• 👏 FFSA is hosting a live webinar with Alumni Free Speech Alliance’s Tom Neale later this month on our Substack. Paid subscribers get to ask questions first - so upgrade your membership today and stay tuned for more details!

• 🏀 Congratulations to the Furman Paladins on their hard-fought first-round NCAA Tournament battle against the UConn Huskies — who lost to Michigan in the National Championship game last night. Go Dins!

• 🎉 Dins Day, Furman’s annual 24-hour alumni giving celebration, is coming up on April 25. We are not officially affiliated with the university, but there is no one in the Furman community advocating harder for free speech than us! If you’d like to support that, consider becoming a paid FFSA subscriber today or donating here.

Furman Trivia:

With Furman’s basketball team making another NCAA Tournament appearance this year, let’s test your Paladin hoops knowledge. Which Paladin hit the buzzer-beater to stun #4 Virginia in the 2023 NCAA Tournament?

• A) Mike Bothwell

• B) Garrett Hien

• C) Jalen Slawson

• D) JP Pegues

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Does Furman Have a Viewpoint Diversity Problem?

On March 30, our colleagues at Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD) published a striking finding: at Davidson College, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 15 to 1 among faculty. Moreover, all of the Republicans are concentrated into only 6 departments in the hard sciences and social sciences. All the other departments — including all of the humanities — do not employ “a single Republican.”

The Davidson study is just the latest in a growing body of evidence documenting a lack of viewpoint diversity on college campuses across the country. The free speech movement has spent decades securing formal protections for open inquiry and expression. Now, it is grappling with whether the intellectual conditions for such inquiry actually exist on today’s campuses. Too often, the answer is unfortunately not.

The problem with this lack of viewpoint diversity is that it leads to the complete exclusion of some perspectives across entire disciplines. The result, as Heterodox Academy has documented, is a university where the range of ideas students encounter is quietly narrowed by the ideological composition of the faculty itself.

The question for Furman is simple: is our university really an exception to this national trend?

The evidence suggests it is not.

We can’t run the same analysis as Davidson. Unlike North Carolina, South Carolina doesn’t have partisan voter registration — meaning there’s no public record of which party Furman faculty belong to.

But the data we do have suggests we would see similar results.

According to City Journal’s 2025 College Rankings, nearly 98% of Furman faculty campaign donations went to liberal or Democratic causes. And as Kevin Wallsten — the political scientist behind the rankings — explained in an exclusive interview with FFSA last month, campaign donations are among the most reliable proxies for faculty ideology available.

This lack of viewpoint diversity should matter to Furman, and especially to President Elizabeth Davis. She has made it a central goal of her administration to help Furman students “engage thoughtfully across difference.” That’s impossible when those differences simply don’t exist at a relevant level.

So, what should Furman do? There’s no magic recipe. Increasing faculty viewpoint diversity is going to be difficult. But the first step is simple enough. We need to assess the reality on the ground and get better data on the viewpoint diversity of Furman’s faculty.

That’s why we are calling on President Davis to commission an independent assessment of faculty viewpoint diversity on campus — working with a credible outside organization like FIRE or Heterodox Academy, both of which have developed rigorous tools for exactly this purpose.

Such an assessment would be a valuable service to students, alumni, parents, and faculty alike. Right now, Furman's community is left to draw conclusions from secondhand data. A rigorous, independent assessment is the easiest way to fix that. Then, from that honest starting point, the university can build a real strategy.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

Here are some interesting CLPs coming up in April:

• On Wednesday, April 8, the Women’s and Gender Studies department hosts “Data Feminism in Action,” a lecture arguing for a movement of “epistemic disobedience” against the “reigning logics of AI and data science.”

• On Wednesday, April 15, Furman Theatre presents “HumanKind: be both,” a dance production described as “a celebration of stories untold” that highlights the “beauty of diverse narratives.” Runs April 15–19.

• On Wednesday, April 29, the Furman Pride Alliance hosts the “Spring 2026 Drag Show” — featuring professional and student drag performers.

Trivia Answer:

D) JP Pegues — the sophomore drained a 3-pointer with just 2.2 seconds left to give Furman a stunning 68-67 victory, the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 1974.

