Winters College is named in honour of the late Robert Winters, first Chair of York University's Board of Governors. The college shares with the Faculty of Fine Arts the common goal of providing an environment where the development and expression of creativity is paramount. Recently, the Faculty of Education has moved into the college building which has established a new relationship and opportunities for our students.

Through the Master’s Office, events are planned with a view to offering both commuter and resident students the chance to be inspired, educated, challenged and entertained. Workshops, performances, film screenings, presentations, special lectures and conferences are offered, and tickets are purchased for the ballet, theatre, symphony and opera at special discounted rates.

Wandering around the newly renovated college building is a visual and auditory treat. One can catch a glimpse of a dance recital or music practice taking place in the Junior Common Room or the Dining Hall, or see the work of many of York’s visual artists, both student and faculty, hanging on the walls, in the courtyards and in the Eleanor Winters Art Gallery. Music, poetry and spoken word performances are regularly staged here, in the Junior and Senior Common rooms and the Winters Dining Hall. Similar events also take place in the Absinthe Coffee Shop and Pub, the heart of the college and a popular venue for emerging local bands. The Ab is student run and is managed by Winters College Council, a lively mix of resident and commuter students who also organize frosh week, the Formal and various other events throughout the year. Winters College Council and the Master’s Office work in close collaboration and our primary concern is the creation of a rich cultural, social and academic milieu for all Winters’ students. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome.

Winters clubs are not exclusively fine arts. Many of the students who are affiliated with us come from a wide variety of disciplines and this diversity informs and enriches the community. Our A Capella group, Wibi, has members from many disciplines and we are home to the York University Portuguese Association. Other clubs are Guitar Club, Music Student Association, Electronic Music Society, Winters Community Art Club, Visual Arts Students’ Association, Salsa Club, Ballroom Dancing Club, Faculty of Education Students’ Association, Crazy Camaraderie Club and Winters Free Press. Faculty of Education students have now also joined and been embraced as part of the Winters community.

Winters has long been known for its vitality and creative spirit and it is also a community of serious scholars where academic excellence is fostered. We have our own Winters student peer advisers and advising booth where students can come to get information, discuss both academic and personal issues and talk to peer advisers. They can also come to speak to our academic adviser. Throughout the college a variety of study spaces - the Junior Common Room, the Dining Hall and in the warmer months, the courtyard - offer students a place to talk, to curl up with a book or to simply find a quiet retreat. Winters scholarships, bursaries and book prizes are offered yearly.