Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.30 / 8.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
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Total number of graduates from degree programs (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, and other academic designations):
759

Number of students that graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
693

Percentage of students who graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
91.30

Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the institution level (e.g. covering all students)?:
No

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the division level (e.g. covering particular schools or colleges within the institution)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the institution level or division level sustainability learning outcomes:

Furman maintains general education requirements for all undergraduate students in order to graduate.

Through the General Education Requirements, the university requires all students to complete a set of courses designed to:
- Invigorate and stimulate intellectual curiosity
- Broadly prepare students in a diverse set of disciplines, including the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and the fine arts
- Encourage intellectual inquiry in sufficient depth to allow one to contribute to a greater body of knowledge
- Develop expressive capabilities in writing, speaking, and the arts
- Cultivate world citizenship—an understanding of those not like oneself
- Integrate knowledge into a meaningful synthesis

All undergraduate students must fulfill a "Humans and the Natural Environment" requirement (courses listed as NE). The description of this requirement is as follows:

Humans are affecting the dynamics of the planet; they are changing the composition of the atmosphere, the currents in the oceans, and the productivity of natural ecosystems. Because modern societies require more energy, food, and materials than ever before, we are increasingly dependent on stable, productive, and sustainable natural systems. Ironically, our societies are becoming increasingly urban and increasingly insulated from nature just as these ineluctable dependencies are becoming increasingly important. In order to foster an appreciation for these dependencies, courses will emphasize some aspect of the interactive relationships between humans and the natural environment.


Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the program level (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic designations)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the program level sustainability learning outcomes (or a list of sustainability-focused programs):

Furman offers:
B.S. in Sustainability Science - The Sustainability Science major focuses on the critical linkages between global environmental, human, and social systems and emphasizes complex systems analysis focusing on understanding sustainability related problems and assessing potential solutions.

B.S. or B.A. in Earth and Environmental Science- How do we achieve an environmentally safe and socially just space for humanity in a world of increasingly limited natural resources?​​ That is the quintessential challenge of the 21st century, and lies at the heart of Furman’s Department of Earth and Environmental Science​s. Our department takes a holistic, systems-based approach to seek solutions to this challenge and examines the full range of geological, environmental, and sustainability issues.


Do course level sustainability learning outcomes contribute to the figure reported above (i.e. in the absence of program, division, or institution level learning outcomes)?:
No

A list or brief description of the course level sustainability learning outcomes and the programs for which the courses are required:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.