Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.74
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Oct. 9, 2024

STARS v3.0

Furman University
EN-2: Co-Curricular Activities

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 8.00 / 9.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

2.1 Student sustainability organization

Does the institution formally recognize at least one student organization that is sustainability-focused?:
Yes

Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the sustainability-focused student organization(s):
EcoReps: Eco Reps is a national movement of students for sustainability. The program aims to foster students and groups that support sustainable initiatives and lifestyles on their campus. The Eco Reps Program at Furman trains student leaders to promote sustainable practices on campus and encourage sustainably responsible behaviors among peers. Reps work within the residence halls across campus to model sustainable behaviors and plan and deliver sustainability educational programs intended to inspire peers to live more sustainable lives. We strive to create a culture of sustainability!
 
Environmental Action Group: EAG is the campus go-to group for environmental and sustainable movements. We aim to educate the campus on how to create a more sustainable society, while doing service projects and activities that support this philosophy.

Does the institution formally recognize at least one student organization that is focused on a topic other than sustainability, but is advancing ecological integrity or racial equity and social justice?:
Yes

Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the student organizations that are advancing ecological integrity or racial equity and social justice:
YDSA: Furman YDSA is Furman's chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, the student section of the Democratic Socialists of America. We are helping to build a democratic movement to win political power for the multiracial working class and end plutocracy, racial and gender oppression, imperialism, environmental destruction, and ultimately, capitalism itself. It's no easy task, which is why we hope you'll join us!
 
Audubon: Consistent with the Mission of the National Audubon Society, the goals of this Student Chapter are to:

a.   Expand the educational opportunities for students interested in birds and bird conservation.

b.   Foster campus and community awareness of the need to protect birds and the places they need.

c.   Provide opportunity for students, the community and the Local Chapter and/or Audubon entity to engage in mutual educational experiences.

d.  Provide opportunities for students to gain experience with members of the conservation community.

 

Bee Club: The Furman Bee Club (FUBC) is dedicated to the care of the honeybee hive located at the solar farm, here on Furman's campus.  Members will receive training in proper beekeeping techniques before employing them in care of the hive. Hands-on interaction with bees will not be required as the club will also host outreach groups to inform the Furman population about the necessity of pollinators and what we can do to save their populations. Outreach events may also take the form of hands-on activities where members attempt to make Furman's campus more pollinator friendly through native wild flower patches and bee hotels. 
 
Justice Forum: Furman Justice Forum (FJF) is a place of advocacy, community, and education. FJF creates a space for students to learn about social injustices, to reflect upon these issues, and to learn skills needed to take action in their communities. We sponsor programming and CLPs where students are able to discuss social justice issues and connect with prominent scholars and activists whose work focuses on social justice. These events give students an opportunity to understand relevant issues and to learn skills required to make meaningful and positive change in their own communities. 

The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:

Points earned for indicator EN 2.1:
2

2.2 Sustainability-focused co-curricular activities

Has the institution hosted a major sustainability-focused event or series of events during the previous three years targeted to students?:
Yes

Description of and/or website URL for at least one major sustainability-focused event or series of events:
 
 
Riley Institute Description: The Richard W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics, and Public Leadership is a multi-faceted, non-partisan institute affiliated with the Department of Political Science at Furman University. Named for former Governor of South Carolina and United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley, the Institute is unique in the United States in the emphasis it places on engaging students in the various arenas of politics, public policy, and public leadership.
 
Straight Talk: The time for ambitious climate action is now. But what does the roadmap for meaningful action look like?  The Riley Institute and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, in collaboration with the Shi Institute  present “A New Climate Movement: Acting on Solutions that Work,” a three-part series beginning August 30. 
 

Does the institution have a sustainability-focused peer-to-peer education program in which student educators are selected and trained to help catalyze change among their peers?:
Yes

Description of and/or website URL for at least one sustainability-focused peer-to-peer education programs for students:
EcoReps: Eco Reps is a national movement of students for sustainability. The program aims to foster students and groups that support sustainable initiatives and lifestyles on their campus. The Eco Reps Program at Furman trains student leaders to promote sustainable practices on campus and encourage sustainably responsible behaviors among peers. Reps work within the residential communities across campus to model sustainable behaviors and plan and deliver sustainability educational programs intended to inspire peers to live more sustainable lives.
 
