Looking back and ahead with gratitude

Dear Furman Community,

As we head into the holidays and a new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for everything you do to make Furman such a wonderful and special place.

Looking back over the past year, I am grateful for and inspired by the many contributions of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, families and friends. We have accomplished so much working together to build a welcoming and encouraging community that challenges us all to be our best. With this in mind, I would like to share and celebrate a few of our recent achievements and activities.

Furman-Gallup Study

First, thank you to all of the students, faculty, staff and alumni who participated in the 2019 Furman-Gallup Survey, focus groups and interviews. We launched our partnership with Gallup two years ago, establishing a baseline with the 2018 survey results.

The early data show that our students and alumni are indeed getting or have had the deep learning experiences and emotional support that lead to meaningful and successful lives and careers. We will share the 2019 results over the coming months. Your input and what we learn from this research will help us deliver on our promise – The Furman Advantage. Thank you for sharing your voice.

Celebrating Milestones

In October, we celebrated a special milestone for The Riley Institute at Furman: 20 years committed to expanding educational opportunities, researching South Carolina’s core challenges and engaging present and future leaders. The community enjoyed an evening of celebration and reminiscences to honor the lifelong public service of former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. “Dick” Riley ’54.

From the Diversity Leaders Initiative to the institute’s education research and so many other initiatives, The Riley Institute has truly brought the world to Furman.

This year, Furman’s Department of Education will celebrate its centennial. “100 Years Leading Educational Innovation in South Carolina” will recognize the work of alumni, faculty and staff, and mark the 20th anniversary of the Teacher to Teacher program and the first teacher residency program in South Carolina.

To help address a statewide teacher shortage, the department is collaborating with the Office of Graduate Studies to launch a new Master of Arts in Teaching program this summer that will enable aspiring educators to earn teacher certification and a master’s degree in just one year.

Seeking Abraham

This past semester, we saw progress on several of the “Seeking Abraham” recommendations approved by the Board of Trustees. A campus working group is developing plans for the Joseph Vaughn statue and place of reflection and celebration in front of the James B. Duke Library. This location, recommended by the Task Force on Slavery and Justice, is the site of an iconic photograph of Vaughn, Furman’s first African American student.

Another working group, which is taking an inventory of signage and markers around campus, is preparing the plaques for the renaming of Furman Hall that will remove “James C.” and the naming of the Lakeside Housing Complex for Clark Murphy. The university will hold an event in the spring to celebrate Furman Hall’s new name and its significance. Other, related events, including a now annual Joseph Vaughn Day on January 29, are being planned for the spring and next fall. We will share those details as soon as they are finalized.

I would like to again thank the task force, the board’s special committee, the working groups and the many faculty, students, staff, alumni and trustees who are involved in moving this important work forward.

Cherokee Land Acknowledgment

Long before Furman’s existing campus was created, it was home to the Cherokee. Furman formally acknowledged this history in a ceremony in November with representatives of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The event was also in honor of Shelby Parker ’14, Furman’s first known Cherokee graduate, and it recognized the newly formed Native American and Indigenous Peoples Student Group.

The land acknowledgement statement was initiated by students. Wyatt Ware ’23, who is Western Cherokee and Blackfeet, took the idea to Kelsey Milian ’20, president of the Student Diversity Council, who was already working on a statement. Together, they worked with Helen Lee Turner, the Reuben B. Pitts Chair of Religion and a specialist in religion in America, to make the acknowledgment a reality.

Rankings, Accolades

One result of the great work of our faculty and staff to provide every student an excellent education is Furman’s increasing reputation as one of the country’s best universities. In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, Furman moved up five spots to No. 46 among the “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.”

In the annual guide’s other rankings for liberal arts and sciences universities, Furman rose significantly in the “Most Innovative Schools” list, climbing 16 places to No. 5, and “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” rising 27 spots to No. 12. Furman again ranked No. 3 for “Best Colleges for Veterans.”

Among other accolades, Furman was once again selected for inclusion in The Princeton Review’s college guide, “The Best 385 Colleges.” Among the featured lists the publication cited as being especially important to prospective students, Furman ranked No. 3 for “Most Politically Active Students” and No. 12 in the category of “Most Accessible Professors.”

The university also earned a STARS Gold rating, again, in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Around the country, people are taking notice of our creativity and determination to provide our students the most impactful learning experience possible. This wouldn’t be possible without all of you.

Giving and Alumni Engagement

This year, the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement successfully launched 19 Furman Advantage Network (FAN) Clubs. From Los Angeles to Tampa to Washington, D.C., alumni from across the country are gathering to socialize, network and strengthen connections. We plan to add 20 more FAN Clubs next year. Our alumni truly are the cornerstone of Furman, and I look forward to seeing how each regional club expands its membership and reach. To find a FAN Club in your area, please visit our alumni website.

In celebration of all things Furman, students, alumni, parents and friends rallied together for a record-breaking Dins Day this spring. In one day, you gave nearly 2,700 gifts totaling more than $2.6 million to support scholarships, study away opportunities, athletics, academic departments and many other programs and initiatives. And, for the seventh consecutive year, Furman celebrated Giving Tuesday, an international day of philanthropy following Thanksgiving. This year, the Furman community contributed more than 700 gifts totaling nearly $233,000.

A legacy of support: Earlier this year, Furman was honored to receive nearly $5 million from the estate of Thomas C. Turner ’51, who passed away in 2018. Dr. Turner’s generous bequest was designated for both the Eleanor B. Turner Scholarship, established in honor of his sister, and the Thomas C. Turner Scholarship Fund. Dr. Turner leaves behind an incredible legacy at Furman through his lasting support, which will benefit students in perpetuity.

Athletics raised $650,000 for a men’s lacrosse locker room renovation and the future installation of a turf field for both the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs. The locker room was dedicated in memory of the late Jackson Roberts ’18. In addition, $500,000 was raised to transform the Strength Training and Conditioning Center in Timmons Arena, and a new videoboard was installed in Paladin Stadium.

New Athletics Director, Success

Jason Donnelly, who previously served as senior associate athletics director and executive director of athletics development at Villanova University, joined Furman this summer as our new director of athletics. Jason has brought a new energy and excitement to Furman athletics built on emphasizing academic and athletic success within a culture of excellence.

Furman athletics has had an impressive fall, claiming four of the six contested Southern Conference championships and sending three teams into NCAA tournament competition. The first Learfield IMG College Director’s Cup report of the 2019-20 school year has Furman tied for 10th with Notre Dame among Division I schools for most successful athletics programs.

Among other highlights this year, the women’s and men’s cross country teams claimed their seventh consecutive league championships on their way to ninth and 14th-place finishes, respectively, at the NCAA Championships. Soccer excelled in conference play, with the men’s and women’s winning league regular season titles. And football finished second in conference play, and earned the program’s 18th appearance in the FCS playoffs, after finishing the regular season ranked 16th in both national polls.

Basketball is off to a strong start, too, for both the men’s and women’s teams, which will return to downtown Greenville this year with four games scheduled at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, starting this weekend. We’re excited to welcome all to join us in cheering on the Paladins during Weekends at the Well.

There’s So Much More

For more on our many accomplishments this past year, please see the president’s annual report. And, I encourage you to regularly visit the Furman news site for the latest university news and information.

Thank you, again, for all that you do to serve and support Furman and our educational mission. On behalf of Charles and our family, we want to wish you and your family peace, hope and joy this holiday season and through all of 2020.

Happy New Year!

Warmly,

Elizabeth Davis
President