Furman University
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

The sustainability master planning process resulting in Sustainable Furman was inclusive of the broad campus community from beginning to end. The planning process was initiated by the 124-member Sustainability Planning Council, including representatives of the student body, staff, administration, faculty, alumni, and local community. The SPC core and subcommittees proposed a series of goals, along with draft lists of strategies for each goal. This process included early involvement from the Board of Trustees, who participated in a workshop during a board retreat to provide input on the plan's goals. As drafts of the final plan were produced by a steering committee (chaired by Furman's President), feedback was sought from the entire university community through open forums and opportunities for online comment. This feedback was incorporated into the document, and the final draft was unanimously approved by Furman's Board of Trustees.

Goal 1: Expand and enhance curricular opportunities related to sustainability. Goal 2: Expand innovative co-curricular experiences to enhance student learning about sustainability. Goal 3: Create a campus-wide culture of conservation. Goal 4: Further improve the energy-efficiency of buildings, operations, and information technology. Goal 5: Create a more sustainable campus transportation system. Goal 6: Invest in large-scale renewable energy projects. Goal 7: Enhance sustainability service opportunities and create local carbon offset projects and programs. Goal 8: Capitalize on Furman’s national leadership role in the comprehensive promotion of sustainability. Each goal has a number of more specific and measurable strategies, for a total of 110 strategies in the document.

Each of the 8 goals of the Sustainable Furman master plan includes clear, actionable strategies. The Sustainability Master Plan Implementation Steering Committee, co-chaired by President Rod Smolla, Director of the Shi Center for Sustainability and Associate Professor Angela Halfacre, and Professor Bill Ranson, is now responsible for overseeing the plan implementation. For each strategy, metrics for completion have been identified, and completion or progress toward these strategies will be monitored on a yearly basis. The plan will be revised and updated approximately every five years to adapt to changing conditions and priorities.