For students interested in composting, Eco Reps offer residential composting: students are given a compost bucket and lid so students can compost their food scraps in their dorm or apartment. The compost is then picked up each week for participants convenience.
 
Eco Reps also help students examine their own sustainability behaviors through the Green Living Certification survey. Students answer a series of questions about everything from their diets to notetaking and are ranked on how sustainable their habits are from Green to Platinum. The survey also includes helpful tips, links and information on ways to improve personal sustainability.

Does the institution provide sustainability-focused employment opportunities for students on at least an annual basis?:
Yes

Description of and/or website URL for at least one sustainability-focused employment opportunity for students:

The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities employs students through sustainability fellowships both during the summer and academic year. All fellows work with the Shi Institute staff, and affiliate faculty as appropriate, to advance sustainability on campus and in the community, and to conduct applied research related to sustainability. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply. A few examples of these jobs include Sustainability Outreach and Engagement Fellow, Assistant Farm Manager, Alternative Transportation Fellow, and Greenville County Parks and Recreation Fellow. https://www.furman.edu/sustainability/programs/student-sustainability-fellows/

 

The Furman Farm also employs work-study students to help on the farm and campus composting, and our custodial manager employs students to help with recycling efforts on campus. 


Does the institution have at least one student-managed enterprise that is sustainability-focused?:
Yes

Description of and/or website URL for at least one student-managed enterprise that is sustainability-focused:

The Furman Farm sells produce to the university Dining Hall and supports a Community Farm Stand that allows for students and community members to purchase freshly picked produce each week. The student Farm Manager and student volunteers help run this program.

Paladins on Bikes: In an effort to foster a biking campus culture, reduce our carbon footprint, encourage student health and wellness, and provide access and needed infrastructure for supporting a vibrant biking community, a student-managed bike rental program allows students to rent a bike for the semester or academic year. 

The Furman Bee Club maintains Furman's honeybee hives, harvests honey, and sells it to the campus and community to fund additional club activities. 


Description of additional sustainability-focused co-curricular activities for students:
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The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:

Points earned for indicator EN 2.2:
2

2.3 Percentage of students that participate in sustainability activities

Does the institution collect data on the extent of student participation in its sustainability activities?:
Yes

Percentage of students that participate in sustainability activities:
40 to 49

Approach used to determine the percentage of students that participate in the institution’s sustainability activities:
Conservative estimate based on mixed/limited data sources

Narrative outlining how student participation in the institution’s sustainability activities was determined:

Student organization and club memberships are tracked.  Removing duplicates, 202 unique students are involved in a sustainability-related club or organization at Furman.  This is 8% of the student body. While we do not have a repository of information on participation in club-sponsored events/activities, we know that

  • over 200 people signed a climate-related petition developed by YDSA
  • 45 student residences (usually double occupancy) participate in the compost program
  • 75 students completed the Green Living Certification

We know attendance by type (student/community) that attended each of the Riley Straight Talk series events on Climate.  A total of 687 attendees were counted at all three events.  This 27% of the student FTE.  However, there likely some double counting here. 

Additionally, the sustainability culture and literacy survey asks whether respondents have visited or engaged with the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities and how (class visit, interview, meetings, events, work, farm visit, research, courses, workshops/conferences, volunteer). From the survey we find that 68% of employees 68% and 46% of students have visited/engaged with the Shi Institute.

Nearly all freshmen and around half of upperclassmen also attend the yearly zero-waste convocation lunch, kicking the academic year off with a plant-forward lunch and visible, participatory recycling and composting of food waste.  

Combining these data points, we estimate that between 40-49% of student population participate in sustainability activities.  


The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:

Points earned for indicator EN 2.3:
4

Optional documentation

Notes about the information provided for this credit:
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Additional documentation for this credit:
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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.