Priority One | UNIVERSITY OF INNOVATION AND IMPACT

Drive a culture of innovation that fosters student engagement, creative inquiry, and purposeful community impact to deliver a transformative, high-value, individualized learning experience that furthers our mission to cultivate learners who understand themselves, the world, and their place in it.

Objective 1: Prepare students for future careers and citizenship by innovating Furman’s definition and approach to the liberal arts and sciences while leveraging and incorporating the foundational elements of the Furman Advantage.

I. Set the foundation for developing capable, agile learners to meet the challenges of a changing world by elevating and expanding Furman’s definition and approach to the liberal arts and sciences.

• Crystallize the value of the liberal arts and sciences in the context of Furman’s mission, so that students apply, practice, reflect upon, and communicate clearly the skills they gain through the liberal arts and understand their capacity as problem solvers.
• Anchored by our mission and values, expand and elevate Furman’s definition of the liberal arts, seeking opportunities to harness the core curriculum and the student experience to apply the liberal arts in emerging and future contexts (e.g. the ethics and use of generative AI, dialogue across difference, collaboration, data analysis, and other 21st century literacies).

II. Building upon the foundation set by an innovative liberal arts and sciences education, prepare each student for post-Furman success by articulating differentiated pathways and enhancing industry-specific support for students to pursue their careers after graduation.

• Increase opportunities for students to explore and reflect on their values, interests, and strengths so they can best discern their individual pathways.
• Sharpen and focus the support provided to students who pursue careers immediately after Furman by bolstering relevant engaged learning experiences, leadership opportunities, and specialized professional training that complement the liberal arts .
• Sharpen and focus the support provided to students who pursue advanced degrees after Furman by bolstering relevant engaged learning opportunities and field-specific advising and mentoring, while connecting them to graduate and professional education programs that align with their aspirations.
• Expand and scaffold opportunities to connect students with industry-specific knowledge and networks across their four years at Furman.

III. To continue to innovate the Furman student experience, integrate into Furman’s approach to the liberal arts and sciences, our signature and award-winning programs by purposefully refining the elements of the Furman Advantage.

• Unify a strategic vision for iterating the signature learning experiences of the Furman Advantage (Study Away, Internships, and Undergraduate Research) and related programs (e.g. Four-year residency experience, Intergroup Dialogue, Interdisciplinary minors, Humanities Sequence, MayX, Community Engaged learning, leadership programs, and others) to increase their collective impact.
• Enhance and elevate the teacher-scholar model to harness the ongoing excellence of faculty-student collaborative inquiry.
• Create systems that facilitate a culture of reflection, learning and creativity, to foster innovative thinking across campus.

Objective 2: Lead Community Impact in Greenville and Beyond by further Cultivating Real-World Problem Solvers

Employ expertise and networks of Furman faculty, staff, and the four institutes to impact communities and provide transformational real-world experiences for students.

I. Broaden Issue-based Experiential Learning

• Foster critical thinking and learning through curricular, cocurricular and extracurricular experiences that emphasize real-world applications.
• Deploy institute and faculty expertise to broaden student opportunities for applied research addressing key challenges in our community.

II. Serve as Engines of Social Impact in our Community

• Lead community-driven research efforts that focus on delivering innovative solutions to complex issues in South Carolina.
• Harness opportunities for community-led social impact through academic partnerships, research collaborations, internships, and public scholarship in Greenville, the Upstate, South Carolina, and beyond.

III. Catalyze Thought Leadership in Greenville

• Translate subject matter expertise and leadership from faculty, staff, and institutes on the local level, documenting outcomes that benefit the Greenville community and the surrounding region.

Objective 3: Drive Strategic Partnerships and Expand Learning Opportunities to Enhance Furman’s Capacity to Advance Applied Liberal Arts in our Region

Leveraging Furman’s innovative liberal arts approach, expand graduate, professional, and community offerings to build both an ecosystem that serves learners across their career and generates innovative solutions for business and social sector challenges in our region.

I.Invest in graduate and professional education that aligns with Furman’s mission and the needs of the community

• Fulfill our vision to promote lifelong learners by providing transformative experiences through credit-bearing and non-credit bearing pathways.
• Harness Furman’s unique resources to develop innovative credentials and learning opportunities that meet the evolving needs of the workforce and support the economic mobility of the upstate and beyond
• Advance graduate programs that leverage Furman’s mission and strengths to bolster undergraduate offerings and campus and community impact opportunities.

II. Enhance strategic partnerships in our region

• Create innovative solutions with regional partners to develop their talent pools, address key skills gaps in our region, and demonstrate the benefits of a liberal arts approach to solve key business and social challenges.
• Establish and execute clear strategy for collaboration with regional partners through corporate engagement, government relations, non-profit connections, and other opportunities.

Priority Two | THRIVING COMMUNITY

Cultivate a vibrant, interconnected community where students, faculty, and staff flourish, engagement thrives, and wellbeing is prioritized.

Objective 1: Prioritize wellbeing, growth, and a sense of belonging.

Prioritize Furman’s holistic approach to wellbeing for the student, faculty, and staff experience.

I. Enhance the Student Experience

• Support holistic student development by integrating wellbeing into all facets of the student experience.
• Provide the tools and support needed for students to develop independence and resiliency.

