Tuesday, August 25 2020 | 1:00 p.m.
Vera Gruber Batten Dining Room | McBryde Hall
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Members present: Glenn McCall, Gary Williams, Kathy Bigham, Robby Sisco, Isaiah Venning,
Sandra Stroman, Jane LaRoche, Tim Hopkins, Randy Imler, President George W. Hynd (ex-officio)
/ Ed Driggers, Ashlye Wilkerson, Julie Fowler, Tim Sease, Janet Smalley, Donna Glenn
Holley via Zoom
Members absent: Representative present: Adolphus Belk, Jr. via Zoom / Brandon Jackson
Others present: Tim Drueke, Lars Larsen, Adrienne McCormick, Kimberly Faust, Caroline
Overcash, Eduardo Prieto, Tammie Phillips, Jamie Cooper, Jack DeRochi, Patrice Bruneau,
Lars Larsen,Leigh Crain, Judy Longshaw, Ellen Wilder-Byrd and others from the Winthrop
faculty and staff. Media representatives included Caitlyn Derikson and Alex Zietlow
from the Herald and Rachel Richardson from CN2.
The Board of Trustees met onTuesday, August 25, 2020 on the campus of Winthrop University,
Rock Hill, SC.
Call to Order
Chair McCall called the meeting to order at1:43 p.m.He welcomed all present.Mr. McCalldelivered
an invocation.
Motion to Amend Agenda to Include an Executive Session
Gary Williams moved to amend the agenda to include an executive session pursuant to
S.C. Code Ann. §30-4-70(a)(1) and (2) for the purposes of discussion of employment
matters involving certain present university employees and contractual items related
to Winthrop University. Tim Sease seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous in favor
of the motion.
Approval of Minutes June 19, 2020 and August 14, 2020
Robby Siscomoved to accept the minutes as written. Isaiah Venning seconded the motion.
The vote was unanimous in favor of the minutes as written.
Consideration of Resolution to Affirm Winthrop’s Commitment to Freedom of Speech
Tim Hopkins moved to accept the resolution as written. Gary Williams seconded the
resolution.
President Hynd spoke in favor of the resolution by commenting on the unusual and challenging
past few months. In addition to dealing with the countless and increasingly pressing
details related to mitigating the health risk to our staff and faculty as we consider
how best to bring our students back to campus, we have been beset by a number of issues
related to free speech. It was not the president’s intent to review, highlight or
comment on the specific occasions that have led us to today’s conversation regarding
freedom of speech - on or off campus. Suffice it to say that there are lessons to
be learned, or perhaps relearned. First and foremost, in today’s world of instant
digital access, anything that is shared in any media, social platform or otherwise
has the potential to be misinterpreted misrepresented or co-opted by others in ways
that were never intended by the author. Second, it should be a fundamental understanding
in the academy that when personal opinions are expressed, as opposed to in refereed,
peerreviewed scholarship, it is important to identify it as personal opinion and not
reflective of the institution in which one is employed. Third, and perhaps most importantly,
we are reminded that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. At Winthrop, we
as an institution have long held the belief that a university should be a marketplace
of ideas; an environment where opposing views can and should be respectfully and thoughtfully
examined.
It is in that spirit that the president quoted from the University of Chicago’s Report
of the Committee on Freedom of Expression in the university community.
…the ideas of different members of the University community will often and quite naturally
conflict. But it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals
from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.
Although the University greatly values civility, and although all members of the University
community share in the responsibility for maintaining a climate of mutual respect,
concerns about civility and mutual respect can never be used as a justification for
closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may
be to some members of our community. I should note that the University of Chicago’s
statement has been adopted by over 75 universities across the country, including I
might add the Citadel and informs the resolution before you today.
Finally, he noted that for the past 80 years Winthrop University has been committed
to the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom from the AAUP which states
that, “Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and are
not to further the interest of either the individual teacher or the institution as
a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.”
The vote was unanimous in favor of the resolution.
Consideration of Resolution to Implement FY20-21 Furlough Plan
Kathy Bigham moved to accept the resolution as written. Robby Sisco seconded the resolution.
Winthrop University is facing several new challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic
including a reduction in key revenue sources and an expected decrease in future student
enrollment for the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year. For the fall 2020 semester, housing and
dining revenues alone have been reduced by 35% as a result of the two-week delay in
bringing students to campus at the beginning of the semester, and the decision to
ask students not to return to campus after the Thanksgiving break. The University
has already implemented a number of cost savings measures to address the shortfall,
including campus-wide reductions in operating budget expenses, a freeze on hiring
(to the extent possible), and allowing only essential travel. Because of the immediate
need in FY2021, it is necessary for the University to establish and implement a mandatory
furlough plan due to the COVID-19 related revenue funding reductions. The savings
realized by the implementation of the mandatory furlough plan will provide additional
revenue recovery to the already mentioned measures taken.
This plan will cover all faculty and staff with only a few exceptions such as adjunct
faculty, sworn police officers, boiler operators, those holding H-1B visas, and nurses
and health counselors.
The plan requires employees to takeup to twenty (20) unpaid furlough days between
September 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. The number of mandatory furlough days has been
scaled per pay level and length of annual work schedule (9 months, 10.5 months, 12
months.)
During a furlough, affected employees shall be entitled to participate in the same
state benefits as otherwise available to them except for receiving their salaries.
Winthrop will be responsible for making both employer and employee contributions for
State benefits if coverage would be lost due to the mandatory furlough. This applies
to benefits that require employer and employee contributions. Winthrop will be required
to pay both the employee and employer retirement contributions on missed wages due
to the furlough. The employee remains responsible for making contributions that only
require employee contributions. The University will not pay the employee portion of
benefits contributions for working retirees.
We anticipate the cost savings of the mandatory furlough program will be approximately
three million dollars for the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year.
The vote was unanimous in favor of the resolution.
Executive Session
Tim Hopkins moved with a second from Janet Smalley to move into executive session
pursuant to South Carolina Ann. §30-4-70(a)(1) and (2) for the purpose of discussions
of proposed contractual arrangements and personnel issues. The vote was unanimous
in favor of the motion. Kimberly Faust and Lars Larsen were invited to remain for
portions of the executive session.
Isaiah Venning moved to end executive session with no report. Sandra Stroman seconded
the motion. The vote was unanimous to end executive session.
Adjournment
Hearing no objections, Chair McCall adjourned the meeting at 3:26 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Kimberly A. Faust, Secretary to the Board
