{"id":39128,"date":"2025-08-25T17:20:47","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T21:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/?p=39128"},"modified":"2025-10-10T10:21:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T14:21:34","slug":"new-academic-year-at-furman-launches-with-convocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/new-academic-year-at-furman-launches-with-convocation\/","title":{"rendered":"New academic year at Furman launches with Convocation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Furman University\u2019s Class of 2029 basked in waves of applause on Aug. 25 as they came in out of the heat and into McAlister Auditorium for this year\u2019s opening convocation.<\/p>\n

Many of the more than 550 students<\/a> of the incoming first-year class took their seats among faculty and staff, trustees and other members of the campus community. As Furman prepares to celebrate its bicentennial in 2026, President Elizabeth Davis said there\u2019s much to be grateful for, but nothing greater than \u201cthe solid foundation of a liberal arts education that we will continue to build well into our next century.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the next four years you will learn more than your chosen major,\u201d she said. \u201cYou will learn to think critically and independently, using reflection and knowledge gained from a variety of disciplines, taught by some of the brightest, most caring faculty and staff in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A

Furman President Elizabeth Davis and Mariam Nguyen \u201926, president of Student Government Association, dap it up during Convocation in McAlister Auditorium on Aug. 25. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n

Beyond the classroom, students will learn how to engage in civil discourse with people they disagree with. Furman\u2019s signature On Discourse<\/a> initiative encourages constructive discussions, with the theme this year of seeking a deeper understanding of democracy in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking connections and working through conflict to get to understanding might be your generation\u2019s most important work,\u201d Davis told the class Monday.<\/p>\n

Student Government President Mariam Nguyen \u201926 told the incoming class she was nervous when she was in their shoes. Would she feel like she belonged at Furman? Would she find people with whom she could connect?<\/p>\n

\u201cFurman isn\u2019t a place where you have to prove you belong. It\u2019s a place where you build who you are,\u201d she told the crowd. \u201cAnd together \u2013 students, faculty, staff \u2013 we\u2019re not just building four years. We\u2019re building a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jason Cassidy, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, gave the address during Convocation on Aug. 25. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.<\/p><\/div>\n

The morning\u2019s guest speaker was Assistant Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Jason Cassidy.\u00a0 Since he started working at Furman in 1999, the university has invested heavily in campus infrastructure and built the award-winningly beautiful campus students see today.<\/p>\n

He urged students to slow down and take in its beauty, but to remember that it\u2019s the people they connect with who will define their time at Furman. That\u2019s why he encouraged students to lead with kindness.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will never forget how we treated them when they were stressed, struggling or just needed someone to notice them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd being kind doesn\u2019t mean we will never disagree or face conflict. It simply means we will handle those moments with respect and empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Faculty, students and staff receive accolades<\/h2>\n

Cherie Maiden Invitational Award<\/h3>\n