• 👏At Furman’s Opening Bicentennial Celebration on February 13, President Davis made a commendable statement highlighting the importance of free speech to Furman’s future:

  • “Our students… were stepping into a fractured world where disagreement is treated as danger—where the idea of common ground often feels like a relic of the past… So we did something requiring courage. We created our Statement on Freedom of Inquiry and Expression—the rock on which discourse and progress would be built. A space where students could practice the hardest skill: engaging thoughtfully across difference. And on that foundation, we built On Discourse. This is our commitment: Furman is and will be a place where students learn how to think, not what to think. Where they practice listening to perspectives that challenge their own. Where they discover discomfort isn’t danger, and disagreement isn’t disrespect. It isn’t easy work. But it’s what Greenville needs, what South Carolina needs, and indeed, what the world needs.”

• Furman made it onto the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the 30 most beautiful college campuses.

• Furman master’s student, Sierra Burns, attended the State of the Union as a guest of First Lady Melania Trump and a representative of her Foster Youth to Independence Program.

• The Southern Conference Basketball Championships are set to take place this weekend. Games open on March 5 and the championship will be on March 9. Watch and cheer on our Dins!

Furman Trivia:

How many governors of South Carolina graduated from Furman University? Can you name them?

A) 2

B) 5

C) 4

D) 3

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Let Alumni Serve Without Ideological Screening

Last month, Furman University opened nominations for its alumni leadership boards and councils. According to the university’s website, these bodies exist to “mobilize alumni leaders to cultivate lifelong engagement and advance Furman’s future.”

The Furman Free Speech Alliance shares that mission. We are deeply committed to Furman’s long-term flourishing. That is precisely why we feel both encouraged and concerned by the university’s recent announcement.

Let us begin with the concern.

The nomination form for alumni board service includes language stating that “Furman University is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community” and requires applicants to explain how a nominee would “support that commitment as a volunteer leader.” However well-intentioned, this requirement functions as a DEI-style pledge. In our view, such pledges too easily become political litmus tests rather than neutral measures of a candidate’s qualifications and commitment to the institution.

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DEI has been among the most debated and polarizing developments on American campuses in recent years. Alumni boards should be places where graduates of every background, profession, and viewpoint feel equally welcome to serve. When service requires affirming contested ideological language, even implicitly, it risks narrowing the pool of willing and qualified volunteers. That would undermine the very goal of broad alumni engagement.

We raise this concern not as outside critics, but as alumni who want Furman to succeed.

There is much to praise in this new nomination process. This is the first time Furman has broadly promoted its alumni boards and publicly solicited nominations from across the alumni body. In the past, these boards often grew by word of mouth, with new members nominated primarily by existing members. Opening the process to all alumni is welcome reform. It signals a desire for wider participation and a more representative range of voices.

The Dins Digest alumni newsletter deserves credit here. We have previously commended it as evidence of a healthier approach to alumni relations—one focused on genuine engagement rather than transactional fundraising. The decision to use it to invite open nominations is another positive step. We have heard that the alumni office has already received a strong influx of nominations and is encouraged by the number of Paladins eager to serve.

That is why it is so important to address the concern now.

When we previously urged the administration to reconsider DEI pledge language in faculty and staff applications, the university listened and meaningfully softened the wording. That responsiveness was appreciated. It demonstrated that Furman can uphold its commitment to community without requiring applicants to affirm language that many reasonably view as ideological.

We believe the same adjustment should be made here. The current language appears to be a holdover from a period when DEI rhetoric was more aggressively embedded in the institution.. It does not reflect the broader, more open approach that this new alumni initiative otherwise represents.

If Furman’s goal is to mobilize alumni leaders to advance the university’s future, then removing or revising this pledge would ensure that the effort to broaden participation is not inadvertently constrained.

We applaud the university for opening the nomination process. With a modest but meaningful revision to the form, this initiative could fully live up to its promise.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

Here are some interesting CLPs coming up in March:

• On Thursday, March 12, “Democracy and Protest-Social Movements” will teach students how “social movements have transformed democracy in the US by expanding participation, challenging injustice, and holding institutions accountable.”

• On Wednesday, March 25, Furman’s annual “Sex in the Dark” will dim the lights and allow students to ask questions about “broadening your perspective of sexuality and relationships.”

Trivia Answer:

a) 2 - Mark Sanford (‘83) and Richard Riley (‘54).

* John Calhoun Sheppard studied law at Furman but likely “read law” under practicing attorneys in the traditional 19th-century style rather than formally graduating.

** Ibra Charles Blackwoord attended Furman’s preparatory school but graduated from Wofford.

• It is February, but it does not look like we are in for an early spring. Furman, like much of the country, remains covered in ice and snow.

• Furman is set to host its Opening Bicentennial Convocation on February 12.

  • Furman is also collecting stories from alumni and friends about moments that have shaped the university over the last two centuries. If you have a memory from your time at Furman, we encourage you to submit it through the university’s bicentennial story portal.

