Diversity Profile

Winthrop University is committed to the principles of equal employment as a fundamental part of the mission and purpose of the University. It is the policy of the University that all personnel related decisions be made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. The University prohibits any form of discipline or retaliation for reporting, pursuing, or cooperating in the investigation of complaints of employment discrimination. The Office of Human Resources, Employee Diversity, & Wellness conducts regular online and classroom Title IX training sessions regarding preventing and reporting discrimination and sexual harassment/assault. 

Diversity by the Numbers:

39% of the student body are multicultural

43% of degree-seeking undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients

33% of degree-seeking undergraduates are first generation college students*

39 countries and 44 states are represented in the student population

15% of the full-time faculty are multicultural

33% of the full-time staff are multicultural

60% of the faculty are women

Our students’ strength, character, and ability to overcome barriers can be seen in the classroom in their drive to learn and succeed as well as in their demonstration of service to others. While they arrive on campus from diverse cultural, geographic, social, and economic backgrounds, Winthrop students share a common sense of community and purpose.

Winthrop faculty developed four University Level Competencies (ULCs) to identify learning outcomes that apply across all undergraduate programs and that all Winthrop graduates attain. Two of the ULCs are tied to diversity and interconnectedness: “Winthrop graduates understand the interconnected nature of the world and time in which they live” and “Winthrop graduates are personally and socially responsible.” The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is an important tool in assessing these competencies, and Winthrop students consistently report higher rates of participation in events and activities promoting diversity than respondents from other NSSE participating institutions, including encouraging contact and discussion among students from different backgrounds; understanding people of other backgrounds; including diverse perspectives in course discussions and assignments; trying to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective; and connecting learning to societal problems or issues.

In 2011, Winthrop adopted the Global Learning Initiative to promote greater involvement with culturally diverse people, practices, values, and beliefs through the curriculum and other campus-wide activities with the following learning outcomes: students will understand the nature and impact of their own culture and the cultures of others in the world; students will acknowledge appreciation for global cultural diversity; and students will be actively engaged in global events, settings, and groups.

The Dedication for Excellence, adopted in 1994 by Student Governance and amended in 2011 by the Council of Student Leaders, includes eight common principles our students agree to strive to attain, including Global and Cultural Diversity: “I will value diverse cultural perspectives as well as value all individuals for the creativity, achievements, and contributions each brings to our community.”