Employee profile: Jean Smith

Furman Forum
What has hosting the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities meant to Furman?

Campus photos

Around campus:
News from university departments

Faculty/Staff news:
Professional activities

Milestones:
New employess, promotions, anniversaries

FURMAN HOME

InsideFurman is published monthly during the school year by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.

ADMISSIONS
The Admissions Office is celebrating another successful recruiting year. While the entering class has its own character, the students continue to present a consistently impressive academic profile. This year, we are close to a record number of applications while bringing the overall acceptance rate down from 68 to 66 percent — thus showing our rising selectivity.

We expect to welcome approximately 720 new students. Of those, we are especially excited about the 25 new international students who have chosen to join the Furman community. The quality of these students remains strong with an average SAT score expected to be around 1250.

As the recruitment year for the entering class comes to a close, we are celebrating the beginning of a new year as well as new additions to our staff. Two recent Furman graduates, Temesha Corbin of Hamilton, Ohio, and Katie McCord of Atlanta, have joined our staff as admissions counselors.

Four students are gaining valuable experience as interns in our office this summer: Chelsea Berry, Jeanene Clarke, Tiffany Jones and Andy Peters. If you see either the interns or the new counselors around campus, please welcome them.

— Kathryn Pierce

ALUMNI AFFAIRS
The Alumni Association welcomes a new staff member to Furman. Susan Rice Jones ’97 is the new associate director for on-campus programs. She will oversee reunions, Homecoming, alumni career services, Student Alumni Council, alumni website activity, and Founders Week.

Susan began working here June 1 and is already planning great events for the summer and fall. Please drop by the Alumni Office to welcome Susan to the Furman team.

The Alumni Association sponsored the annual Legacy Luncheon during graduation weekend. Forty students, parents and grandparents gathered to tell their Furman stories. One couple at the luncheon met at the first on-campus dance, dated all the way through Furman, married and sent their daughter to Furman . . . a real Furman family!

Teresa Griffith and Susan and David Shi hosted three Furman Club events on the West Coast in June, visiting with alumni in the Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles Furman Clubs. With alumni, parents, incoming freshmen and friends represented, the events were a tremendous success. Upcoming Furman Club activities include the Atlanta Club attending a Braves game, a New York City Happy Hour and numerous summer send-off parties for incoming freshmen, hosted by volunteers connected to the Admissions and Alumni offices.

— Shannon Wilkerson

INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING AND RESEARCH
The official version of the Policies and Procedures Manual is on-line. A major revision of the manual in which every policy was examined and updated as appropriate was completed this spring. Paper copies of the policies will no longer be distributed. A paper copy of the Faculty Handbook is available in each academic department. At the beginning of each month an announcement of changes made during the previous month will be distributed.

The official version of the Planning Book (fact book) is on-line. Information about students, faculty, financial data and organizational structure is available promptly after it is released by various administrative areas. Paper copies of the fact book will no longer be distributed.

A survey was recently conducted of graduating seniors. After August graduates are surveyed, a report will be prepared and distributed on campus that will include recent graduates’ experiences at Furman and preparation for the future, educational plans, and employment plans.

A survey of Furman faculty was conducted in the spring as part of a national study by the Higher Education Research Institute. A report will be distributed this summer that includes information about faculty and their attitudes, concerns, level of job satisfaction, workload, teaching practices and professional activities.

Phil Winstead, coordinator of institutional planning and research, will be leaving this position on August 31. He will teach full-time in the Department of Education beginning September 1.

— Dee Buford

CAREER SERVICES
Career Services has just completed a banner year. Recruitment activity increased to record levels as more employers look to Furman graduates to fill positions within their organizations.

Furman’s reputation as an academic leader continues to attract the attention of increasing numbers of employing organizations. Student participation in our services also expanded as graduating seniors took advantage of increased access to employers. A record 618 interviews took place last year in the campus recruiting program.

During spring term, the annual Internship/Job Expo and Education Career Day both set records for employer and student involvement. One hundred fourteen employers and 319 students participated in the Internship/Job Expo, the first time that Career Services, the Office of Student Employment, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Internships combined to host this event. On Education Career Day 62 school systems interviewed on campus with 268 interviews taking place, nearly doubling the previous year’s numbers and, again, setting records.