• Furman recently celebrated Joseph Vaughn Day, which honors the legacy of Furman’s first black undergraduate, who enrolled 61 years ago on January 29, 1965.

  • At the ceremony, the Idella Goodson Glenn Outstanding Black Alumni Award went to the Rev. Regenald Garrett ’98, senior pastor at the historic Jubilee Baptist Church and president of Furman’s Black Alumni Association.

• Finally, congrats to the women’s basketball team, who beat Wofford on a buzzer-beater last Friday and claimed their fifth straight victory, giving the Paladins their best start in conference play since the 2004-05 season!

Furman Trivia:

Joseph Vaughn was the first black student to attend Furman in January 1965. But who was the first black student to apply to Furman, and what year did he or she first apply?

A) 1962

B) 1957

C) 1961

D) 1964

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Furman’s Connection to the First Amendment

On January 29, the Post & Courier published an excellent piece examining the role that Furman University’s namesake, Richard Furman, played in America’s founding era.

Written by Courtney Tollison Hartness ’99, a Distinguished University Public Historian and scholar at Furman, alongside Emily Anne Harris ’25, the article offers a fair assessment of Furman’s life and makes a compelling case that his legacy deserves greater appreciation than it receives today.

As a free speech organization, we were especially interested to learn that Richard Furman was a “staunch advocate of religious freedom.” And as it turns out, Furman and his fellow Baptists played a central role in advancing First Amendment protections.

After rising to prominence through rousing anti-British speeches during the Revolutionary period, Furman eventually became pastor of Charleston’s First Baptist Church in 1787. From this position, he served as a delegate to South Carolina’s 1790 constitutional convention, where he pressed for the disestablishment of the Church of England and for the incorporation rights of all religious denominations in South Carolina.

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At around the same time, Baptists in Virginia were facing fines, whippings, and imprisonment for “unlicensed” preaching. More than thirty ministers were punished. This unfair treatment elicited the ire of men like James Madison, who would go on to become the “Father of the Constitution.”

During the ratification debates of the late 1780s, Baptist leaders, including the preacher John Leland, expressed serious concerns to Madison about the protection of religious liberty under the new Constitution. Madison reassured them that he would seek constitutional amendments safeguarding religious freedom. With these assurances, Baptists supported Madison’s election to the First Congress, after which he played a leading role in drafting the First Amendment.

While there is no record of direct correspondence between Richard Furman and Madison during this period, their paths did cross later. During Madison’s presidency in the 1810s, he invited Furman to address his cabinet. The encounter underscores Furman’s national stature and the seriousness with which his views were regarded.

The bottom line is that without Baptist advocates like Richard Furman, the First Amendment might have settled for mere “toleration” — a fragile, government-granted allowance — rather than the strong guarantee of “free exercise” that we have today.

For us at the Furman Free Speech Alliance, this legacy is both instructive and motivating. It reinforces our commitment to ensuring that Furman University does more than tolerate different opinions. We want a school that actively encourages robust, principled debate across lines of disagreement.

A university named for Richard Furman should aspire to nothing less.

We look forward to learning more about Furman’s history in Courtney Tollison Hartness’s recently announced bicentennial history of the university. Notably, it will be the institution’s first official history since 1976, published at the time of its 150th anniversary.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

Here are some interesting CLPs from February:

• On Tuesday, February 3, “Uncivil Resistance and Queer Activism” will offer students the opportunity to learn about “the kinds of resistance that the queer liberation movement has mobilized against the silencing and stigmatization of gender and sexual minorities.”

• On Wednesday, February 11, an “Afrofuturism Fireside Chat” will allow students to use “a critical lens for understanding how Black communities have imagined alternative futures in response to historical exclusion from dominant narratives of progress, technology, and modernity.”

• On Monday, February 23, “Swiftynomics: Women and Our Economy” will explore “the life and work of economic force and global icon Taylor Swift to examine the hidden contributions and aspirations of women—spotlighting the unmeasured value they create by pursuing their own ambitions.”

Trivia Answer:

D — 1964 is the year that LaBarbara Powell Sampson became the first black student to apply to Furman.

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• Welcome to 2026, a milestone year for Furman University as we celebrate our bicentennial.

• To mark Furman’s 200th anniversary, the university will host its Opening Bicentennial Convocation on February 12.

  • Furman is also collecting stories from alumni and friends about moments that shaped the last two centuries of the university. If you have a memory from your time at Furman, we encourage you to submit it through the university’s bicentennial story portal.

