From the Alumni Office: What does it mean to be truly engaged?

Before accepting my role, I spent a lot of time thinking about a deceptively simple question: What does meaningful alumni engagement look like? Not attendance for attendance’s sake, but real, lasting involvement that strengthens both the individual and the institution.  

Colleges and universities with the most vibrant alumni communities tend to share a few defining traits. Their alumni leverage their networks – professionally and socially. They play a meaningful role in mentoring students, offering internships, and opening doors to careers. They are vocal advocates for their alma mater. And when alumni feel informed, valued and connected to the student experience and the broader community, they invest – of their time, talent and resources – in the programs and scholarships that mattered to them and align with their values. That investment, in turn, strengthens the institution’s reputation, supports student recruitment and reinforces a virtuous cycle of engagement.  

This vision imagines a campus where alumni regularly return as guest lecturers, mentors and advisors; where students know alumni not as distant figures but as accessible guides; and where regional and affinity-based alumni communities remain active and connected long after graduation. Which led me to ask a more personal question: What does an ideal engaged alumnus look like? 

We don’t have to look far. Jim Ney ’64 offers one of the clearest and most compelling examples of what it means to live out Furman’s values long after Commencement. Jim passed away in 2025, but his 60 years of Paladin loyalty stretched from the classroom to athletics to the world at large and back again. 

Start with network. For generations of alumni who found themselves in Atlanta after graduation, Jim was the connector. He helped lead the Atlanta Business Series, hosted alumni gatherings at his home and office and made it his mission to ensure no Furman graduate felt like they were navigating a new city alone. Because of Jim, the Furman Atlanta network became – and remains – one of the strongest professional alumni communities in the region. 

But Jim’s engagement didn’t stop at networking. He was deeply committed to students and to bringing alumni back into the life of the campus. He mentored countless students, regularly returned as a guest speaker and famously rallied alumni for the “party bus” that traveled from Atlanta to home football games each Saturday.  

Jim also understood the importance of leadership and advocacy. He served on the Alumni Board and the Annual Giving Council. He played a large role in Furman’s early Mock Trial program, helping shape it into what it is today and instilling in generations of students a passion for the legal profession. 

Family friends who knew the Neys spoke of Jim as one of the most upstanding people they had ever met. Their thinking was simple: If Jim Ney went to Furman, that was endorsement enough. That kind of character and reputation ripples outward in ways we can’t always measure, but it often makes all the difference. 

Finally, Jim invested deeply in Furman’s future. He did so throughout his life, well before his later professional success. In addition to his service roles, he and his wife, Carol, supported programs and scholarships that reflected their passions and values. His service on the Richard Furman Society and the Board of Trustees was a natural extension of a lifelong commitment to giving back to the institution that helped shape him. 

Jim Ney left an indelible mark on Furman and on everyone who knew him. He embodied what Furman has stood for over two centuries, leading a life of purpose, service and community impact. As we celebrate our Bicentennial, it feels especially fitting to reflect on the life of one of Furman’s greatest graduates.