Return to Learn

FAQs - Academics

How do I obtain my required class materials from the Winthrop Bookstore?

There are two ways to get your books and materials: 

  • Come to the bookstore in-person, Monday through Friday, during the posted hours. Please wear a mask or face covering and go to the textbook department desk. An associate will get you the materials for your classes. 

  • Order your books online through the textbook section of the store's website. You can choose to have them shipped to your house, or, if you are a local student, you can choose Store Pickup. You will receive an email letting you know when your order is ready to be picked up.  

I’m currently not registered for any online classes. How could instruction change for me if we have to go remote again?

All faculty assigned in-person and hybrid courses for campus-based students must have plans in place for pivoting to fully remote/online delivery, in the event of a delayed reopening or a return to fully remote campus operations. If this happens, you will receive further information from your instructor.

Faculty had to adjust quickly to remote instruction in early 2020. Are they better prepared for this spring?

Faculty teaching fully online and hybrid sections this spring will have completed two courses and/or have been previously alternatively certified through demonstration of the appropriate skills to offer online and hybrid courses. This ensures that all faculty are well-prepared to deliver a quality online learning experience and that students have an equal opportunity to achieve course learning objectives regardless of modality.

How will hearing impaired students learn if everyone has to wear masks?

Face shields, see-through masks, and/or Plexiglas lectern shields will be provided to faculty with students who practice lip-reading and/or work with interpreters. Faculty who teach classes with students requiring sign-language interpreters will be accommodated with appropriate physical distancing to ensure safety. Interpreters will provide their own face shields and adhere to physical distancing requirements. The Office of Accessibility will work with students and faculty who need these accommodations.

I have health concerns and cannot attend in-person classes. What are my options?

Students with underlying risk factors have been and will continue to be assisted in building a fully online/remote schedule. Students requesting to change their schedules to fully online/remote due to underlying risk factors should contact department chairs, deans, and student services staff for assistance.

How is Winthrop ensuring that the learning community won’t suffer because of fewer face-to-face interactions among students and faculty?

Faculty and academic staff will continue to work with students to foster a strong academic community outside of the classroom and ensure continuity of high-impact and signature practices for which Winthrop is widely recognized. Activities may include virtual seminars and special events; applied practice activities that bring students into short-term projects; individual and group mentoring and professional development sessions; and participation in student-led groups and activities.  

What if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in my class? Will I have to quarantine?

Quarantine is ordered when someone has been in close contact with an infected person. A close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. Per S.C. DHEC, students and faculty may not be required to quarantine after a positive case in a classroom if proper social distancing and face mask recommendations were followed. 

Why is tuition not discounted if we have to go online for part or all of the semester?

Regarding tuition, students in online courses pay the same as students in face-to-face or hybrid courses because the costs for delivering those courses, while different, are comparable (some online courses are even more expensive actually). First, please remember tuition covers so much more than the actual classroom work. Student services, counseling services, tutoring and more--all those services in place to help students succeed--are equally available to all students.  Second, there are a number of additional costs the university accrues when offering an online course, costs that are not part of a normal, face-to-face classroom experience. Here are just a few of those examples: faculty training and instructional design support for online content development and online course delivery; online tools, software, programs necessary to deliver an online course; and technical support for students and faculty alike provided by Computing & Information Technology as well as Winthrop's Office of Online Learning. 

What are the plans regarding cultural events and seniors graduating in May 2021 with cultural event credits that still need to be completed?

Cultural events still will be required, but there will be more options for fulfilling requirements in order to accommodate students who may not physically be able to attend events as well as to meet social distancing requirements. For example, many events will be live streamed or available as recordings, in addition to in-person opportunities. The Cultural Events Committee will recommend best practices and options for those who schedule events. More information will be added to the cultural events website.

Will Dacus Library be open this semester?

Dacus Library will be open. Current operating hours can be found online at https://libcal.winthrop.edu/

Does Winthrop have some kind of virtual meeting platform I can use?

Yes. Winthrop University faculty, staff and students now have access to unrestricted Zoom accounts. To access, go to https://winthrop-edu.zoom.us. (Note the hyphen between ‘winthrop’ and ‘edu.’) Use your Winthrop username and password to sign in. 

If you already have a Zoom account linked to your Winthrop email, you will have the option to keep it separate from Winthrop’s license OR to fold into that account.