• Furman ranked 50th overall in City Journal’s 2025 College Rankings.

  • Furman placed 4th for student ideological pluralism, though our free speech policies and curriculum scored poorly.

• Furman men’s soccer advanced to the College Cup—the sport’s equivalent of the Final Four.

• High school seniors have until January 15 to apply to Furman. If you or your student would like more information, feel free to contact us at furmanfreespeech@gmail.com.

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Furman Trivia:

What percentage of Furman faculty campaign donations in the 2023-24 election cycle went to liberal or Democratic causes?

A) 73%

B) 98%

C) 86%

D) 56%

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Six Resolutions for Furman in 2026:

As we enter the new year—and Furman’s third century—we offer six resolutions that aim to strengthen the university, enhance its climate for free speech, and help ensure a successful future.

1. Continue investing in the On Discourse initiative

On Discourse remains Furman’s most promising effort to promote free expression, critical thinking, and meaningful dialogue. According to its End-of-Year Report, in 2026 the initiative plans to:

• Increase student-led programming

• Create a unifying annual theme across departments

• Launch two high-profile Signature Programs

• Improve promotion through social media and newsletters

• Establish an On Discourse Faculty/Staff Fellows Program

These are all encouraging developments, and we look forward to tracking the initiative’s continued growth.

2. Expand Furman’s partnership with Heterodox Academy

Heterodox Academy (HxA) is a growing network of professors dedicated to fostering open inquiry and viewpoint diversity in higher education. Last month, FFSA’s Alex Hibbs interviewed HxA president John Tomasi, who noted that Furman currently has a very small number of faculty participants—but emphasized the organization’s potential to help build a stronger culture of open inquiry on campus.

We know meaningful change often starts with just a few committed faculty members. In 2026, we encourage Furman professors—especially those already concerned about free expression—to work together to establish a stronger HxA presence on campus.

3. Reform orientation to emphasize debate and dialogue from day one

Orientation is incoming students’ first exposure to Furman’s campus culture. Unfortunately, it has too often been dominated by one-sided programming on controversial social issues, including past incidents where students expressing unpopular views were booed and jeered.

One of FFSA’s earliest goals was to introduce students to the value of free expression during orientation. While progress has been made elsewhere, this issue remains unresolved. President Davis, we hope you will make this a priority in 2026.

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4. Reform the Pathways Program

Pathways—Furman’s relatively new two-year advising program—is one of the most significant changes to the student experience in recent years. While it offers some benefits, students and faculty alike have raised substantial concerns about its structure, scope, and implementation.

We will be reporting more on Pathways in the coming months, but for now we believe 2026 should be the year Furman seriously evaluates and reforms this program.

5. Increase Furman’s overall enrollment

Last year, Fitch Ratings revised Furman’s credit outlook from stable to negative, citing concerns about the university’s increasingly vulnerable enrollment profile. Simply put, creditors are worried Furman is not enrolling enough students to remain financially secure.

Reversing recent enrollment trends (see graph below) will not be easy amid falling birthrates and rising costs. But we believe Furman can differentiate itself by making free speech and open inquiry a core part of its identity—and a key selling point for prospective students.

6. Improve Furman’s ranking with FIRE

Furman ranked 163rd of 248 schools in FIRE’s 2023 free speech rankings, fell to 221st in 2024, and improved modestly to 195th in 2025. That movement shows it is possible to improve Furman’s ranking when leadership takes concrete steps to improve the campus climate for free speech.

Two additional reforms would go a long way in 2026:

• Adopt institutional neutrality, pledging not to take sides in political controversies.

• Align Furman’s sexual misconduct policies with Supreme Court free speech standards.

You can read more about Furman’s current FIRE ranking and recommended reforms here.

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CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

Here are some interesting CLPs from January:

• On Thursday, January 15, “Law and Leadership Worldwide”

• On Friday, January 16, “Building the Beloved Community”

  • Both events honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Trivia Answer:

B — 98% of Furman faculty campaign donations in the 2023–24 election cycle went to liberal or Democratic causes according to City Journal.

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Announcements:

• Last month, we had a fantastic turnout at our second annual tailgate during Furman University’s Homecoming! It was great to see so many current students, alumni, and friends of Furman gather under the FFSA banner, swap stories, and strengthen our commitment to free speech and open dialogue on campus.

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Furman Trivia: Football Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is about Furman’s football team.

Question: “The ‘Paladins’ nickname was adopted in 1961 — what was Furman’s football team called before then?”

