The Cliffs Cottage at Furman

Furman University has flourished for 180 years because of the stewardship of faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. We recognize that stewardship is one of our most precious resources, and that is why Furman has made the commitment to environmental sustainability one of our foremost strategic goals. Sustainability was integrated into a 1997 strategic plan and later given a place of prominence by the Board of Trustees who unanimously agreed “to strengthen Furman’s commitment to the environment by promoting sustainability through educational programs, campus operations/construction practices and public awareness initiatives.” Furman’s goal is to be the national leader among liberal arts colleges dedicated to sustainability, both educationally and operationally, and we are approaching this challenge aggressively.

The university’s newly revamped curriculum requires all students to take a course entitled “Humans and the Natural Environment.” Our ambitious recycling program includes not only paper, glass and cardboard, but also furniture, food and computers. In 2007, the university launched a campaign to encourage fans at Furman athletic events to recycle using bins placed prominently in all of our sports venues. The university also encourages healthy lifestyles and supports local agriculture. Students and faculty participate in the cultivation of an organic garden, and Furman’s dining services provider buys much of its produce from local organic farms. The dining hall’s waste vegetable oil is converted to clean-burning biodiesel fuel by Furman’s Environmental Action Group (EAG). Each year, students interested in sustainability have the opportunity to live in the Eco-cottages and gain applied knowledge about alternative energy sources, recycling and other sustainable ways of living. All new construction, including The Cliffs Cottage at Furman, is built to LEED-certification standards, and Furman’s Hipp Hall is the only Gold-certified building in South Carolina. The new Townes Science Center incorporates a solar aquatic wastewater treatment system, solar panels for domestic hot water, passive solar heating and thermal storage at the greenhouse, a rainwater collection system and high performance energy systems.

Sustainability is a value that penetrates the Furman community at every level. Through education, we inspire our students to be advocates and innovators of sustainable practices. The Cliffs Cottage at Furman is just one more way that the university is sharing sustainable practices with the campus and the community.