GREENVILLE, S.C.—Furman University is one of four schools nationwide to receive a Campus Sustainability Leadership Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

The awards are presented annually to institutions that have made the greatest overall commitment to sustainability as demonstrated in their education and research, campus operations, and administration and finance.

Furman received the AASHE award designated for four-year and graduate institutions with an enrollment under 5,000.  Other award recipients included New York University (four-year and graduate institutions with more than 15,000 students); the University of New Hampshire (four-year and graduate institutions with 5,000 to 15,000 students); and Butte College in California (community colleges and other two-year institutions).

In selecting the winners, AASHE looked at the overall impact of an institution’s efforts, relative to the institution’s size and wealth; the breadth of sustainability initiatives, especially the integration of social aspects of sustainability; the extent of student involvement in sustainability activities; the level of support from campus administration; and the extent to which the institution serves as a model for others.

The awards were presented at the Greening of the Campus VIII Conference, which concludes Wednesday, Sept. 23, in Indianapolis, Ind.

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation.

Having adopted sustainability as a primary strategic goal for the entire university, Furman is among the leaders in higher education for its wide-ranging efforts to promote environmental awareness.  The university was a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and has been named one of the country’s most environmentally conscious colleges and universities by KIWI Magazine and the Sierra Club.

Furman’s Center for Sustainability, which is being renamed in honor of retiring Furman president David E. Shi, coordinates the university’s efforts in sustainability.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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9/22/2009

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