II. Foster Diversity and Belonging

• Attract and retain talented students, faculty, and staff by cultivating an environment where they can thrive through engaged learning, academic determination, positive perspective, diverse citizenship, and social connectedness ensuring all feel welcomed, supported, and able to contribute.

• Strengthen community connections and mutual understanding by promoting opportunities for collaboration, dialogue, and relationship-building across campus.

III. Support Employee Growth and Satisfaction

• Prioritize faculty and staff wellbeing, engagement, and professional growth.
• Foster a positive and enriching campus culture through improved communication and collaboration.

IV. Enrich the Campus Environment

• Create an inclusive and inspiring campus environment and physical space.
• Ensure that students, faculty, staff, and alumni find a sense of place on campus. 

Objective 2: Cultivate a Community of Discourse and Inquiry

Develop the platforms and skills that support the freedom of inquiry, thought, and discourse on our campus and in our larger community.

I. Strengthen Healthy Discourse

• Promote through On Discourse and related initiatives respect for all people, rigorous inquiry, and opportunities to engage in productive dialogue and engage different perspectives.
• Extend conversations beyond the student body to faculty, staff, and community audiences and spaces

II. Foster Dialogue Skills Development

• Create opportunities to develop skills for communicating across differences while promoting freedom of inquiry, deep listening, and respectful dialogue. 

Objective 3: Improve Financial Stability for the Furman Community

Meet the financial needs of employees in a variety of ways, alleviating barriers and promoting access to help pave the way for their ultimate success.

I. Support Employee Recruitment and Investment

• Reaffirm Furman’s commitment to competitive salaries and benefits for faculty and staff.
• Invest in employee recruitment, engagement, and retention.

Objective 4: Lead in Responsible Stewardship for our Planet

Deepen our commitment to a core value of sustainability, underscoring that functional ecosystems are foundational for long-term human thriving.

I. Advance Carbon Neutrality Goals

• Recommit to and realize the plan to become carbon neutral as a responsible global citizen.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a 60% net reduction by 2030, and a goal of carbon neutrality by 2040, using 2007 as a baseline. For additional details on our climate goals, click here.
• Assess and improve institutional resiliency to climate change.

II. Foster Sustainable Community

• Utilize Furman’s unique physical assets and our integrated, holistic approach to model sustainability that supports human thriving within ecological boundaries.
• Integrate educational opportunities that produce global-minded citizens with the interdisciplinary skills and experience to solve the climate crisis.

Priority Three | SUSTAINABLE AND STRONG FUTURE

Secure the university’s long-term success by executing a focused growth strategy, achieving ambitious fundraising goals, and maintaining disciplined fiscal stewardship. Through these efforts, we will secure a sustainable future that empowers our community and supports every student’s success.

Objective 1: Strenghten our Financial Foundation

I. Drive Financial Growth

• Execute the campus-wide enrollment strategy to achieve target student enrollment by 2030 through innovative academic programs, an individualized student experience, and a well-differentiated brand and value proposition. We will leverage personalized recruitment, a redefined, highly personalized admissions approach, and athletics, to reach and engage students more effectively. With awareness of shifting demographics, we are planning intentionally to ensure Furman remains competitive and positioned for long-term enrollment success.
• Diversify revenue strategies through Furman Innovation Lab by broadening student base beyond undergraduates and exploring additional revenue drivers consistent with Furman’s mission.
• Maximize the value of Furman’s assets—including camps and conferences, the golf course, and The Vinings—to generate additional revenue that strengthens the university’s financial foundation and supports strategic priorities.

II. Accelerate Fundraising and Endowment Growth

• Exceed the $467 million goal for the Clearly Furman campaign.
• Grow the endowment through ambitious fundraising, broad campus ambassadorship, and a disciplined 4% distribution rate.
• Build lasting fundraising capacity to sustain momentum beyond the current campaign.
• Implement The Furman Promise in alignment with enrollment growth, expanding need-based and other scholarships to increase the endowment by $1 billion over the next decade.

Objective 2: Articulate the Furman Brand

Identify and communicate a clear, authentic identity that reflects Furman’s distinctiveness, elevates visibility, and inspires pride.

I. Define and Clarify Brand

• Establish a clear and compelling brand identity, grounded in research and creativity, that highlights Furman’s distinct academic and student life experiences.
• Develop a framework and rollout plan to embed the brand consistently across communications, marketing, and campus culture, ensuring alignment and visibility at every touchpoint.

II. Tell the Furman Story

• Share stories that reflect the interests of prospective students and families, building preference and affinity for Furman and driving enrollment.
• Highlight impact, student outcomes, and distinctive aspects of the Furman experience to resonate with alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and the broader community, inspiring pride and philanthropy.
• Communicate these stories across a wide variety of channels and in diverse formats—digital, print, video, and in-person—to maximize reach and impact.

III. Utilize Athletics as an Asset

• Leverage Furman’s reputation for academic and athletic excellence to elevate visibility and impact and enrich campus life.
• Maximize team rosters and consider additional athletic opportunities to contribute to campus wide enrollment goals.
• Advance sustainable success through strategic fundraising, revenue growth, and community engagement.