{"id":1512,"date":"2026-08-10T17:44:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T17:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/?p=1512"},"modified":"2026-08-10T18:04:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T18:04:04","slug":"strategic-plan-update-august-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/strategic-plan-update-august-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategic Plan Update, August 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two years ago, Furman University<\/span>\u00a0launched \u201cFUture Focused,\u201d our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. Over the last year, our community has rallied around the strategic plan and worked to move toward our common goals \u2013\u00a0<\/span>a university of innovation and impact<\/span><\/b>\u00a0grounded in the liberal arts,\u00a0<\/span>connecting rigorous inquiry and experiential learning with a culture of mentoring and reflective practice; our commitment to building <\/span>thriving communities<\/span><\/b> both inside and beyond our campus; and the pursuit of a\u00a0<\/span>sustainable and strong future<\/span><\/b>\u00a0for our next hundred years\u00a0and beyond.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At this moment during our bicentennial celebration, we are happy to report that\u00a0numerous\u00a0working groups made up of Paladins\u00a0from all areas of\u00a0our campus community have contributed to advance this work.\u00a0Thank you for\u00a0these\u00a0efforts. Your commitment drives Furman forward.\u00a0Our hope\u00a0for the next three years\u00a0is that every employee can\u00a0participate\u00a0in this work\u00a0and feel\u00a0more deeply\u00a0connected to Furman\u2019s mission, vision, and community.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This update is a celebration of your work over these last two years, and we are indebted to the leaders, visionaries, contributors, and implementers who continue to bring the strategic plan to fruition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point our data suggest that the plan is around 12% complete \u2013 a stellar number for these early days of implementation. But, that number is a moving target in this living document, and a better picture of our work can be found below, in a detailed account of the early successes of the plan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our initiative owners meet in August 2026 to chart our course for the 2026-2027 academic year, and we invite you to jump in. For those who want to learn more,\u00a0<\/span>the strategic plan is available on the Furman website<\/span><\/a>. And, for those on our campus who want to be more involved in this work, we welcome your participation and input. You can always email the team at <\/span>strategicplan@furman.edu<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you again for your contributions as we continue to focus on our future together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

