Campus reopens Saturday, Classes resume Monday, Oct. 7

Update Oct. 3, 2:30 p.m.

Campus reopens Saturday; classes resume Monday

We have some good news to share. Furman will reopen Saturday, Oct. 5, and students who left may return any time to their campus housing. Classes will resume Monday, Oct. 7, and employees should plan to return to work. We understand that many students and employees may still be facing challenges due to Helene and the storm damage. Students who are unable to return or may be delayed should email [email protected] or notify their professors. Employees who cannot return to work should contact their supervisors.

• The Duke Library will open this weekend on its regular schedule (Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.-Monday 1 a.m.) for students, faculty and staff only. Swipe access will be required.
• The Dining Hall will be open to students, faculty and staff only.
• The employee health clinic will be open on its regular schedule starting Monday.
• Wind damage on campus was extensive, and cleanup of trees and brush will continue for many weeks. Please continue to use caution when walking across campus.
• Some limitations in services, such as internet, might be expected due to continuing power outages in the area. Please be patient as we work through these issues.
• Employees and students are asked to report through the normal channels any damage to buildings or housing that might have gone unnoticed.

Fall Break

Fall break will be held as scheduled, Oct. 14-15. No classes will be held during the break.

Utility workers on campus

Furman will be hosting up to 150 utility workers starting tomorrow through next Friday. It is an honor to contribute to recovery efforts by hosting these workers, who are helping restore power to the large area of the Southeast impacted by Helene. More crews working in the area will be staying at other locations throughout the Upstate.

The workers here will be housed in the Younts Conference Center and in the football Field House. You might see their trucks parked overnight between Younts and the football facilities, but there should be minimal disruption to campus, if any.

We will continue to provide updates as needed.

Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding. Helene was a storm of historic proportions and enormous impact. Our Furman community has shined brightly during this difficult time. It is the care that we show for each other and for those hit even harder that sets Furman apart.

The rest of the semester may look a little different, but we have grown adept at excelling in trying times. Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

Update Sept. 30, 6:50 p.m.

Helene and the recovery efforts remain unpredictable. As you might have heard, Duke Energy found a creative workaround that restored electricity to most of campus late this afternoon. This is much-welcomed progress, but conditions in and around Greenville remain dire, and most of the community is still without power, as we communicated this morning. It will still take several days to complete cleanup and repairs on campus and ensure that all buildings are fully operational.

Campus remains closed. There will still be no classes or asynchronous learning this week, and all events remained canceled through Friday, Oct. 4.

For students:

• Students may return to campus, but they are not required to do so. Note: WiFi is not available in student housing, and we do not know when it will be restored. UPDATE: Power has been restored to North Village buildings G, H, I and J; all residence halls now have power.
• Starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, the PAC will open for students between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day.
• Support resources, and services, including dining, remain very limited this week and students will continue to receive daily messages from Student Life about what is available.

For faculty and staff:

• Starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, employees may come to campus to use power and WiFi in their offices between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Note: buildings have not been cleaned and air has not been circulating since last week. Also, you must have your Furman ID to access buildings with card access.
• Also starting Tuesday, employees and their households may come to the PAC between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to use power, take hot showers and access WiFi. If you have any questions about the PAC, please contact Ian Brown (Director of Campus Recreation & Wellness) at [email protected].
• Aside from the purpose of accessing these services, employees should not come to work unless they are specifically asked to do so by a supervisor. Staff not asked to work on campus this week are not required to work remotely and are paid according to the inclement weather policy.
• The Dining Hall is for students and only those employees who are part of the relief effort.

Traffic lights are still out throughout the Upstate. If you do come to campus, please use extreme caution.

We thank everyone for their understanding and patience. We will continue to work diligently toward a fully opened campus, and we will adjust as needed depending on the circumstances.

We will also continue to communicate our status. Please expect another message by midday Thursday, Oct. 3, if not sooner. 

Update Sept. 30, 12:23 p.m.

