Amenities and Services*

There are many reasons Winthrop employees love working on a college campus! Take a look at the information below and discover a host of opportunities - many of which are at no extra cost.

Arts and Entertainment

Winthrop hosts numerous performances and exhibits during the school year that are free or offered for reduced admission with a campus I.D. Examples include:

  • Art exhibitions and lectures
  • DiGiorgio Student Union events — comedians, musicians, dancers, poets, movies, and lecturers  
  • Foreign films
  • Music, theatre and dance productions
  • Readings by poets and authors

Barnes & Noble Bookstore

Located in the DiGiorgio Student Center, Winthrop's bookstore sells Winthrop merchandise and clothing, general reading books, school and tech supplies, textbooks, gifts, and more. Faculty may order or rent graduation regalia from the bookstore, and all faculty and staff receive a 10 percent discount on most items purchased at The Bookstore with presentation of their Winthrop ID.

Community Events/Activities

Varying from year to year, community events and activities draw crowds to campus to enjoy such celebrations as:

  • Spring and winter Commencements
  • U.S. Disc Golf Tournaments
  • Come-See-Me moonlight jazz, tailgate and fireworks
  • Homecoming games, tailgate, events, and celebrations
  • Christmasville - Rock Hill's holiday festival
  • Annual tree-lighting to kick off the holidays

Campus events occur throughout the year to encourage employee camaraderie such as:

  • Student Move-In Day
  • Welcome Back Week in August with welcome events, including the President's Opening Address and Reception, Convocation, and a Picnic for faculty, staff, and students
  • Fall Festival Celebration
  • Holiday Open House at the President's House
  • Annual Faculty, Staff, and Retirees Awards Ceremony
  • Food Drives
  • Campus Beautification Volunteer Opportunities

Dining Options

There's plenty to eat on campus, including Chick-fil-A, the Eagle Eatery and a food court, not to mention casual dining within walking distance of Winthrop. Check out Dining Services to learn more, including how to get Cafe Cash for on-campus purchases. An on-campus convenience store - the Eagle Express in Thomson Hall - also is available for grab and go items, snacks, groceries, personal items and more. All campus dining locations accept cash and credit cards (MasterCard or Visa).

Educational Opportunities

Winthrop offers an Employee Educational Assistance Program which waives tuition for up to six credit hours per semester for eligible faculty and staff. See the Employee Educational Assistance Policy for additional information. Some of the other educational opportunities available to employees are listed below (some items include an additional fee to the employee).

Employee Benefits & Services

Employees have many options to enroll in a variety of insurance and retirement programs, and eligible employees enjoy several types of paid leave as Winthrop employees and South Carolina state employees. Opportunities include:

  • State retirement plan options and supplemental retirement options
  • Flexible spending accounts including dependent care spending, medical spending, and health savings accounts
  • Paid sick, annual and paid aprental leave for eligible employees. Other types of paid leave include bereavement, military, voting, and jury duty
  • Health and dental insurance, life insurance, dependent life insurance, and long-term disability insurance

Winthrop observes 13 paid holidays annually and provides holiday pay for eligible employees, and Winthrop is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Athletic Games

Winthrop employees and their immediate family members may attend regular season home athletic events free of charge. NCAA Division I Big South Conference sports include men's and women's basketball, indoor and outdoor track, cross country, soccer, and golf; women's volleyball and softball; and men's baseball. Additional restaurant and catering discounts are also available from Winthrop Athletics partners.

Library Access

Ida Jane Dacus Library and Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections are Winthrop University’s central information and cultural/campus heritage centers. In addition to the Library's reference, digital/electronic, and circulating collections – including audiovisual and media items, an oversize book collection, juvenile collection, and an historic, well-established Federal Depository Library Program collection – our Archives also houses numerous campus and community records, photographs, manuscripts, historic books, artifacts, memorabilia, oral histories, and other items. Library and Archives employees offer a range of services to library and archives users, including on-site and remote research and information guidance, expertise in teaching and learning technologies and platforms, consortium resources access, book delivery and scanning services, and interlibrary loan. Borrowing privileges are available for employees and students, and our databases, catalog, and institutional repository are available online. Facilities include on-site Internet access, desktop computers, scanning stations, group study rooms, individual study carrels, open study carrels, casual and group seating, and a meditation room. Throughout the year, the Library and Archives host exhibits, displays, and other programs and events.   

Post Office

Winthrop maintains a mail service with daily pickup and delivery. The Post Office is located in DiGiorgio Campus Center. Intra-campus mail, U.S. mail, and intra-agency mail for professional use may be sent and received through the campus mail services.