The spring recruiting season followed Career Services’ move into new office space in the University Center. The new space not only provides easy access for students but also offers recruiters accommodations that would rank with the best college career offices with respect to functionality and aesthetics.

New initiatives under way are designed to increase alumni participation in our programmatic activities and expand their interaction with current students. Collaborative programs with the Alumni Association have been initiated that will help to facilitate this goal.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Furman now owns the parcel of property across Poinsett Highway near the entrance to campus. You may recall that this is the tract that once had a sign advertising a "Campus Trailer Park." The parcel was purchased in June.

Earlier this year, we changed our travel reservations process to include a means of booking air travel, rental cars and hotels through the Internet. The purpose of this change was to accommodate travelers who find it convenient to book reservations through this method, and it enables Furman to participate in a portion of the commission revenue generated through those ticket sales.

Although acceptance has been slower than expected, many travelers use this method of making reservations and the users continue to grow. If you have made your travel reservations through this method and have had a positive experience, please pass the message on. Booking travel reservations through this process will save administrative time while maintaining quality assurance guaranteed by Putman Travel, and it will allow the university to participate in travel commissions, offsetting some of our travel costs.

Lishan Yau has accepted the position of purchasing director and July 19 will be her first day. She will come to Furman from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where she is presently serving as director of purchasing. We continue to receive positive reports about the procard, a process whose main purpose is to make high-volume, low-cost purchases more convenient and less expensive. Reports about procuring office supplies through Corporate Express are not as positive, however, and this could be one of Lishan’s first challenges.

— Jim Hudson

PERSONNEL
Thank you to the Furman faculty, staff and retired volunteers for supporting the Business Education Partnership program. Your time has made a difference.

Volunteers include Marie Burgess, Continuing Education; Robin Visel, English; Jeff Redderson, Facilities Services; Sandra Silvers, Financial Services; Stephanie Mimms, Athletics; Diane Kennedy, Library; Helen Nixon, Military Science; Rebecca Looper, Personnel; Doris Foster, Personnel; Chris Blackwell, Religion; Idella Glenn, Multicultural Affairs; Joe Biersteker, retiree; and Nancy Lewis, retiree.

Shadowing volunteers include Stephanie Mimms, Athletics; Rick Morris, Public Safety; Donnie Gallamore, Facilities Services; Judith Chandler, Continuing Education; Idella Glenn, Multicultural Affairs; John Roberts, Marketing and Public Relations; and Gail Craig-Jager, Financial Services.

Volunteer speakers include Joe Biersteker, retiree; Beth Christensen, Earth and Environmental Sciences; Ron Smith, Athletics; Judith Chandler, Continuing Education; John Batson, Psychology; and Dennis Haney, Biology.

— Doris Foster

FACILTIES SERVICES
This summer we are renewing two residential halls, Gambrell and Blackwell. Both are getting new heating and air-conditioning units, new fire alarm systems, new toilet partitions, carpet, paint and lighting, new fire doors and ceilings, and other general upgrades. Blackwell will receive new windows as did McGlothlin last year. Security screens will be installed on the ground level room of Gambrell. All of this is part of the continuing program of upgrading two residential halls each summer.

Progress continues with North Village II. Carpet was installed in building "H" during the week of July 5 and furniture is scheduled to arrive the week of August 2. Buildings "I" and "G" are projected to be complete by mid-August and September 1, respectively.

Brick pavers are being installed along the lake side of the University Center. A retaining wall and catch basin have been installed in the loading area, and sidewalks are being added.

The foundation work is complete at Cherrydale. Brickwork has been completed along the foundation wall and the chimneys are being rebuilt. The new transformer has been installed and power is being reconnected to the house. HVAC and plumbing work began this month. The road leading to Cherrydale will be widened and street lights will be installed along the road.

Facilities Services has been involved in preparations for the arrival of the Atlanta Falcons. The grounds department has top-dressed and fertilized the practice fields. A new practice field was constructed on lot "G" behind Paladin Stadium. This consisted of re-grading, irrigation and sod. This new field will be used for recreational sports in the future.

— Steve Long