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Campus Dispatch: President Davis publicly recognized the Furman Free Speech Alliance

On October 24, the Tocqueville Center facilitated an event on the Crisis in American Higher Education featuring President Elizabeth Davis, Senator Ben Sasse, and Dr. John Tomasi (the inaugural president of Heterodox Academy). In her opening remarks, President Davis recognized FFSA’s positive impact on campus culture:

“At Furman, we’ve observed a rise in concern about free speech in recent years. Conservative students, more frequently than liberal students, say they self-censor, choosing to keep their thoughts to themselves rather than speak up in class or social settings for fear of being ridiculed. That’s not acceptable. Getting doxxed, shamed on social media or “unfriended” because of one’s political or religious views is a legitimate fear. Some of our alumni from the Furman Free Speech Alliance are here. They let me know when they think we’re limiting speech or exposure to ideas and perspectives, and they, along with other groups and individuals, are vocal advocates for free speech. I appreciate their doggedness. We should acknowledge, too, that Furman is a small community where belonging and mattering as an individual is a necessary condition of thriving and doing one’s best work. Thus, engaging thoughtfully and empathetically with those who share different beliefs or values, is critical.”

You can read Davis’ full address here, in which she emphasizes the University’s commitment to free expression and academic freedom, as well as some of the challenges in higher education today. We appreciate that she is listening — and her public recognition — and hope this public statement suggests continued action by Furman to protect free expression on campus.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?

Here are some interesting CLPs from November:

• On Thursday, September 11, “How Democracy Shows Up Where You Live” through the On Discourse program

• On Thursday, November 13 “What Really Matters?”

• On Tuesday, November 18 “The Presidency and the Power to Lead”

Trivia Answer:

The Hurricanes, until the school adopted “Paladins” as the official nickname for all athletic teams in September of 1961.

• The Furman Free Speech Alliance will be out in force at Furman’s homecoming celebrations (October 24 - 26). We hope you will join us:

  • Friday, October 24th, at the McAlister Auditorium for an event with the Tocqueville Center on the Crisis in American Higher Education featuring President Elizabeth Davis, Senator Ben Sasse, and Dr. John Tomasi -- the inaugural president of Heterodox Academy.

    • We will be tabling outside the event, telling Furman students, alumni, and community members about out work.

  • Saturday, October 25th, on the Furman Mall for an epic homecoming tailgate featuring plenty of food from Henry’s BBQ.

    • Below, see a photo from our tailgate last year:

Furman Trivia: Homecoming Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is about Furman’s rivalry with its homecoming opponent, The Citadel.

Question: What year did Furman and the Citadel first play? And what is the all-time record between the two schools?

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Campus Dispatch: Dins Digest Deserves Praise

We’ve had our fair share of criticisms for Furman this fall, but this month, I’d like to highlight something the university has done exceptionally well.

Furman’s Office of Alumni Engagement recently launched a new initiative called Dins Digest — a weekly newsletter designed to keep alumni like us connected to life on campus.

If you’re like me, you’re already subscribed and enjoying the updates. But if you haven’t yet checked it out, Dins Digest has featured a range of interesting stories, including:

• Furman retiring U.S. soccer legend Clint Dempsey’s jersey.

• The re-opening of Timmons Arena, Furman’s basketball stadium.

• Two Furman students pursued summer internships in New York.

I’ve also been pleasantly surprised to see that Dins Digest features stories from across the political spectrum and puts a particular emphasis on the importance of political discourse. For example:

• The September 25th newsletter featured this story highlighting how Furman’s “On Discourse” program (which we have covered extensively) is helping students “communicate across differences.”

• The September 18th newsletter featured this photo of members of the Furman Conservative Society placing small American flags around the fountain at the front gate in honor of September 11.

In the past, many alumni — myself included — have felt that Furman only reached out when it was time for a fundraising appeal. Dins Digest represents a real change in approach. It’s an effort to build a genuine relationship with alumni — one based on shared stories, not just solicitations.

I wholeheartedly welcome it. And I can’t help but think that our work at the Furman Free Speech Alliance played some small part in helping make this new spirit of engagement possible.

You can submit story ideas or upcoming events to the Dins Digest team by emailing dins.digest@furman.edu. Events must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday to be considered for inclusion in next week’s Dins Digest.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?

Here are some examples of CLPs from October:

• October 15th, Furman will host an event on “Christian Non-violence” focused on the “underlying shift in the mindset of American Christians that allows violence in our modern society.”

• October 22nd, there will be an event on “Islamophobia” about how “many contemporary stereotypes about Islam and the ‘Orient’ can be traced back to” how medieval Christians talked about Islam.

