Brevard's clean conscience.

• Position: WESTERN REGION - Brevard College investments - Brief article

Nestled at the edge of mountainous Pisgah National Forest in Translyvania County, 700-student Brevard College isn't the type of place to make waves. But the United Methodist-affiliated institution recently became the first Southeast college to announce its $25 million endowment fund would sell its shares of companies that mine or sell fossil fuels. "I think there's been an element of surprise, since we are such a small college and a lot of times we are off the radar," spokeswoman Elizabeth Harrison says.

Divestment is a hot topic at Harvard University and campuses nationwide, but Brevard joins only about 20 other schools that have taken action, including Stanford, which sold its shares of coal-mining companies last year. Brevard students brought the idea to administrators roughly two years ago, concerned about the environmental impact of coal, oil and gas companies. School officials expect to...