Duke Energy has advised us that their crews cannot begin to restore electricity to campus until Wednesday, at the earliest. Their schedule is unpredictable, as they said in an email to customers, because of the “catastrophic damage … particularly in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina.” There has “never been a storm like this in our company’s history,” with extensive damage to transmission lines and substations. Greenville County Emergency Management reported that as of Sunday night, 75% of the county, including most of our faculty and staff, was still without power, and hundreds of roads are still blocked by trees.

Even after electricity is restored it will take 24-48 hours for Furman’s Facilities personnel to bring campus buildings back online. Today we determined the most prudent course of action is to close campus at least through Friday, Oct. 4. All classes and events are canceled, and there will be no online or asynchronous learning during this time.

We will communicate more information about reopening by midday Thursday, Oct. 3.

For Students:

• We have arranged for commercial generators to supply power to the PAC and the entire DH. We expect those buildings to be fully online soon. The PAC will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. for activities, showers and recharging. Student Life will notify students when the PAC is open.
• WiFi will be available in the PAC and the DH as soon as those buildings have full power.
• If you have an emergency, contact the Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or via the LiveSafe app.
• The Student Health Center will be open with limited services.
• For on-demand mental health and crisis support 24/7, call 864-294-3031, #3.

For Faculty and Staff:

• The PAC will be open soon for employees and their households for showers and recharging. We will notify faculty and staff when the PAC is online. Please do not come to the PAC until we have notified you.
• Employees should not come to work unless they are specifically asked to do so by a supervisor. Staff not asked to work on campus are not required to work remotely and are paid according to the inclement weather policy.

Continue to check www.furman.edu/news for updates.

Helene is a regional event, and a community one. It’s not something happening across the world or across the country. It’s personal, affecting ourselves and people we love or see every day. We are reacting accordingly. Our employees are working extremely hard to make sure campus is safe and our students are well cared for. Students, especially those still on campus, have shown tremendous grace and patience. Please continue to take care of yourselves and of each other.

Update Sept. 28, 12:30 p.m.

Crews have made progress clearing trees and debris from the main roads on Furman’s campus but there are still widespread power outages and damage from trees and flooding in the Upstate through Western North Carolina. Gasoline is in short supply and most businesses in the region are closed.

Campus is still without electricity. Duke Power has notified Furman that their crews will not be able to address Furman’s outage until tomorrow at the earliest, and power might not be restored until Tuesday. The lack of power and full access to the internet greatly impacts students’ living conditions, classrooms, dining and activities. Moreover, the vast majority of Furman’s faculty and staff do not have power at home, and many are dealing with storm damage and the potential need for immediate childcare next week if the local school system closes. With these factors in mind, the Furman campus will remain closed, and all classes and activities are canceled through at least Wednesday, Oct. 2. Because of the number of power outages and lack of access to the internet, there will be no online or asynchronous learning Monday through Wednesday. 

For Students:
·      Students may leave campus to be with their families if they are able to do so.
·      For students staying on campus, the Dining Hall will operate under limited hours. The Student Life Office will continue to send regular dining updates to students.
·      Student Life and Facilities Services are exploring ways to open the PAC and/or the Trone Student Center to provide for activities once the power is restored.
·      If you have an emergency, contact the Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or via the LiveSafe app.

For Faculty and Staff:
·      Employees should not come to work unless they are specifically asked to do so by a supervisor. Staff not asked to work on campus are not required to work remotely and are paid according to the inclement weather policy.

We will communicate again by midday Tuesday, if not sooner, with updates and potential plans for re-opening Thursday.

The aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene is very stressful for many of us. It has created unique challenges and difficulties. But it is temporary, and Paladins are resilient. With the safety of our students, staff and faculty as our guide, we will overcome these challenges and have a successful semester.

Continue to check furman.edu/news for updates.

Update Sept. 27, 7:45 p.m.

The remnants of Hurricane Helene blew through South Carolina’s Upstate region early Friday morning. Dozens of trees are down across Furman’s campus. Some buildings are experiencing flooding and leaking roofs. There is extensive flooding in the Greenville area and widespread power outages in the region, including campus. There is no indication when power will return. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries on campus. Crews have been working since this morning and will continue to be on campus making repairs and removing trees. The safety of students, faculty and staff remains our utmost concern.