Preschool and Kindergarten Program

Winthrop is home to Macfeat Early Childhood Laboratory School, founded in 1892. Macfeat enrolls approximately 60 three-, four- and five-year old children in full and half-day programs during the public school year. The school serves as a research and demonstration site for the preparation of future teachers in areas such as early childhood and elementary education. Staffed by professional educators and graduate and undergraduate students, Macfeat offers a child-centered program that fosters exploration, creativity, collaboration and independence. The school is fully accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Accreditation for the Education of Young Children. While the children of Winthrop employees are not provided priority enrollment or reduced tuition, many Winthrop employees take advantage of the convenience of the on-campus location and the quality education this program offers.

Professional & Personal Development Programs

  • All employees and members of their immediate household are eligible for services provided free of charge through Winthrop's Employee Assistance Program. The EAP provides free financial and legal services, and a wide variety of online, self-help training programs including, parenting, stress management, work-life balance, conflict resolution, time management, and many more.
  • An eclectic array of presentations and workshops for and by members of the Winthrop learning community are made available through the The Center for Professional Excellence.  Program topics reflect a diversity of interests and needs.
  • On-campus technology classes are offered throughout the year to employees through Winthrop's Information Technology Department.  The Birdnest provides space on the Winthrop server for individual Web sites. 
  • Research and travel opportunities are available for faculty and staff for professional development purposes.
  • The Outdoor Education Center (OEC) offers specialized group learning experiences in an effective non-traditional setting.  Located at the university's athletic, recreational and research complex, OEC staff use creative games, warm-ups and a high rope course to teach skills in team building, self-confidence and more for campus departments and student groups. OEC also rents camping and kayaking equipment for use through Winthrop's Headquarters for Outdoor Adventure (WHOA!).

Employee Wellness Opportunities

The Division of Human Resources, Employee Diversity, and Wellness and the Division of Student Affairs offer a variety of health and financial wellness events throught the year.

  • Confidential on-campus wellness screenings for employees and their immediate family members offered in the fall and the spring
  • Benefits and wellness fair
  • Flu and vaccine clinics
  • Mobile mammography unit
  • Teledoc, health coaching, weight loss, smoking cessation, and other services for employees enrolled in one of the state health plans
  • Winthrop's Employee Assistance Program provides up to four free one-on-one appointments with a mental health counselor per person, per issue, per calendar year for all employees and members of their immediate household
  • Retirement planning, investment planning, healthy financial habits, and general financial-related educational opportunities
  • Travel Clinic coordinated by the Center for Student Wellness provides valuable information for employees who are planning to travel abroad, including travel health issues, vaccines, pre-travel assessment, and much more

Recreation & Exercise Opportunities

Winthrop's Office of Recreational Services and the Athletics Department offer an array of opportunities for employees to pursue a healthy lifestyle such as:

  • 9-hole golf course
  • Racquetball courts
  • Disc golf course
  • Weight room
  • Cardio stations
  • Fitness classes
  • Basketball courts
  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Intramural sports
  • Climbing wall
  • Indoor track

Learn how to become a member of the Lois Rhame West Health, Physical Education and Wellness Center. Faculty and staff who are not members of the West Center may sign up for a two week free trial membership to experience everything the West Center has to offer including the track, cardio equipment, weight room, racquetball courts, pool, climbing wall, group fitness classes and more.

Research and Grant Opportunities

The Grants and Sponsored Research Development Department provides assistance in identifying grant and research funding opportunities, and guidance for applying for funding, and for administering and managing grant and research awards.

Volunteer Opportunities

Many Winthrop employees choose to get involved with campus and community events, such as:

  • Working with student groups, organizations, and programs
  • Campus Beautification projects
  • Facilitation and/or participation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshops
  • Opportunity to join and participate in affinity groups, including Black and African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latinx, and LBGTO+ groups
  • Student move-in day
  • Various faculty and staff committees
  • Participate in faculty or staff conference
  • Commencement
  • Various events to raise funds for non-profit organizations (Crop Walk, Light the Night, Relay for Life, etc.)
  • United Way of York County annual workplace campaign
  • Campus Ministries activities
  • Christmasville, the Rock Hill Christmas Parade, Come-See-Me events, and other community programs

Youth Summer Programs

Sports and performing arts summer camps available to children of university employees.

*The above services are subject to change at any time and should not be considered a contract between the employee and Winthrop University.