GREENVILLE, S.C. – During its annual winter meeting Saturday, the Furman University Board of Trustees heard that two upcoming construction projects on campus are progressing as expected and will begin on time in 2006.

      The trustees also approved a sabbatical for president David E. Shi that will begin in mid-September of 2006 and run through mid-May of 2007. 

      The board received positive updates about the $58 million renovation and expansion of the new science complex as well as a $5 million renovation of the school’s Daniel Dining Hall.  Groundbreaking for the science complex will take place in April, and work will begin on the dining hall in early May.

      The new science complex calls for the construction of two new buildings and the complete renovation of Plyler Hall, the university’s existing science building and the largest facility on campus.  The complex will house the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Physics.  It will also include the Mathematics and Computer Science Departments in existing Richard W. Riley Hall.  Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008. 

      The renovation of the dining hall will feature a new lakeview mezzanine level for additional seating, food stations instead of serving lines, and a Einstein Bros. Bagels restaurant in the lobby.  The changes will provide students with more choices in menus and meal plans, and allow the dining hall to have longer and more flexible operating hours.

      The dining hall will be closed from mid-May through August to accommodate the renovation, which will be complete by the time the students return in the fall.  Food service will be moved to areas of the University Center during the renovation project.

      Bill Howes, chair of Furman’s Board of Trustees, said the board encouraged Shi to take the sabbatical in 2006-07, which will be Shi’s 13th year of service at Furman.

      Dr. Thomas Kazee, vice president for academic affairs and dean, will serve as acting president in Shi’s absence.  Dr. Linda Bartlett, associate academic dean, will serve as acting dean of the faculty.

      “David works incredibly hard on behalf of the university, and the board feels it’s important for him to have some time away from such a demanding job,” Howes said.  “The trustees have full confidence in Dr. Kazee, and we look forward to working with him next fall as acting president.”

      Unlike most college presidents, Shi has maintained an active scholarly career amid his administrative duties.  During his sabbatical, he will work on the 8th edition of America: A Narrative History (W. W. Norton), the nation’s best-selling history textbook, and design a new freshman seminar which he plans to teach upon his return.  He also will continue his duties as chair of the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

      Shi has been widely recognized for his leadership abilities as a college president.  In 2003, he was named Greenville (S.C.) Magazine Business Person of the Year.  Furman also received a $150,000 Presidential Leadership Award grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in recognition of Shi’s distinctive leadership.  In December of 2003, he and his wife, Susan, received the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Humanitarian Award, the highest honor given by the Urban League of the Upstate.  They were also named among Greenville’s “Top 25 Leaders” in a community poll conducted by the Greenville News.

      Shi has received honorary degrees from Centre College and Mercer University.  In 1999, he was among an elite group of 50 college and university presidents who were recognized by the John Templeton Foundation for their outstanding leadership in the development of student character.  The previous year, Furman was awarded a $150,000 Presidential Leadership grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

      For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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