ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Beginning this spring, Winthrop University will now be classified as a research institution by the American Council on Education.
There are three levels within the council’s Carnegie classification. Winthrop is placed in the third level, meaning in a single year, it has at least $2.5 million in research and development. For fiscal year 2023, Winthrop reported $3.189 million in research expenditures.
President Edward Serna ’02 said Winthrop’s recognition for research is another step towards its growth as an institution. “Winthrop prides itself on the research offerings that are available to all of our students from freshmen to graduate students. They conduct important and impressive research alongside our award-winning faculty and staff. It’s one of the hallmarks of the Winthrop experience. We look forward to the exciting research opportunities ahead as we are recognized by the American Council on Education for the valuable work conducted by our faculty, staff and students,” he said.
The Carnegie Classification® is the leading framework for recognizing and describing different categories of institutions in U.S. higher education. In 1970, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education began developing a classification of colleges and universities to support its program of research and policy analysis. The framework was first published in 1973 and is now updated every three years to reflect changes among colleges and universities.
Previously, the Research Activity Designations were part of the Basic Classification; however, the new Institutional Classification will not incorporate research in its methodology. For that reason, the 2025 Research Activity Designations are being published separately.
In future years, Carnegie will factor in the institution’s doctorates. Beginning in the fall, Winthrop aims to offer its first doctoral degree, an Ed.D. in leadership and innovation. The degree has been approved by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education. The institution has applied this spring for program approval from its major accreditation body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to move from a Level IV (highest degree level offered – educational specialist) institution to a Level V (three or fewer doctoral programs) institution.
The doctoral degree through the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences will give students a chance to explore advanced studies in the areas of learning, leadership and organizational change. The program will bring together different perspectives that exist in PK-12 school districts, institutions of higher education, nonprofits and businesses in an adult-oriented program that allows for dissertation studies focused on problems of practice that are expected to positively influence change.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
