Sustainability at Furman University

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Sustainability at Furman University
A private liberal arts university, Furman
University was founded in 1826. The university is
nationally acclaimed for its academic excellence,
Engaged Learning program and campus beauty.
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Basic Demographics

• Location 5 miles north of Greenville, South
  Carolina (metropolitan population 400,000).
• Students 2,623 undergraduates 473 graduate
  students. Furman students come from 46 states and
  31 foreign countries.
• Faculty 200 full-time, 97 percent with the
  highest degree in their field.
• Campus Layout 750-acre campus with lake, 36
  major buildings including science building with
  over six million dollars of scientific equipment,
  computer science and mathematics building,
  student center, residence halls, dining hall,
  physical activities center, and chapel. Also,
  16,000-seat football stadium, athletic fields,
  tennis center, soccer stadium, multi-purpose
  arena, and 18-hole golf course

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University Values

• Mission    The primary mission of Furman as a
  liberal arts college is to provide a distinctive
  undergraduate education encompassing humanities,
  fine arts, social sciences, mathematics and the
  natural sciences. 
• Core Values    Furman University is an
  institution of liberal learning offering a
  comprehensive education in an ecumenical and
  interfaith setting. The University is committed
  to a set of values which it believes to be
  enduring and basic.

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Goals of the Earth and Environmental studies
Department

• Helping students understand
• how our planet functions
• the limits of Earths resources
• the capacity of humans to alter global
  processes for the common good

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• "Furman University will strengthen its commitment
  to the environment by promoting the concept of
  sustainability through educational programs,
  environmentally sensitive campus operations and
  construction practices, and public awareness
  initiatives."

This initiative was added by the Board of
Trustees to the Furman Strategic Plan in 2003.
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Current Initiatives

• EAG (Environmental Action Group)
• Campus Recycling The university provides bins
  and containers throughout the campus to capture
  materials. Every academic room has a bin although
  recycling has not yet been instituted in the
  residential buildings. The recyclables are
  collected weekly and transported to a recycling
  center where they are sorted and distributed to
  manufacturers . Students also provide regular
  staffing at their local recycling center through
  volunteering.
• EarthCruiser Bicycles Furman purchased 21
  EarthCruiser bikes for on-campus use. Students
  are not allowed to use automobiles on-campus
  during the day, and they eliminated their
  on-campus shuttle in 2003.
• Habitat Earth EAG has worked in conjunction
  with this group whose purpose is to stimulate
  environmental education and oversee campus
  initiatives in energy conservation and
  environmental awareness.

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River Basin Research

• This project currently involves 11 faculty
  members from 7 fields and 58 students. It
  encourages interdisciplinary work.
• It monitors the effects of land use on water
  quality in several regions of South Carolina.
• This project has expanded drastically since its
  inception, winning over 700,000 in grants from
  the EPA and the National Science Foundation.

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ECO COTTAGE

• Dormitory houses 8 women.
• retrofitted with energy efficient lighting,
  insulation, and a photovoltaic grid. Their
  energy use is 70 lower than residents living in
  the neighboring unmodified cabin.
• Living in the eco-cottage has motivated them to
  change their behavior they recycle more than
  ever and they conserve energy wherever and
  however they can. And, their fellow students as
  well as the community-at-large have benefited by
  being exposed to this experiment.

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LEED-certified construction

• All new construction or renovation on campus will
  meet LEED certification.
• Hipp Hall (gold)
• Library renovation (gold)
• Furman Hall (silver)
• Conference Center (certified)
• Science Building (gold)

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Obstacles

• Student Participation
• Initial building costs for energy efficient
  materials
• No initiative or leadership for composting
  project
• Restricted from incorporating local food
  providers
• General short-falls in residential areas to
  participate.