Student Activism

Furman is committed to amplifying student voice. This site is intended to provide faculty, staff, advisors and student leaders with information and resources to support Furman students in this endeavor.

Peaceful demonstrations and protests must be registered here no later than seven (7) days prior to the event. Contact Dr. Jason Cassidy, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, for questions and support at 864-294-2202. See below for some quick policy highlights.

Campus vigils are governed by the Use of University Space policy as an Impromptu or Spontaneous Event.

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Amplifying student voice
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Peaceful demonstrations and protests support

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Review the complete policy here.
Only students, faculty and staff are allowed to organize a demonstration or protest. External individuals are not allowed to participate in demonstrations or protests on university property.
Students and Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) must register any demonstration or protest with the Dean of Students no later than seven (7) days prior to the event.
The Dean of Students’ Office can help in coordinating logistics.
University officials may make reasonable efforts to accommodate spontaneous or impromptu demonstrations or protests, including counter-demonstrations, in proper consultation with campus partners.
Events must be orderly, peaceful, and safe, whether hosting a guest speaker, planning a march, or organizing a protest. These events must not disrupt campus operations.
Encampments and barricades are prohibited.
No overnight or multiple-day demonstrations or protests are allowed.
Generally, protests and demonstrations are not allowed indoors.

Be respectful and curious. Approach others with generosity, especially if you disagree with them. Don’t insult people or their ideas. Ask questions to help you understand different perspectives.
Listen, then speak for yourself. Pause before speaking and yield to those who have spoken least. Don’t assume the values or intentions of others and recognize that people have the right to advocate different ideas and in different ways than you. Avoid speaking in dismissive absolutes (e.g., “all those people are…” “no intelligent person thinks…”).
Use good argumentation. Support arguments with your own authentic experiences, with reasoning that people generally support, and with publicly-accessible facts. Withhold any claims that presume to have all the evidence and reasons on one side, and note areas of agreement and disagreement as you go.
Whenever possible, create community agreements and use moderators or trained facilitators. Understand what level of confidentiality speakers would like, so that people feel safe expressing themselves. Determine a speaking order, or in more formal cases like a group or class discussion, see if an instructor or moderator can recognize speakers to ensure equal access. A good facilitator can also help ensure any of the other guidelines were met, if they have the community’s agreement to intervene.
Leave the space in a better way than you found it. Walk away if you need. Don’t heckle or sabotage others’ speech; counter-protest elsewhere. In most cases, observe and report how discourse helped build a stronger community, how it helped move forward your thinking, how it made you more sympathetic to an argument you had previously rejected, or how it will help inspire action. If none of that is true, which happens in rare cases, simply thank the people who took their time to respond.

Promote diverse perspectives
Foster open dialogue
Encourage critical thinking
Reduce polarization
Prepare students for civic engagement
Build bridges between communities

Student Activism

Policies

Vision, Mission & Values

Non-Academic Administrative Policies

Student Conduct Code

Employees

Programs

Academic Affairs

Cultural Life Programs (CLPs)

Center for Interpersonal Connections (CIC)

Dins Vote

On Discourse

The Furman Advantage (TFA)

Support Resources

Center for Interpersonal Connections (CIC)

Dean of Students

Office of Student Involvement

Office of Spiritual Life

Furman Police

Thrive Committee

Thriving Communities Advisory Team

Trone Center for Mental Fitness

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Student Activism

Policies

Vision, Mission & Values

Non-Academic Administrative Policies

Student Conduct Code

Employees

Programs

Academic Affairs

Cultural Life Programs (CLPs)

Center for Interpersonal Connections (CIC)

Dins Vote

The Furman Advantage (TFA)

Support Resources

Center for Interpersonal Connections (CIC)

Dean of Students

Peaceful demonstrations and protests: Policy highlights

Suggested guidelines for healthy discourse

Create an environment for open exchange of ideas