• October 28th will feature an event on “Reproductive Justice and Resistance” that will discuss America’s “long history of enacting of reproductive oppression on different communities.”

• October 30th will end the month with an event on “Klandamentalism” that is all about how “the words Bob Jones used in the 1920s to meld fundamentalism with the Klan parallel the white nationalistic rhetoric today.”

Trivia Answer:

1913; Furman has won 64 times, Citadel has won 37 times,the two schools have tied 3 times

Announcements:

• The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) will release its free speech ratings this week. Last year, Furman ranked 163^rd out of 248 schools.

• Mark your calendars: Furman’s homecoming is set to occur October 24-26. FFSA will be there with BBQ.

Furman Trivia: Kickoff Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is about famous Furman alumni.

Question: Which notable Furman University alumnus won a Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the development of the laser and maser?

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Campus Dispatch: Furman's Conservative Alumni

I know that some of the radical progressive professors and administrators who read the Belltower Times suspect that the Furman Free Speech Alliance is a right-wing conspiracy. A conservative front group.

And so, before I begin this post, I want to say two things.

First, Furman Free Speech Alliance is proud to be supported by people from across the political spectrum, and we’re happy to work with anyone to help improve our alma mater’s climate for free speech. It is true that we attract a disproportionate amount of support from conservative students and alumni – myself included – but it is not hard to understand why: Progressive ideology and politics are dominant among Furman’s administrators, faculty, and student body, and thus conservatives are more likely than progressives to experience threats to their freedom of speech.

Second, Furman has many impressive alumni who work in Democratic politics, such as D.C. Councilwoman Christina Henderson, Georgia State Representative Kim Jackson, and former Governor of South Carolina and Secretary of Education Richard Riley. These Paladins have been successful in their careers and good ambassadors for Furman, and they have given the university many reasons to promote them and their work frequently.

This post is not intended to criticize them or the university’s promotion of their work.

I’d simply like to highlight that, by comparison, Furman does relatively little to promote alumni working in conservative politics. For example, did you know that:

• Alex Stubb – the center-right President of Finland, who President Trump reportedly considers a trusted source of advice in European affairs – is a Furman alumnus

• Brett Shumate – a Furman alumnus – is the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice

• Allie Beth Stuckey – who graduated Furman in 2014 – is the host of Relatable, one of the top conservative podcasts in the country.

There are many more examples of accomplished alumni on both sides of the aisle.

My objective here is not to list them all, but to point out what I perceive as disparate treatment.

Sure, the university occasionally releases a press release about President Stubb or Allie Beth Stuckey. I’m not denying that. However, my experience on campus was that Furman’s administrators and professors rarely elevated these alumni in the same way that progressive alumni were.

This is a lost opportunity. Furman has an extensive alumni network across the country, but the university struggles to connect current students to alumni and alumni to each other. This is especially true for conservative students and alumni, who are too often ignored by their alma mater.

Furman would be stronger if it celebrated the full breadth of its graduates’ accomplishments—progressive, conservative, and everything in between.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?

Here are some interesting CLPs from September:

• On Thursday, September 11, “The Case for Israel” with Alan Dershowitz

• On Tuesday, September 2,3 “Conservatives v Reactionaries” with Mark Lilla

• On Tuesday, September 3,0 “If Black Lives Matter, Protect Us”

Trivia Answer:

Charles H. Townes, a 1935 Furman graduate, won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 for his groundbreaking work on the laser and maser.

Announcements:

• Can you believe it is August already?

• Furman welcomes freshmen for fall orientation this month, starting August 21.

• Our first football game, against William and Mary, will take place on August 30.

• Our friends at the decided to feature our first Paladin Report, exploring the “On Discourse” program, in their “Weekly Must Reads.” Check it out.

Furman Trivia: Kickoff Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is anticipation of the upcoming football season.

Question: Who was the opponent—and what was the final score—of Furman University’s very first intercollegiate football game, which also happened to be the first college football game ever played in South Carolina and the Deep South, in December 1889?

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Campus Dispatch: The Dins Get Downgraded

August has arrived, and students will soon return to Furman’s beautiful, well-maintained campus. But this year, the familiar rhythms of move-in and Convocation are playing out against a quieter crisis—one that strikes at the university’s financial future.

On July 22, Fitch Ratings revised Furman’s credit outlook from “Stable” to “Negative.” For those unfamiliar with bond ratings: think of them like an institutional credit score. A downgrade doesn’t mean bankruptcy—but it does signal rising financial risk. Lower ratings mean higher interest rates on future loans, shrinking the university’s flexibility to invest, expand, or even maintain current operations.

