CAMPUS NEWS


Diploma Pick Up, Awards, Virtual Celebration Capped Off December Commencement


On Saturday, Dec. 19, more than 100 graduates safely picked up their diplomas in the Lois Rhame West Health, Physical Education and Wellness Center as part of a day of celebrating the accomplishments of December graduates. The newest graduates were given the opportunity to pick up their diplomas since a traditional, in-person ceremony was not possible due to COVID-19. Later that day, the uni- versity unveiled a virtual Commencement ceremony that featured congratulatory messages from Winthrop leader- ship, submitted photos of each graduate and a reading of all graduates’ names.


December graduate Chastity Jones was awarded the President’s Award for Academic Excellence. The award is given to a student who has the highest GPA in the grad- uating class. The Cheraw resident received a business administration degree with a concentration in finance.


Mass Communication Professor Padmini Patwardhan earned the Kinard Award, the university’s top teaching award, in December for her outstanding teaching, her successful mentoring of students and her significant contributions to the university.


SPRING 2021


Trustees Approve $21 Million Bond for Facilities Upgrades


The Winthrop University Board of Trustees voted on Feb. 19 to authorize a $21 million bond issue to sup- port projects in the housing and dining portfolios. The housing portion of the bonds will be $9 million while up to $12 million will go toward dining. The bond issue will fund these projects:


• Replacement of the Phelps Residence Hall roof.


• Renovation of the Lee Wicker Residence Hall to include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roof replacement, as well as interior updates.


• Renovation of Thomson Eatery, the university’s main dining facility, or if cost effective, construction of a new dining hall.


During the meeting board members also voted to leave in place the discounted fee structure for Summer Session 2021.


Saliva-based COVID Testing Now Offered to Campus Community


Winthrop to Hold Five In-Person May


Commencement Ceremonies


Winthrop will hold Commencement in person this May for all interested spring 2021 graduate and undergraduate degree candidates. This spring’s Commencement will take the form of five ceremonies held over May 6-8 in the Winthrop Coliseum. They will be the first, large, in-person indoor ceremonies to be held on campus in more than a year. Each graduate will receive up to two tickets for his or her guests and the university will implement COVID-19 safety measures.


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Winthrop began offering free, saliva-based COVID-19 testing to faculty, staff and students in February. The testing, provided through a partnership with the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, allows for better monitoring of asymptom- atic virus spread on campus. Such spread is a key factor in outbreaks on college campuses nationwide, and public health experts have encour- aged regular, ongoing testing to mitigate its risks. This testing option is in addition to the community-wide COVID-19 nasal testing option that is provided through- out the week via Genetworx at the Winthrop Coliseum.


During the week of Jan. 18-22, more than 100 students spent their free time giving back to the community and to Winthrop. Instead of the traditional one day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Winthrop offered students an entire week of opportunities to participate in service projects at Pilgrim’s Inn and Tender Heart Ministries and beautification projects at Winthrop like planting more than 30 trees at the Winthrop Lake and tidying up the mulch and shrubbery around the Campus Green.


This year’s activities, themed “Together, New Challenges and New Possibilities,” also included a virtual program that featured a keynote address by Chelsea Brown ’14, poetry from Rock Hill’s Poet Laureate Angelo Geter ’08 and a performance by the Vision of Prayze Gospel Choir.


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CAMPUS NEWS


MLK Jr. Legacy Honored with Week of Service Projects


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