WHEREAS, Winthrop University Office of Admission has operated under a suspension of
standardized testing obligations for prospective students since the Summer 2020 semester,
and experienced an increase in volume and percentage of test-optional applicants during
that period of time; and
WHEREAS, Winthrop’s internal research indicates that the first-semester GPA of test-optional enrolled students is consistent with regular admission enrolled students in GPA bands of 3.67 and higher, and that test-optional enrolled students retain at higher rates for GPA bands of 4.49 and lower; and
WHEREAS, announcing the continuance of these adjusted admissions criteria well in advance of the Fall 2024 admission cycle will ensure continuity in current practices, allowing for consistency in marketing and recruitment opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the marketplace of colleges and universities across the nation and in the state of South Carolina have already adopted test optional admissions standards on either a permanent or long-term temporary timeline; and
WHEREAS, extending the adjusted admissions criteria through the Fall 2025 admissions
cycle
will allow Winthrop University’s leadership to continue conducting longitudinal comparative
research on 1) the retention rates and academic progress of test-optional enrolled
students, and 2) the growing practice of test-optional admission in higher education;
and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Winthrop Board of Trustees directs the suspension of the university’s requirement that applicants for Fall 2024 through Fall 2025 must provide standardized test results to be considered for admission; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the remaining admissions criteria used to ensure a high-caliber, high-achieving student body at Winthrop University will remain in place, subject to any future State of South Carolina directives, and prospective students will be evaluated with the same amount of due diligence that has served over time to uphold the University’s academic standards.
APPROVED, this 28th day of April, 2023