Inside Furman is published quarterly by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
Summer course gives Furman a Lowcountry “beachhead”
From his quarters in the First Baptist Church of Charleston, Richard Furman helped to lay the groundwork for the Furman Academy and Theological Institute.
Founded in Edgefield a year after Furman's death, the Institute was later moved to Winnsboro. In 1851, it relocated to downtown Greenville and was renamed “The Furman University”.
Next year, the university will return to its Lowcountry roots nearly two centuries after Richard Furman began rallying support for a “a national Baptist institution.” Steve O'Neill (history) and Kirk Karwan (business and accounting) are developing four-hour summer courses that will be based at the Charleston School of Law.
A native of Charleston , O'Neill's course will focus on Lowcountry history, while Karwan will explore South Carolina 's role in the global in the global economy. Bill Lavery, a retired history professor and former director of the Center for International Education, is moving to Charleston and is helping with the plans for the internship program.
The Lowcountry's bustling ports and vibrant economy have helped it emerge as one of the South's fastest-growing regions. The area is also home to potential donors and a growing alumni base. While expanding educational opportunities, the program will help the university cultivate relationships with alumni and donors.
It also represents an effort to establish a lasting presence in the region. Tom Kazee, vice president for academic affairs and dean, says the university could purchase property in downtown Charleston and may ultimately offer coursework during the fall, winter and spring terms.
“The university is anxious to have a larger profile in Charleston ,” says Kazee. “This will give us a beachhead.”
O'Neill, Karwan and Lavery are fine-tuning their courses and hope to enroll more than 20 students in the Charleston classes.
“ Charleston has a mystique,” says Lavery. “I'm not worried about attracting students to try it.”
With its rich history and culture, Charleston has long been popular with historians. The region's trading ports, urban activity and beach property make it a case study for environmental studies and economics/business majors in particular.
O'Neill's course will explore Charleston history (pre-Colonial to present) and the region's Gullah and African-American cultures. Participants will also study Charleston 's role in southern sectionalism and the Civil War.
Karwan will lead students through an assessment of how South Carolina 's economy is changing to accommodate rapid globalization and how the Port of Charleston plays an integral role in the state's future development. Students will tour and analyze port facilities and local businesses that rely on ports trade.
“This program is a splendid introduction into how the past has shaped us and the present is reshaping us,” says Lavery.
Toward a better campus environment
By David Shi
The university community should embrace Furman's energy-use policy because it is the right thing to do.