Because of the extensive damage to campus and to the region, and the uncertainty of having electricity, the campus will remain closed through at least Saturday, and Furman has canceled all Family Weekend activities. Athletics events have been postponed. This is in the best interest of our students, faculty, staff and families.

For students:

• All student events and activities through at least Saturday are canceled.
• The Dining Hall is open today (Friday) until 8 p.m.and will be open tomorrow 9 a.m.-8 p.m. for sandwiches, snacks and other cold items. The PalaDen is not open, as was planned.
• Students should stay indoors as much as possible while crews continue to clear debris and make repairs.
• Avoid walking or sitting near large trees; they still might fall.
• Do not leave campus unless absolutely necessary; conditions are dangerous throughout the area.
• Given the dangerous conditions throughout the Upstate, we recommend that students stay on campus and that families not come onto campus if possible.
• If you have an emergency, contact the Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or via the LiveSafe app. 911 service in Greenville is down.

Updates will be provided at furman.edu/news as they become available.

Update Sept. 26, 12:30 p.m.

Campus message: Furman campus closing Thursday evening, Friday

Hurricane Helene is growing into a major storm that is expected to cause significant damage as it moves inland across Georgia, South Carolina, Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Helene is forecast to drop 8-10 inches of rain and cause wind gusts up to 60 mph in the Greenville area through Friday afternoon.

In anticipation of this extreme weather event, Furman University will close its campus beginning at 5:30 p.m. today through Friday.

During this closure, all scheduled activities on campus are cancelled (including all in-person classes, labs and meetings related to coursework, CLPs and student activities). Unfortunately, this also includes Family Weekend and athletics events through Friday.

Employees required to work on campus during the closure will be notified by their departments. Other employees may not report to work on campus during the closure. Staff not asked to work on campus are not required to work remotely and are paid according to the inclement weather policy.

The Furman emergency team will assess the state of campus mid-day Friday and will decide by 2 p.m. tomorrow whether to reopen campus and proceed with events on Saturday.

In the meantime, Dining Services, Furman Police, Facilities Services and Housing & Residence Life will remain available to students in a limited capacity.

Students will receive more information on available campus services in a separate email. Family Weekend attendees will also receive a communication with more details.

Faculty will receive additional information in a separate email and will communicate with their students about plans for their classes.

If you are traveling, please use caution and avoid driving through large puddles or standing water on roadways. Students and employees should be aware of their surroundings while walking on campus during strong winds and rain.

The timing of a severe weather event is never good, and Helene will cause disruptions and inconveniences as families travel to campus for Family Weekend. The safety of our students, faculty, staff and greater community is of utmost importance.

Furman Police will continue to work with the National Weather Service to monitor conditions on campus and send emergency notifications as needed. Visit the Police Department website for more information about severe weather warnings. Call Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or use the LiveSafe app to request assistance or to report weather-related issues.

Update Sept. 25, 4:32 p.m. — Furman continues to monitor Hurricane Helene. Please see the Family Weekend website and the Furman Paladins website for any updates to the Family Weekend or Athletics schedules. The National Weather Service expects the Upstate of South Carolina to receive 8-10 inches of rain and wind gusts up to 50 mph starting Thursday afternoon and ending Friday night.  The conditions could cause damage to trees on campus. Visit the Police Department website for more information about severe weather warnings. Call Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or use the LiveSafe app to request assistance or to report weather-related issues.

Sept. 23, 8:45 p.m. — The Furman University Police Department is monitoring a potential tropical cyclone that is developing over the Gulf of Mexico. This storm could bring heavy rainfall and windy conditions to the South Carolina Upstate, including Furman’s campus, Thursday and Friday.

University Police will continue to work with the National Weather Service to monitor conditions on campus and send emergency notifications as needed. Visit the Police Department website for more information about severe weather warnings. Call Furman Police at 864-294-2111 or use the LiveSafe app to request assistance or to report weather-related issues.

University Communications will post updates to this page as necessary.