A Brief Summary of Progress toward Strategic Initiatives in 2025-2026<\/h3>\n

In Priority One \u2013 \u201cA University of Innovation and Impact\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 many of the 2025-2026 strategic plan milestones focused on structuring offices and services inside the university for maximum impact. Our goals in this priority are robust and surround (1) Furman\u2019s foundation in the liberal arts, (2) Furman\u2019s integrative pathways in undergraduate education, and (3) community engagement and partnership initiatives. Highlights of this structuring work and next steps for each include: <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Liberal Arts in Action<\/span><\/b>
    \nThe CURIC report is the result of a year spent listening to and responding to faculty and students\u2019 thoughts about the liberal arts and its future. Faculty Council tasked CURIC (the curricular initiatives committee) with this effort, led by Bronwen Forbay and Diane Boyd. The resulting report offers five specific avenues for our collective work in the liberal arts: (1) Redesign GER Categories to Map to Mission, (2) Make Team Teaching a Signature Pedagogical Practice, (3) Revise CLP Policy to Prioritize Active & Thematic Engagement, (4) Transform Campus Space for Collaboration & Reflection, and (5) Amplify Community-Embedded Projects with Real-World Stakes. Additionally, the AI Taskforce explored Furman\u2019s connections to Artificial Intelligence and has made recommendations on how we might respond as a community.<\/span>
    \nNext steps<\/span><\/i>: The campus can use the bicentennial moment and the influence of AI as calls for a timely discussion of our commitment to an overarching philosophy surrounding the liberal arts. This work calls for faculty to fully engage #s 1, 2 and 3 in the CURIC report this year. Faculty Council plans to work with chairs of APC, CURIC, and other relevant committees to establish a task force to lead a one-year project on this initiative, beginning with an understanding of Furman\u2019s mission and philosophy tied to the liberal arts as articulated by CURIC and honed by ALT and SAT.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Student Integrative Pathways<\/span><\/b>
    \nFor decades, Furman has demonstrated its commitment to vibrant four-year pathways for students through the transformative experiences of The Furman Advantage (TFA) in undergraduate research, internships, and study away combined with excellence in advising and mentoring programs. Furman\u2019s focus on integrative pathways now combines these strengths with an exploratory ecosystem (including Pathways, the Cothran Center, Clifton Strengths, Mentoring and Advising, and First and Second Year experience).\u00a0 This coordination and integration of student pathways allows Furman to harness and connect the success of the Pathways Program, the excellence of engaged learning through TFA, and the strengths and promise of industry- and field-specific career, professional, and graduate school advising. A new investment in \u201cThe Furman Network\u201d hosted on the PeopleGrove platform provides enhanced capabilities to expand existing alumni engagement in student pathway mentoring.<\/span>
    \nNext steps:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>The newly combined unit begins its work to enhance and promote student pathways, provide students with more comprehensive support as they explore career and professional pathways , and refine and leverage a signature exploratory framework focused on individualized student discovery and reflection.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Community Engagement & Partnership Initiatives<\/b><\/span>\n
      \n
    • Community Engagement Initiatives<\/strong> are external-facing efforts which operate at the intersection of student engagement, community impact, and thought leadership. A four-year project, beginning before the current strategic plan has reached significant financial milestones: All of Furman\u2019s institutes (Riley, Hill, IACH, and Shi) are self-sustaining offices, giving back to Furman\u2019s undergraduate students through programming, research, internships, and community engagement. Additionally, Graduate Studies has made a multi-million-dollar shift in these four years, moving from a net deficit unit to a revenue producing unit that now supports other units and programs through faculty salary reimbursement, cost sharing efforts, and operating support. New graduate offerings continue to harness strong alignment with Furman\u2019s liberal arts approach and deepen our commitment to developing purposeful lives and thriving communities. Furman\u2019s OLLI program continues from strength to strength, enrolling record numbers of students with a well-balanced financial portfolio and expanding our notions of what it means to be a student, how we connect with friends of Furman, and why community impact matters.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>Next steps:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>These initiatives align with Furman\u2019s liberal arts approach through innovative programs that broaden Furman\u2019s audience in the community and develop opportunities for student experiential learning. With financial goals met, this unit is poised to integrate its work strategically into the undergraduate student experience, amplifying existing nodes of (borrowing language from the CURIC report) \u201ccommunity-embedded projects with real-world stakes.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Partnership Initiatives<\/strong> include community, corporate, and government partnerships, which continue to be a complex venture for Furman. To bring together cross-campus efforts on this opportunity, Furman established an Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships and named a Vice-President for Community and Government Relations (Liz Seman) to convene this work. The university established the Corporate & Community Engagement Steering Committee made up of representatives from Academic Affairs, Alumni, Student Life, Event Services, and Athletics to oversee collaborations on community partnerships. In the corporate education space, the Center for Innovative Leadership is in year two of a four-year launch to provide individual and corporate learning opportunities which expand and further Furman\u2019s goals of supporting a thriving community in Greenville. These timely partnerships also complement the ongoing work of the Federal and State Working Group in broadening our connections with state and federal legislators and policy makers.
      \n<\/span>Next steps:\u00a0<\/span><\/i>The community partnerships team will continue to work collaboratively to build strong regional partnerships that benefit Furman and our community. Through collective effort rather than dispersed efforts, our plan is to develop trusted partnerships that provide opportunities for undergraduate students, develop sponsorship opportunities that benefit campus initiatives and community-embedded practices, and connect Furman strategically in conversations impacting higher education and the issues most salient to our local and regional interests.
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \n

