In the story, the writer asked Davis if TFA “is an even bigger advantage at a time when the value of higher education is in question.” The president replied, “There is perceived value – rankings and acceptance rates and whatever you see on the web site – and then there is real value. We can influence perceived value to some degree, but we really have to keep working on what the real value is – being able to sustain the promises we make to prospective students.”
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How Furman turned a culture into an asset
Elizabeth Davis, president, Furman University.
LearningWell, the online magazine, wrote about how Furman turned a culture of student research, study away and internships into an asset that set the university apart. The story describes the details of turning those differentiators into The Furman Advantage (TFA).
President Elizabeth Davis, who first recognized the opportunity after she arrived in 2014, is quoted, along with Beth Pontari, interim vice president for Academic Affairs and provost; Michelle Horhota, associate dean for Mentoring and Advising; Connie Carson, vice president for Student Life; Tim Fehler, the William E. Leverette, Jr. Professor of History, who had some doubts about TFA; and Kristi Walters, director of higher education at The Duke Endowment.