April 2, 2020

Dear Furman Faculty and Staff,

As we continue to work through the difficult realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, your health and safety remain our top priority. At the same time, we are focused on ensuring that our students are able to experience a full spectrum of educational opportunities as they progress down their academic pathways.

To meet these priorities amid this global crisis, we have had to make difficult decisions that impact university operations. As you know, students will not return to campus for the remainder of the semester, study away has been canceled through the May term, and commencement exercises have been postponed. Events on campus have been canceled or postponed through at least June 3, and campus facilities and the Golf Course have been closed to the public until further notice. In addition, most of our employees are now working from home.

These decisions, as well as the rapidly declining global economy, have financial consequences for Furman, which has lost millions of dollars in revenue and in the value of our endowment. The media is replete with stories of businesses laying off employees and the possibility of a higher level of unemployment than during the Great Depression. I know many of you are worried about what the future holds for Furman, for your families, and for our students’ prospects for future employment or admission to graduate school. I’ve talked to many of my presidential colleagues across the country, and we all are facing the same realities, if in different degrees.

Furman entered this crisis in a strong financial position, and we are confident the university can weather this storm. However, there are challenges ahead in this current budget year and in future years, and we ask you to remain flexible and patient as we work through them. As we seek solutions to our financial challenges, we will do our best to protect our current faculty and staff. As such, we are immediately implementing the following measures:

• Merit increases for faculty, staff, and administrators are eliminated for the 2020-21 budget year. Previously approved promotions, and those in the final stages of approval, will be honored.
• Open positions that are not already in advanced stages of the search process will be frozen. Continued searches and new hires must be approved by the President and the Vice President for Finance and Administration.
• Expenditures must be limited to those that are absolutely essential for educating, supporting, and recruiting students and maintaining basic business operations. In addition, all Furman-issued credit cards have been suspended with the exception of a small number that the Provost, vice presidents and department heads have deemed necessary to carry out essential business.
• All university-sponsored travel has been suspended.
• All non-essential construction and renovation projects are on hold.

We still don’t know the complete impact that the pandemic will have on the economy and on our enrollment, fundraising, and other sources of revenue. We do know that all universities will face significant budget shortfalls this year and likely next year. I want to assure you that we are taking these actions and exploring others, including seeking grants and lines of credit, to do as much as possible to mitigate the financial impact of these challenging circumstances and to protect our employees.

One of the hallmarks of Furman is its strong sense of community, which has helped it endure and thrive even in challenging times. We can draw from that now. We are grateful for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we navigate this difficult situation, and for all you do to educate and support our students.

Respectfully,

Elizabeth Davis
President