A new pathway in the liberal arts

Furman President Elizabeth Davis is quoted in a Sept. 12 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education that looks at how liberal arts colleges are repositioning themselves in the higher education market. The article notes the university established The Furman Advantage in 2016, “which sets up its 2,700 undergraduates with mentors—alumni, athletic coaches, or faculty members. Elizabeth Davis, Furman’s president, said that such individualized attention ‘is at the core of a liberal-arts education and what it really means.’ As a result, the South Carolina college still identifies itself as a liberal-arts institution, but also explains ‘the pathway before explaining the components,’ said Ms. Davis. In other words, it emphasizes the experience of the student over a list of standard services that other institutions offer.” (Reading the article requires a subscription.)