Furman University
ER-9: Sustainability Learning Outcomes

All Furman graduates from the undergraduate program must complete a series of general education requirements, detailed below.

In 2008, Furman revised its general education requirements to better reflect the intent of the general education program. From the pre-revision catalog:

"The purpose of general education at Furman
University is to provide students the opportunity
to acquire the skills, the experiences and the
knowledge needed to achieve broad philosophical,
historical, aesthetic and scientific bases for
understanding and judging human experience, in
the hope that they will enjoy lives characterized
by broad vision, self-knowledge, independent
action, tolerance and concern for others.

As means to that end, the University requires all
students to complete a set of courses designed to
develop:

• Invigoration and stimulation of intellectual curiosity
• Broad preparation in a diverse set of disciplines, including the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and the fine arts,
• Intellectual inquiry in sufficient depth to allow one to contribute to a greater body of knowledge;
• Development of expressive capabilities in writing, speaking, and the arts,
• Cultivation of world citizenship—an understanding of those not like oneself, and
• Integration of knowledge into a meaningful synthesis"

Sustainability and an understanding of the dynamic relationships among social, economic, and environmental systems is implicitly included in the above goals of the general education program. As part of the curriculum change, this intent was made more clear by the adoption of a course focusing on 'humans and natural environment' as a part of a two credit sequence focusing on 'global awareness.' The global awareness requirements are described in the catalog as follows:

"• A course addressing humans and the natural environment (NE) 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.
• A course focusing on world cultures (WC) World cultures courses will help students achieve a heightened awareness of the diverse cultures and traditions that have formed our world, and to reflect on the relationships between their own and other cultures. Courses will focus on the traditions, beliefs, experiences, and expressions of peoples of, or originating from, Asia, Africa, Latin America, or the pre-colonial Americas."