent of respondents were interested in receiving a booster. These numbers demonstrate the resolve of the campus community to stay healthy.
Kudos to our CSL team for taking the lead to seek solutions to issues impacting students. Remember that CSL exists to be your voice to the administration, so let us know how we can serve you better!
Sincerely,
Erin Emiroglu, CSL Chair
George Hynd, Interim President
