The University is governed by a 17-member Board of Trustees. The trustees serve four-year terms and are elected by the South Carolina General Assembly with some appointments made by the state's governor. The University is committed to shared governance among the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and the administration. The faculty elects its own officers and committees.

The chief administrative officer of the University is the president. The University is organized along the following administrative divisions: Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Administration, Student Affairs, Development, Communications Services, Community Relations, University Outreach, and Intercollegiate Athletics.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS – The division of Academic Affairs includes all academic departments within the University, organized into a College of Liberal Arts and two professional schools, the School of Business and the School of Education. Other functions within this division include Enrollment Management (Admissions, Financial Assistance, Provisional Programs, and Registrar), the library, and the graduate programs.

Business Affairs – The division of Business Affairs is responsible for the University's business operation, accounting for all revenues and expenditures, maintaining the University's physical plant, campus police, dining services, purchasing, and the Patriot bookstore.

Administration – The division of Administration is responsible for human resources, computing services (both administrative and academic), institutional research, planning, institutional effectiveness, instructional technology, telephones, payroll, and inventory.

STUDENT AFFAIRS – The division of Student Affairs is responsible for creating learning opportunities for growth and development of students outside the classroom. The goal is to promote individual student development and leadership through fostering community involvement of students in their intellectual, cultural, spiritual, emotional, and physical development. Services, offices, and programs within the division include Student Life (fraternities, sororities, student activities, and special events), the Smith University Center, Campus Recreation Services, Career Development, Counseling and Testing, Student Health Services, Housing & Residence Life, Multicultural Student Affairs, International Student Affairs, and Student Conduct.

DEVELOPMENT – The Development division is responsible for coordination of University efforts to secure financial support from the private sector and to serve as the receiving point for gifts of dollars, securities, works of art, land, and equipment. This is done primarily through the Francis Marion University Foundation, the Alumni Association, the Annual Fund, and the Swamp Fox Club. Through these organizations, the various avenues of supporting the University are made known to individuals, corporations, and philanthropic foundations. For more information, call 843-661-1481.

FMU Foundation – The FMU Foundation was organized in 1974 to provide a means for seeking and accepting substantial gifts of money or property in order to build an endowment fund that would promote the educational purpose and overall mission of the University. The FMU Foundation is governed by an independent 35-member volunteer board of directors and currently has approximately $12 million in assets.


Annual Fund – Since the early years of the institution, friends, alumni, faculty, staff, businesses, and industries have provided the opportunity for bright young scholars to obtain a college education. Through annual contributions, the Annual Fund is able to support various scholarship programs and educational initiatives such as instructional technology, library acquisitions, and faculty development. Annual giving helps meet the ever-increasing need for financial support for the University.


The Swamp Fox Club – The Swamp Fox Club is a booster club for the Francis Marion athletic program. Members provide financial support for the student-athletes and moral support for the players in action. The Swamp Fox Club funds grants-in-aid for FMU's athletes and includes friends, faculty, staff, and alumni.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS – The Community Relations Office is responsible for maintaining positive town and gown relations and works with the corporate community, local chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and state and local government agencies on projects designed for the betterment of the University and the region it serves. The office plans and coordinates special events designed to increase the visibility of the University. The office assists the Development Office in soliciting private support for the University and administers a parents program. The office also administers the alumni relations program to advance the interests of the alumni and the University.

The Alumni Affairs Office – The Director of Alumni Affairs coordinates activities of the Alumni Office and implements objectives, goals, and policies of the Alumni Association Advisory Board, the Alumni Association's governing body. The University has a total alumni base of about 14,000 with 73 percent of them living in South Carolina and more than half residing in the Pee Dee region. FMU alumni are found in 46 states and nine countries.


The Alumni Association serves as the liaison among graduates, the Alumni Office, and the University community. The Alumni Association's primary purpose is to involve alumni in the promotion, advancement, and support of the mission of Francis Marion University and to encourage a continuing interest in FMU by providing opportunities for service and fellowship. The Alumni Association channels support, financial and otherwise, to the University from alumni through a variety of activities, correspondence, and publications.


All Francis Marion graduates are members of the Alumni Association, but active members are graduates who maintain yearly membership fees in the Association. Alumni activities include Homecoming, members-only events, and Area and Special Interest Alumni Chapter events. Volunteer Alumni Programs include Patriot Partners, Alumni-in-Admissions, and the Alumni Career Network.


The Alumni Office encourages graduates to become involved in their alma mater and to notify the Alumni Office of address changes, employment information, and other significant events such as marriages, births, and honors. Alumni news is shared with other graduates in the Class Notes section of the Francis Marion View magazine. The address for the Office of Alumni Affairs is FMU Alumni Affairs, PO Box 100547, Florence, SC 29501-0547. Contact can be made by mail, by phone at 843-661-1228, or by fax at 843-661-1293.

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES – The Communications Services Office is responsible for telling the FMU story to its various publics. The office serves as the official communications channel through which the University disseminates information internally and externally. The office has four major functions: (1) external media relations, (2) internal communications, (3) production of official University publications for off-campus audiences, and (4) marketing and communications support for University initiatives. The office distributes news and feature stories about University programs, activities, and people as well as hometown releases about student achievements. A twice-monthly newsletter, Patriot Digest, informs faculty and staff about campus activities. Communications Services is also responsible for campus printing and mail functions.

UNIVERSITY OUTREACH – The University recognizes that its mission reaches beyond the borders of the campus to the surrounding region and the state. The University touches many facets of community life and serves as a catalyst for development of a regional approach to solving problems in education, economic development, the environment, cultural opportunities, social issues, and the quality of life. Faculty, staff and students have made a significant impact on the region through research, public service, involvement in the arts and literature, and the delivery of government and social services.

INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS – The University considers intercollegiate athletics to be an integral part of the educational environment. FMU's goal is to provide an outstanding, well-balanced athletic program with oversight from the faculty. From the training that improves physical fitness of athletes to the teamwork and competition that provides excitement for students and fans, intercollegiate athletics complement academic pursuits when held in proper perspective.

The University is nationally competitive in the NCAA Division II as a member of the Peach Belt Conference. Coaches and student-athletes are held to high standards and are expected to exemplify the same leadership roles on campus and within the community as in athletic competition.

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