Task Force on Slavery and Justice Recommendations
These are the groups that have primary responsibility for considering the task force recommendations. Updates on progress will be provided here.
| Recommendation | Board of Trustees | Administration | Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install a statue of Joseph Vaughn in front of the Duke Library and create and celebrate a Joseph Vaughn Day |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
|
Faculty
|
| Name entrance road for Lillian Brock-Flemming and road connecting McAlister Auditorium and Music Building for Sarah Reese |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
|
Faculty
|
| Name a space near Cherrydale for Abraham Sims and construct reflecting pool memorial there, including plaques with names of known slaves of founders and donors; add this space to the Convocation walk ceremony |
Board of Trustees
✔️ Site Determination
|
Administration
✔️ Convocation
|
Faculty
|
| Rename Furman Hall for Mary and Charles Judson; rename Judson Hall for Clark Murphy |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
|
Faculty
|
| Raise general understanding of Furman’s slave history |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
✔️
|
| Provide context for unnamed labor |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Provide context for appearances of Richard and James C. Furman around the campus |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Create “Campus Oversight Committee” serving provost to make “future decisions about campus acquisitions when they impact campus inclusivity and space” |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Apply $1M in need-based financial aid to the Joseph Vaughn Scholarship and target African-American students in geographic proximity to the historic locations of Furman University; restrict $3M of endowment for this purpose. Also, create plan under direction of CDO to examine retention and support for students of color with actionable recommendations. |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Continue President’s practice of studying and publicly reporting salary categories annually, ensuring lowest salary is a livable wage. |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Pursue investment strategy that requires investment managers to make public ESG strategies, and update investment policies accordingly |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
|
Faculty
|
| Create programs to help students understand university’s past and how it relates to current issues around diversity and inclusion |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
✔️
|
| Continue attention, educational efforts related to “matters uncovered” by task force |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
✔️
|
| President “should review the current mission, vision, and values (statements), as well as the motto, to determine alignment of the findings and recommendations of this report, and consider re-adopting” Palma Non-Sine Pulvere (from the Greenville Woman’s College) as the motto. |
Board of Trustees
✔️
|
Administration
|
Faculty
|
| Establish a program giving high school student access to archives to study slavery, working alongside the International African-American Museum. |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Hire and/or assign faculty in humanities, social sciences, fine arts, theater, music and art to research, perform and teach related subjects; empower African-American and Diaspora Cultures Interdisciplinary Minor, and create independent department by 2026; build a fellows program to consult on historical monuments and civic spaces. |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|
| Create budget line in Facilities “for historic investigation and preservation at sites impacted by Furman history,” including adding signage and programming at those sites. |
Board of Trustees
|
Administration
✔️
|
Faculty
|