💸 What Fitch Is Really Saying

While Fitch praised Furman’s strong balance sheet—especially its backing from The Duke Endowment and Hollingsworth Funds—it also warned that “continued erosion in net tuition revenue, whether due to enrollment or tuition discounting pressure” could lead to a further downgrade.

The numbers don’t lie.

• Since 2019, Furman’s enrollment has dropped 15%

• Tuition revenue has fallen 19%—a $12.5 million hit

• Operating losses occurred 5 of the past 7 years, Furman is filling the gap by dipping more and more into the endowment

• University expenses have climbed 12%

  • Instructional costs (faculty salaries and academic programming), however, are up just 3% — which suggests a large amount of administrative bloat.

In plain English: Furman is living off of its past successes. It is enrolling fewer and fewer students while incurring more and more administrative costs. Plus, it’s not earning as much money per student as it needs to.

🏷️ The Real Cost of “Discounting”

Furman’s current model relies heavily on tuition discounting—scholarship aid that reduces the actual price paid by students. Today, the average discount rate is over 60%, meaning the university receives far less per student than the sticker price suggests.

That makes attracting—and retaining—students more important than ever.

But the yield isn’t there. Only 13.2% of admitted students are enrolling, a poor showing compared to peer institutions. And the incoming freshman class is shrinking again: 571 deposits this year, down from 621 last fall.

📉 Falling Behind, Even in a Tough Market

This isn’t just a Furman problem. Birthrates are falling. Fewer high school graduates are heading to college. And, as Jeff Selingo has noted, many upper-middle-class families who miss out on the Ivy League are skipping over schools like Furman and favoring public flagships with stronger brand recognition, better ROI, and generous merit aid.

Yet even in this tough environment, a variety of other Carolina schools are growing. Since 2019:

• Clemson is up 12.8%

• College of Charleston is up 11.5%

• Coastal Carolina is up 7.4%

• Wofford (Furman’s traditional rival): up 6%

• Erskine (a tiny liberal arts college): up a stunning 23.6%

Furman, meanwhile, is down 9.3%. We are falling behind. And it’s time we ask why.

🧠 Culture Is a Competitive Liability

We hear from families every month about why they’re reconsidering Furman—and the answers are telling. It’s not the academics. It’s not the campus. It’s the culture.

Too often, Furman comes across as brittle, ideological, and exclusionary to moderate or traditional families. One recent example: a family touring campus in July noted to us that two prominent displays featuring pride paraphernalia were the first things they saw when entering the Furman library. Their takeaway? Furman doesn’t model real inclusion—it performs it, on narrow ideological terms.

The rhetoric of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” also saturates Furman’s messaging. It’s a kind of soft radicalism: not imposed by force but baked into the culture. That might play well in certain circles, but in a politically and culturally divided nation, it narrows the university’s appeal. Families looking for a balanced, open-minded environment are tuning out.

🛠️ Strong Foundations, Strained Model

To be clear, Furman still has major advantages:

• A loyal alumni base

• A spectacular physical campus

• A strong faculty

• Long-term philanthropic support

The bones are good. But the current operating model is strained—and the financial trajectory is worsening.

Fitch’s report is a warning. If Furman doesn’t reverse these trends by 2026, its credit rating could be downgraded, increasing borrowing costs and constraining future budgets.

📊 What’s the Plan?

The university has publicly set an enrollment goal of 2,800 students and freshman classes of 700 by the end of the decade. But there’s been little transparency about how it plans to get there.

If growth is the goal, culture can’t be an afterthought. Furman must become a place where:

• Civil disagreement is welcomed, not policed

• Viewpoint diversity is real, not rhetorical

• Students of faith, conservatives, moderates, and independents can speak freely in class and in public

This isn’t about dragging Furman backwards. It’s about broadening the tent. No university can grow—financially or intellectually—if half the country feels unwelcome on day one.

🧭 A Crossroads, and a Choice

Furman stands at a crossroads. It can either confront hard truths about its enrollment, budget, and campus culture—or double down on the same strategies that produced a negative credit outlook.

Do President Davis and her team understand what’s at stake? The alumni, parents, and students who love this university deserve clarity:

• What is the plan to rebuild enrollment?

• How will Furman reduce its reliance on unsustainable tuition discounting?

• Will the administration listen to the growing chorus of families calling for change—not just slogans?

