SUMMER 2020

May Commencement Ceremonies Postponed

With heavy hearts Winthrop officials postponed the May Commencement ceremonies. The need for social distancing meant large events such as Commencement were no longer possible.

Hynd said that senior leadership felt strongly that students’ Winthrop experiences should not end without appropriate recognition and celebration.

To provide graduates with recognition on what would have been the week of their May gradu- ation, the university put together a celebratory website that included congratulatory video messages from Hynd, trustees, faculty mem- bers and administrators.

May graduates were surveyed for their feed- back on ceremony alternatives and 33 percent responded that rescheduling the ceremony when it is safe to hold large, indoor gatherings would be their first choice.

Campus Begins Phased Re-opening

On June 1, Winthrop began phase one of a three-phase campus re-opening plan. Full-time employees who were unable to work remotely were the first, beyond essential employees, to return. On July 6, phase two began, with offic- es re-opening for 50 percent of the workforce. Plans for phase three, which will not begin any earlier than July 27, intend to have 100 percent of Winthrop employees back on the job. Em- ployees returning to work are required to take proper precautions, such as wearing face cov- erings, adhering to social distancing, limiting office visitors and continuing to hold virtual, instead of in-person, meetings.

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Remote Use of Computers Donated to COVID-19 Research

When the campus closed since mid-March, Winthrop donated remote use of some of its technology to combat COVID-19.

The university allowed its academic computer labs, as well as computers from its esports program, to be accessed remotely as part of the Folding@home (FAH) project spearheaded by Washington University.

The Washington University labs, now in their 20th year concentrating on disease research, have focused on harnessing more than 4.5 million available devices throughout the world to find drug pathways to kill the virus.

The FAH computer simulations are usually timed for down time, but with universities, including Winthrop, relying on remote learning during the spring and summer, on-campus machines are idle all day.

“By lending our computing power to this huge project, it’s a small way of helping an overall effort,” said Maria Arrington-Ferguson, director of technology services.

Folding@home is seeking weaknesses within the coronavirus’ proteins—looking for structures that could be altered to inhibit the virus’ ability to infect the body.

The more simulations the computers try, the better the chances of finding one that works.

There are around 260,000 teams involved in the project. Winthrop’s team name is: Fold ‘em Winthrop Wings and its team number is 260865. View the university’s profile.

Those with personal computers can also participate in the project, and can sign up using Winthrop’s team number.

Looking Forward to Fall Semester

With a new semester approaching, changes to the upcoming academic year have been announced. There will be no fall break in October; face-to- face instruction in the classrooms will end before Thanksgiving break; and Winthrop will move to remote instruction to finish the fall semester.

The academic calendar changes will hopefully help mitigate a possible spike in COVID-19 cases. “Traditionally thousands of students, faculty and staff would be returning to campus following fall break and Thanksgiving break. We weighed the public health risks of having our campus community return from these breaks, and the risks were significant as the country may be facing a second wave of COVID-19 at the same time that we typically experience an uptick in seasonal flu cases,” said Hynd.

According to Adrienne McCormick, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs,

WINTHROP RESPONDS TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

faculty members are building their fall course plans and determining how the final weeks of course material will be covered remotely.

“This course planning differs significantly from the spring semester since the hybrid content delivery will be planned from the start. The expectations for student work during that time after Thanksgiving will depend on the courses they are taking, but in general, the final week of content and all final exams will be delivered and completed via remote instruction,” McCormick said.

The university’s top priority, according to Hynd, is to keep students and employees safe, all while continuing to focus on delivering the exemplary learning experience that students and families have come to expect.

To view the university’s comprehensive response to COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 website.

Winthrop Community Weighs In

“Our faculty and leaders have been working hard to ensure we are as physically safe as possible. If we all follow health guidelines and also ensure we are supporting each other in regards to maintaining social connections in a responsible way, we will get through this together.”

Melissa Reeves, Associate Professor of Psychology

“Although times are hard due to these unfortunate circumstances, we are trying to bring the bright side out by encouraging one another and knowing these hard times won’t last forever. This situation brings together families that have lost time because of work and school. We are getting to know each other all over again.”

Joshua Byrd, rising senior accounting major from Lugoff

“I often think about my privilege to work remotely when so many others are coping with sacrifices due to loss of income and employment. That’s a good reminder to take a deep breath and focus on what is essential during this time. I focus on my gratitude for our health and for my children and husband whose support makes coping with such a surreal experience manageable. This virus doesn’t care who you are or what you have to lose so it is up to each one of us to make decisions that benefit the greater good.”

Jackie Concodora, director of Health and Counseling Services

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