(Furman Photo: President Elizabeth Davis speaks during Opening Convocation at McAlister Auditorium on Aug. 21, 2023.)
By Clinton Colmenares, Director of News and Media Strategy
Citing leadership accomplishments over a 10-year tenure, the Furman University Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for President Elizabeth Davis through 2030, with an option to add two more years, the university announced March 6, 2024.
With the extension through 2030, Davis would become only the seventh president to serve Furman 15 years or more.
“Under President Davis’ leadership and direction, Furman has reached new heights of excellence,” said Board Chair Kevin Byrne. “From her dedication to innovative learning to her commitment to free expression and civil discourse, Elizabeth has transformed Furman’s campus and set the standard for other top liberal arts colleges to follow."
Byrne added, "The Board is unanimously confident in her ability to provide Furman with exceptional executive leadership at a time when it is needed most in higher education.”
Davis became Furman’s 12th president in 2014.
Under her leadership, the university has instituted The Furman Advantage, a distinctive vision for higher education that combines learning with immersive experiences outside the classroom, creating a personalized pathway that prepares students for lives of purpose, successful careers and community benefit.
The groundbreaking effort, which was launched in 2016, has received more than $78.9 million in support from The Duke Endowment, including a Centennial grant from the foundation this year.
“I am deeply grateful for the continued trust and support of the Furman Board of Trustees,” Davis said. “It is an honor to lead Furman, and I am excited about the opportunity to continue serving this remarkable institution for many years to come.”
During Davis’ tenure, Furman also launched the Pathways Program, a dedicated two-year advising course undergirding The Furman Advantage that prepares students for college and ensures they take full advantage of all that Furman offers.
This past April, Furman publicly launched Clearly Furman, the most ambitious campaign in the university’s history.
To date, the campaign has raised more than $392 million toward a goal of $426 million by 2026, Furman’s bicentennial.
This April the university will break ground on a donor-funded $40 million renovation of Timmons Arena, the largest capital project in the campaign.
Since Davis arrived, Furman has moved from outside the top 50 to as high as No. 45 in the U.S. News & World Report best colleges rankings.
Following the launch of The Furman Advantage, the university was voted a “Most Innovative School” among National Liberal Arts Colleges six years in a row.
This year, peers ranked Pathways among the top 20 “Best First-Year Experiences” among all universities.
Recently, Davis launched On Discourse to promote free, open, healthy and constructive dialogue on campus. The initiative aims to teach students and others how to engage people with differing ideas, to look for common ground, and to understand that disagreement is not disapproval.
The commitment was reiterated in the university’s Statement on Freedom of Inquiry and Expression, which was endorsed by the faculty and unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees in February.
Davis has spoken throughout the U.S. on issues involving higher education, university leadership and financial management.
She has been quoted in national media, written op-eds for a number of publications, and done many interviews on radio and television on the subject of higher education.
Before coming to Furman, Davis spent 22 years at Baylor University in Texas, where she last held the position of executive vice president and provost.
In addition to being a member of the accounting faculty at Baylor, she also served as vice provost for Financial and Academic Administration, associate dean for Undergraduate Business Programs, and acting chair of the Department of Accounting and Business Law.
Davis received her bachelor’s degree from Baylor and earned her Ph.D. from Duke University.