Trustees Vote for Winthrop to Seek Acquisition of Courtyard from Real Estate Foundation (10/25/24)

October 25, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• Trustees voted to move forward with acquisition of the Courtyard residence hall from the Winthrop University Real Estate Foundation.
• Trustees also supported a request by the Council of Student Leaders (CSL) to return the organization's structure to a Student Government Association (SGA).

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - The Winthrop University Board of Trustees voted Oct. 24 to move forward with acquisition of the Courtyard residence hall from the Winthrop University Real Estate Foundation.

The acquisition requires approval by the Joint Bond Review Committee and the State Fiscal Accountability Authority. Both will consider the request in early 2025. The current financing for the residence hall is set to mature in August 2025 with $9.5 million debt outstanding. The building, which opened in 2003, houses upperclassmen and honors students in suites of two or four bedrooms.

Trustees also supported a request by the Council of Student Leaders (CSL) to return the organization's structure to a Student Government Association (SGA) which had been the structure before 2002. With the change, Winthrop students will move from voting only for two leaders (the chair and vice chair) to voting for 19 elected positions, including a parliamentarian. Another 15 students will be appointed to represent designated university groups and additional committees will be created to address student concerns and to promote student initiatives.

CSL Chair Sean Pennington said this change will allow Winthrop's student governance to follow the models used by high schools, other colleges and state government. The change from an SGA format to a CSL organization was made 22 years ago to bolster more student participation.

In other action, the board also:

1. Voted to approve up to $3.85 million of additional operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year;
2. Agreed to the proposed new or updated course fees for 12 courses in the spring 2025 semester;
3. Accepted the results of its 2024 audit by its independent auditor; and
4. Approved a resolution honoring Robby Sisco '80 of Florence, South Carolina, for his six years of meritorious service to the board as the Congressional District 7 representative.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at [email protected].