Established in 1986 as a consortium of member school districts and Furman University, the Upstate Schools Consortium now represents large and small school districts, private schools, and colleges and universities in the geographic upstate.

Furman University coordinates professional development seminars and provides the Consortium with meeting space, personnel, and resources.

The purposes of the Upstate Schools Consortium are to provide: professional development for teachers, teacher candidates, and administrators; a forum for education-related issues; an intersection of teacher preparation programs and public school personnel; and, a network of support for professional development staff.