Update on UES Program and Admissions
Furman University has decided to end its Undergraduate Evening Studies (UES) majors at the end of the 2021 summer session. Currently, the university offers majors in business, accounting, and information technology.
As the university shared in September, Furman suspended admissions to its UES majors to conduct a review of the program. This review included conversations with the UES staff, the UES Advisory Board and Furman’s Academic Policies Committee and considered multiple factors including:
1. The increasingly complex regulatory environment surrounding professional credentialing in the state.
2. Prospective student demand for more convenient course formats, and the investment necessary to make rigorous adaptation a reality.
3. The increasingly competitive local environment of institutions addressing adult learners, within the larger context of rapidly changing trends affecting higher education.
4. Confusion in the market regarding the equivalency of the evening and day programs and the potential impact on Furman’s brand.
5. Concerns about the lack of faculty oversight of the majors.
While the university has decided that other institutions can provide these programs with greater options and flexibility, it will continue to support and serve the community in many other ways through The Riley Institute, Shi Center, Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, Collaborative for Community Engaged Learning, the Bridges for a Brighter Future program, the Heller Service Corps, and other Furman departments and organizations.
The university plans to develop other educational opportunities for the community through certificate and post-graduate diploma programs, professional training and the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as through our existing graduate programs in education, community health and strategic design.
University and UES staff will assist students with options for planning and finishing their degrees at Furman or another institution, if their studies will not be completed by August. The university is working directly with all employees who are UES students to assist with their degree completion options and financial aid to ensure a smooth transition for all UES students.
The university is thankful for the support shown to the UES programs over the years and will continue to look for ways to engage the Upstate Community in post baccalaureate professional development opportunities.
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