The Cliffs Cottage at Furman

Furman University is the oldest, largest and most selective private institution in South Carolina. Founded in 1826, Furman moved three times in its early years before being charted as Furman University and settling in Greenville in 1850. The most recent move was in 1961, when Furman relocated to its current 800-acre location on the outskirts of Greenville.

The move to the stunning, new campus served as a catalyst for Furman’s ongoing transformation from a primarily regional college to one of the leading coeducational liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an enrollment of 2,600 students, Furman offers majors and programs in 42 subjects and is one of the select group of colleges that qualify for a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic honorary society. Undergraduates come from 46 states and 31 countries.

In recent years Furman has been an archetype of a new kind of liberal arts institution. While remaining grounded in the humanities, arts and sciences, the university has earned a national reputation for its program of engaged learning, a problem-solving, project-oriented, experience-based approach to the liberal arts. Engaged learning encourages students to develop creative ways to put classroom theory into practice and to take a more active role in their education through internships, service learning, study abroad and research including environmental sustainability studies.

As in all areas of university life, Furman's goal in sustainability is ambitious. Furman strives to be a national leader in the field both pedagogically and operationally. With recent revisions in graduation requirements, all students must take at least one course dealing with human interaction with the natural environment. The goal is to tap into students' intellectual curiosity and creativity, graduating students with a commitment to environmental citizenship as a way of life.