A bond rating is more than a number. It’s a sign of how the market views Furman’s future. And unless the university charts a new path, that future is more uncertain than ever.

CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?

Starting next month, we’ll highlight the most curious, compelling, and downright bizarre CLPs of the Month.

Stay tuned. It’s going to be interesting!

Trivia Answer:

Wofford College; Furman lost 5–1 on December 14, 1889, playing under a rough-and-tumble set of rugby-style rules that the teams agreed on just minutes before kickoff.

Announcements: July 2025

• We hope you and your family enjoyed the fireworks, the barbecue, and America’s 249th birthday.

• You’ll notice that our monthly newsletter has a new name—The Belltower Times—and a fresh new format. These changes are part of a broader effort to bring you more thoughtful, high-quality content about Furman.

• Here’s what you can now expect each month:

  • 📰The Belltower Times

    A column from yours truly, offering timely commentary and analysis on what’s happening at Furman today.

  • 📊 The Data Din

    A sharp, visual snapshot of key data about the university—from admissions trends to faculty composition.

  • ✉️ Dear President Davis

    An open letter from our president, Jeff Salmon, to Furman’s president, Elizabeth Davis, addressing pressing issues on campus.

  • 🕵️ The Paladin Report

    A focused, investigative look at one key aspect of Furman’s administration, academic culture, or student life.

• Despite the new name and additional content, our mission remains unchanged: To be your number one source for honest, informed, and independent news about Furman.

• So, stay tuned, and thank you for standing with us.

Furman Trivia: Independence Day Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month honors July 4th.

Question: How many years separate Furman’s founding from the Declaration of Independence?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter!

Campus Dispatch: A Quiet Campus, A Loud Summer

These days, the temperature is high, the dorms are empty, and updates from Furman are few and far between.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing important happening—especially beyond campus gates. This month, I want to bring you two major developments from Washington, D.C., both of which will have serious consequences for Furman—and for higher education nationwide.

1.)💰 The “Big Beautiful Bill” and the New Endowment Tax

On July 4th, the “Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into law. Among its provisions is a new, tiered tax on university endowment investment income, structured around a college’s endowment per full-time student:

Elite institutions like Harvard and Yale will see their investment income hit hard. Furman, however, is exempt on two counts:

• Our endowment per student is approximately $330,000, according to Inside Higher Ed—well below the threshold.

• The bill exempts schools with fewer than 3,000 students, providing an additional layer of protection.

Much of the media coverage has focused on how the bill was carefully crafted to spare Hillsdale College, a conservative school in Michigan with roughly 1,700 students. But Furman—and many other private institutions—also pushed back against the bill. In this case, President Elizabeth Davis and her administration deserve credit: they helped Furman navigate this legislation.

2.) ⚖️ The Supreme Court Strikes a Blow to DEI

The second major development is the Supreme Court’s recent unanimous ruling in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. The case was brought by a heterosexual woman who alleged workplace discrimination. In a landmark decision, the Court sided with her—unanimously.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, widely regarded as one of the Court’s most liberal members, wrote the opinion. It affirms that civil rights laws protect members of “mainstream” or “majority” groups (white people, men, heterosexuals, etc.) just as fully as they protect minority groups. In the past, courts often held claims of discrimination from majority-group plaintiffs to a higher standard. No longer.

This decision has seismic implications for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across American campuses—including Furman’s.

DEI ideology has long rested on the premise that white people cannot be victims of racism, only its perpetrators. That framework has justified policies and practices that disadvantage students or faculty based on their race, sex, or orientation—so long as they belonged to a “majority” group.

But now, that legal cover is gone.

From this point forward, any policy that discriminates against white people, men, heterosexuals, or other majority groups is just as vulnerable to legal challenge as those targeting minority groups. These cases will be adjudicated under the same legal standards, not a double standard.

In plain terms: Furman can no longer rebrand DEI under another name and continue with business as usual.

If it tries, it will be sued—and it will lose.

This should sound a death knell for DEI at Furman. Good riddance.

CLPs of the Month: What is a CLP?

Every month, Furman hosts a lineup of Cultural Life Programs (CLPs)—university-sanctioned events that students are required to attend. Each student must accumulate 32 CLP credits over their four years in order to graduate.

According to Furman, these programs are intended to “provide enriching, challenging cultural experiences” and “foster a sense of community on campus.”

We think alumni should know what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days.

So, starting this fall—when students return to campus—we’ll use this space to bring you the most curious, compelling, and sometimes downright bizarre CLPs of the Month.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride.

Trivia Answer:

50 years!

The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and Furman University was founded in 1826.

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