What will you remember about the pandemic? For me and probably a lot of you, the suddenly central role of technology in our lives will stand out. We\u2019ve become more accustomed to interacting through our digital devices, whether for work meetings, family celebrations, doctor\u2019s \u201cvisits\u201d or simply gatherings with friends.<\/p>\n
This issue of Furman magazine reflects this change, too, as you\u2019ve no doubt noticed.<\/p>\n
Offering you this fall issue of Furman magazine solely through your computer or mobile device instead of as the print magazine you\u2019ve always found in your mailbox is a break from tradition and a first for the university. Our decision to go purely digital for this issue was a difficult one. But it represents just one of the adjustments we have made to position the university for financial stability amid this deep, unexpected disruption.<\/p>\n
Of course, resilience is in Furman\u2019s DNA. This issue tells the stories of our resilient alumni and campus community, among many others. We celebrate the faculty and staff who immediately went to work during the spring to transition traditional classroom instruction to remote learning. They trained one another, virtually rallied their students and put health protocols into place \u2013 all while experiencing all of the same anxieties the rest of us did: Is it safe to go to the grocery store? What do I do with my children who are supposed to be in school? Is that \u201ca symptom\u201d I\u2019m feeling or something benign?<\/p>\n
Amid the uncertainty and change, Furman faculty, staff and students pushed through it. Judy Bagley, who leads our services for accessibility, put it well: \u201cFurman has stepped up, and it makes me proud to work here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile,\u00a0sources of determination among our alumni family<\/a>\u00a0also nourished our resolve \u2013 from the music alumna refining her art until the opera season resumes, to the brothers helping to provide personal protection equipment to those in need, to the medical resident celebrating the heroism of the nurses who cared for her as she herself recovered from the virus. We are seeing a new awareness of our shared fortunes, between neighbors, coworkers, friends and strangers, as instances of sacrifice and ingenuity reshape our culture. In fundamental ways, pushing through this pandemic calls on us to live the ideals of the liberal arts and sciences \u2013 as the crucial stitching of our social fabric. And Furman is doing just that.<\/p>\n The very qualities at the university\u2019s heart \u2013 our powerful culture of mentoring and belonging on campus \u2013 made the\u00a0shift to remote learning<\/a>\u00a0more jarring for each of us. As Susan Dunnavant, director of learning technologies for Information Technology Services, put it, \u201cInteracting remotely is not the same as the personal attention so highly prized at Furman.\u201d<\/p>\n