       <\/p>\n

      In Priority 2 \u2013 \u201cThriving Community\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 the 2025-2026 strategic plan milestones focused on supporting student wellbeing and belonging, advocacy for employee support, developing a culture of discourse and dialogue, and continuing our commitment to sustainability practices. These efforts were led by a variety of offices including Student Life, the Center for Interpersonal Connections, the On Discourse Initiative, the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, and Human Resources, and included a student group through a faculty-led design initiative. Highlights from this priority include the following successes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Implementing\u00a0facets\u00a0of the\u00a0Okagnan\u00a0Charter, signed by President Davis in 2025, to enhance student wellbeing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Refining use cases of the AI\u00a0Wayhaven\u00a0Project for student wellbeing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Developing frameworks for high-impact, NACE-aligned student employment opportunities<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Developing student voice in campus design through a place-based assessment of high-traffic student areas through Dr. Karen Allen\u2019s EST 301 course<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Formalizing skills and dispositions expected in \u201cOn Discourse\u201d initiatives<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n
                • Reporting the successes of \u201cOn Discourse\u201d programming through an\u00a0impact report<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n
                  • Utilizing the Federal and State Working Group to inform campus about policy changes and recommendations facing higher education<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                    • Increasing transparency with employees about salary and benefit decisions\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      • Reaffirming commitment of the Board of Trustees to compensation planning for employee salary increases<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                          \n
                        • Implementing streamlined processes into Workday systems for employee performance evaluation and professional development<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                            \n
                          • Providing and broadly communicating employee wellbeing programming<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                              \n
                            • Formalizing communication reporting to employees from Board of Trustees meetings<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                \n
                              • Initiating town hall meetings to inform all employees about progress toward Furman\u2019s specific enrollment and financial goals<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                  \n
                                • Employing \u201cOn Discourse\u201d to formalize opportunities for discussion and dialogue with new campus partners<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
                                • Establishing a Sustainability Working Group to advance the work of campus sustainability practices
                                  \n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                   <\/p>\n

                                  \n

                                   <\/p>\n

                                  In Priority Three \u2013 \u201cSustainable and Strong Future\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u2013 Furman continues to\u00a0pursue\u00a0a focused enrollment growth strategy, strengthen philanthropic support, and\u00a0maintain\u00a0disciplined fiscal stewardship. The divisions of Academic Affairs, Development, Admissions and Enrollment Management, Finance and Facilities, University Marketing and Communications, and Athletics have all collaborated on this effort through the leadership of the Senior Administrative Team (SAT). Successes in this area for the 2025-2026 strategic plan milestones include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  • Achieving robust enrollment numbers for the Fall 2026 entering class<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                      \n
                                    • Realizing the fundraising goals of the \u201cClearly Furman\u201d Campaign<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                        \n
                                      • Implementing a Campus Visit Solution Group to assess and\u00a0leverage\u00a0the campus visit experience<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                          \n
                                        • Developing faculty-led efforts to envision new majors in Finance-Business, Finance-Economics, and Data Analytics<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                            \n
                                          • Building and\u00a0utilizing\u00a0working groups to focus on and strengthen communication around pre-health, pre-law, humanities, and other multi-departmental efforts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                              \n
                                            • Designing corporate sponsorship opportunities in Athletics and across campus<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                \n
                                              • Utilizing Timmons Arena for Furman programming<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                  \n
                                                • Crystallizing strategies for athletic ticket sales\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                    \n
                                                  • Assessing and revising practices in procurement across divisions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                      \n
                                                    • Refining financial contribution opportunities for revenue-producing areas of the university including space use, programming, and partnerships<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                        \n
                                                      • Refreshing the Hartness Welcome Center<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                        Two years ago, Furman University\u00a0launched \u201cFUture Focused,\u201d our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. Over the last year, our community has rallied around the strategic plan and worked to move toward our common goals \u2013\u00a0a university of innovation and impact\u00a0grounded in the liberal arts,\u00a0connecting rigorous inquiry and experiential learning with a culture of mentoring and reflective practice; our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":1513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategic-planning-communications"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/306"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1512"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1520,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1512\/revisions\/1520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}