Inside Furman is published quarterly by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
Then and now
Publication explores Furman's progress during past decade
Colleges and universities are generally progress-conscious places.
Like corporations, many institutions publish glossy State of the University reports that are distributed annually to trustees, employees and select alumni. College presidents, too, often trumpet their yearly accomplishments in a letter, publication or campus address.
Furman, it seems, has been too busy charging ahead to celebrate — and publish in a meaningful way — its recent successes. While the university did mark its 175th birthday four years ago, the occasion was more of a celebration of the university's history than of its recent accomplishments.
The last time, in fact, the university examined it recent past in any great detail was in 1994 with the publication of The Johns Era, 1976-1994 . The 37-page publication paid tribute to and chronicled the progress made during the presidency of John E. Johns.
“A lot has changed on campus since then,” says Greg Carroll, Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations. “We felt that we needed to do something, and we used President Shi's 10-year anniversary as a starting point.”
The result, Exploring the Past, Engaging the Future , is a 48-page color publication that charts the university's recent successes, profiles a mix of alumni and faculty, and is tied together through a narrative by President Shi. Publications Director Nancy Spitler edited Exploring, with most of the stunning photographs taken by University Photographer Charlie Register.
As faculty and staff, many of us recognize that Furman is a dynamic place, changing and growing. But we don't always notice the university's ongoing transformation because we live it every day . Reading Exploring the Past, Engaging the Future is like viewing photos of your teen-age child as a 5-year-old. You marvel at the transformation while appreciating that some features remain unchanged.
Less than a decade ago, the basketball team played home games at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium and nearly half of Furman's student body lived in off-campus apartments. The student center was small and dark and housed the chaplains, who had no chapel in which to conduct services.
With the exception of music, health and exercise science, theatre arts, art, mathematics and computer science, all academic departments were clustered in Furman or Plyler halls. Only one university vice president had an office outside the administration building.
Over the last 10 years, 10 major new buildings have been constructed and four others have undergone massive renovation projects. And while the campus has undergone a dramatic makeover, Furman's national stature and financial resources have grown as well. Graduation, retention and acceptance rates have improved drastically, as have average SAT scores and other key indicators among incoming freshmen.
While Exploring the Past, Engaging the Future does not provide a detailed historical account of Furman's progress during the past decade, it does offer readers an illuminating snapshot of where we were a decade ago . . . and how far we've come.
Complementary copies of Exploring the Past, Engaging the Future are available in the office of Marketing and Public Relations.