To the Furman Community:

There is no more important responsibility of a university’s Board of Trustees than the appointment of the institution’s President. In its recent history, Furman has been blessed with leaders of great character, vision and accomplishment. While each had his own unique qualities and personality, all had a common characteristic which guided their tenures: a deep love of Furman, its heritage and values, and an unwavering commitment to educate our students in a way that would produce graduates of strong character and accomplishment.

David Shi’s decision to retire on June 30, 2010 after such a dynamic and successful tenure as President presents the Board of Trustees with a great challenge to identify and select the right person to build on wonderful accomplishments of Dr. Shi and his predecessors. We seek a man or woman who will lead Furman in a way that challenges and inspires our students as they find great excitement and personal growth in learning from a dedicated and incredibly talented and accomplished faculty. (Please click the “Presidential Search Profile” for a more expansive look at what the Board of Trustees is looking for in our next President.)

A search committee comprised of trustees, former Board chairs, students, faculty, staff and alumni is fully engaged in this exciting mission. It is no surprise that already we are seeing that the Presidency of Furman is a position that is attracting a great deal of interest from many quarters. Applications or nominations received by October 16, 2009, will be assured full consideration. Dr. Susan Resneck Pierce of Academic Search, Inc. is our very capable search consultant. She can be reached at srp@academic-search.com.

We encourage you to check this site regularly and to communicate with us by sharing your ideas and suggestions.

Sincerely,

Kathleen C. McKinney

Chair, Board of Trustees

Richard Cullen

Chair, Search Committee