What an exciting time!
Thank you to all who came to the Welcome Back event and to those of you who have been involved in some capacity with all of the various activities happening this week – our fifth Orientation session, move-in (Lauren and I enjoyed helping students move into Margaret Nance and Phelps on Thursday!) and so much more. I appreciate you making the time during one of our busiest weeks of the academic year. The back-to-the-books energy is palpable and serves as a daily reminder of why we’re here: to provide our students with an exemplary 360-degree educational experience. Based on the conversations I’ve had with many of you since my arrival, I know that we’re laser focused on making student achievement and success our top priority, and that really excites me! As a reminder of what you have already done in this area, let me point out that 173 students were cleared this week to leave Winthrop as August graduates. Thank you for helping them reach this milestone!
Please take a moment to review a few updates:
Convocation Reminder
We will officially usher in our 137th academic year with Convocation on Monday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m. in the West Center. As a non-traditional-age student during my undergraduate time at Winthrop, I didn’t attend Convocation, so I’m excited to participate! I hope you’ll join me to welcome our newest students and then afterwards enjoy a BBQ lunch on the Margaret Nance lawn.
Please note that offices will officially close from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in order for staff to attend Convocation and the lunch.
Campus WiFi
As you may know, our facilities management and IT staff have been collaborating over a number of months to upgrade the campus WiFi. Many improvements have been made, most recently this summer in Rutledge. While the work will continue, please know that some equipment is on backorder, so the improvements and repairs will be ongoing throughout the academic year. Thank you in advance for your patience on this matter, and I appreciate the efforts of our hard-working staff members who are working behind the scenes to complete these upgrades as quickly as possible.
Garnet and Gold Fridays
As you get to know me, you will find that one thing I can definitely get on board with is ditching the suit and celebrating Garnet and Gold Fridays! Join me by wearing garnet and gold and sporting a Winthrop sweatshirt/T-shirt/hoodie to show off that Eagle spirit every Friday! Need some Winthrop gear? Check out the bookstore and use your employee discount to score some new swag or you may purchase swag online here and here.
This is home to me, and thanks to your good work, I know our students will feel the same way once they’re settled in. Let’s work together to have a wonderful academic year. I can’t wait to see more of you at the various events that will start popping up soon. What a great time to be an Eagle!
Edward
Edward Serna
