Winthrop Board of Trustees Extends President Serna’s Contract an Additional Five Years (06/29/26)

HIGHLIGHTS

• President Serna's current contract would expire on June 30, 2029, and will now be extended to June 30, 2034.
• He credits the university's success to having a good leadership team in place who set bold goals and are achieving them.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - The Winthrop University Board of Trustees extended the contract for President Edward Serna '02 for another five years at its June 25 quarterly meeting.

The current contract would expire on June 30, 2029, and will now be extended to June 30, 2034.

Serna credits the university's success to having a good leadership team in place who set bold goals and are achieving them. "I want to thank the members of the Board of Trustees for their support of the vision we have set for Winthrop through our strategic plan and other initiatives," said Serna, who became the university's 12th president in 2022 and is the first alumnus to serve as president. "We've made a lot of notable progress, and I look forward to continuing that momentum as I begin my fifth year at Winthrop."

The contract extension will be added to Serna's current contract so the salary and benefits will remain the same.

Recent Achievements

Board Chair Joel Hamilton '06 said the board has been very pleased at the progress Winthrop has made with Serna at the helm as the university comes out of the pandemic.

He said the university is in very good financial standing and pointed to several other recent achievements, including:

*A 12 percent increase in total enrollment over the last three years, double-digit increases in new freshmen and new transfer students from 2024 to 2025, and fall-to-spring retention of 90 percent (compared to the national average of around 70 percent). Fall enrollment is expected to be around 5,500 students.

*A near record-level year of fundraising during the 2024-25 fiscal year with nearly $8 million raised, reflecting a 73 percent increase in total giving over the previous fiscal year. Of note, the university received its largest cash gift - $2.5 million - in the university's history this spring.

*A dramatic increase in partnerships, including the announcement of Winthrop as an Innovation Hub, one of six in the state, as part of a South Carolina Research Authority initiative designed to accelerate investment and strengthen South Carolina's emerging technology ecosystem. Another partnership will involve the town of Fort Mill where Winthrop has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to open an instructional site for dual enrollment, continuing education and a childcare center in the downtown area.

*The Winthrop: United in Excellence strategic plan unveiled two years ago continues to drive institutional achievements and solidifies Winthrop's role as an important contributor impacting the overall quality of life in the region. The university will soon embark on its third phase of strategic plan initiatives.

*Winthrop has added several new degrees or will soon add degrees which should prove to be popular: the first stand-alone artificial intelligence program, the first stand-alone game design program, another degree that combines finances and technology; and an aviation degree.

*Plans are underway to build a new 400-bed residence hall to begin later this year to open in late 2027.

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