Several SC colleges lauded for environmental sustainability. Only one gets ‘gold’ rank

The State recognized Furman University on news of its STARS Gold status, a rating metric spearheaded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. Furman was the only South Carolina institution of higher learning to earn gold. Clemson University, College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina all received silver medals.

“Achieving a STARS gold rating means that sustainability is intertwined in everything we do at Furman, from academics and engagement to operations and administration,” said Laura Bain, associate director of sustainability assessment. Bain earned a bachelor’s in biology from Furman in 2002 and a master’s in conservation science and policy from Duke University in 2007.