November 1999
Employee profile: Roland Barefoot
Furman Forum
What is your opinion of the proposed retirement center?
United Way campaign
Furman set giving record.
Innovision awards
Furman honored with local technology award.
Around campus:
News from university departments
Milestones:
New employess, promotions, anniversaries
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.
Trustees pave way for retirement center
The Furman Board of Trustees approved a measure during its October 31 meeting that would create an advisory committee to begin planning for the construction, financing and other issues related to a proposed retirement center near campus.
The advisory committee would eventually become the governing body of a new non-profit entity that would actually have the legal responsibility for developing the community.
The move comes on the heels of two university forums held to discuss the proposal and paves the way for construction to begin on the new center in about two years. Retirees could be moving into the center by mid-2004.
The retirement center, to be developed, marketed and managed by Kendal Corp., will house approximately 300-400 residents on about 50 acres of property just north of campus near the Child Development Center.
Kendal is a 26-year old nonprofit corporation headquartered in Kennett Square, Pa. The firm operates two continuing care retirement communities in Kennett Square and three at universities (Dartmouth, Cornell and Oberlin). One is under construction at Washington & Lee/VMI and one is in the marketing stage at Denison.
Residents will be encouraged to participate in the university's activities and would be eligible to sit in on classes on a space available basis as are retirees from throughout Greenville right now. Each Kendal community has its own pool, walking paths, exercise room, dining hall, post office, bank and craft spaces.
Under the current proposal, the Child Development Center will be housed at the retirement center and will be able to take advantage of intergenerational learning opportunities.
Though some of the residents may opt to audit a Furman course, regular use of campus by retirement center residents should generally be limited to attendance at concerts, athletic events, theater productions and use of the golf course, says Wendy Libby, vice president for business affairs.
Faculty members Doug Rall, Marian Strobel and three students visited Kendal’s facility at Oberlin last month and recently discussed their findings during separate forums for students and staff.
Rall, Strobel and the students were initially skeptical about a retirement center, but all came back from Oberlin sold on the concept.
"I was concerned that this could potentially be a drain on Furman faculty (with residents sitting in on classes and asking faculty to speak)," says Strobel. "But this was not the case at Oberlin."
Concerns raised during the forums included possible traffic congestion on campus and if the physical location of the center would impede future growth. Some also questioned if having a retirement center near campus would be consistent with Furman’s educational mission.
Some faculty members also suggested that the additional light from the retirement center would adversely impact the nearby Furman astronomy lab. Libby underscored the need for the landscape plan of the community to be sensitive to the lab's requirements.
Trustees attending the meetings said long-range growth plans as envisioned by the campus master planning firm of Dober, Lidsky and Craig, do not call for any new university buildings to be constructed on grounds that would be used for the center. Trustees also suggested that having older folks near campus and interacting with students could enhance the educational experience.
Larry Estridge, a member of the class 1966 and a Furman trustee, says the retirement center at Oberlin is an "intellectual community" with many of its residents being retired faculty members and professionals.