| Overall Rating | Platinum - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 87.10 |
| Liaison | Alex Davis |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2020 |
Arizona State University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Alex
Davis Asst. Director University Sustainability Practices |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Yes
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
The entire campus community (students and employees) directly or by representative sample
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Longitudinally to measure change over time
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
The survey was developed by a small committee of experts at ASU in 2017. The committee reviewed other similar surveys from across the country and compiled the survey to best serve ASU's goals. It has been refined with the support of a Psychology Post-Doctoral student.
A copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture:
A sample of the questions related to sustainability culture or the website URL where the assessment tool is available:
See file upload for all questions.
Sample question:
Which of the following statements best describes your level of interest in sustainability?
o I have no interest in sustainability.
o I am neither interested nor disinterested in sustainability.
o I have a slight interest in sustainability.
o I have a moderate interest in sustainability.
o I have a strong interest in sustainability.
o I have a passion for sustainability.
Sample question:
Which of the following statements best describes your level of interest in sustainability?
o I have no interest in sustainability.
o I am neither interested nor disinterested in sustainability.
o I have a slight interest in sustainability.
o I have a moderate interest in sustainability.
o I have a strong interest in sustainability.
o I have a passion for sustainability.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey was sent via email to all faculty and staff and approximately 50,000 of the student body. The student participants were randomly selected but weighted to ensure enough responses in each academic class for a representative sample. There were several email reminders over the course of the survey period and the response rate was 8% for students and 20% for faculty and staff. Although the response rate was less than targeted, there were over 4,000 responses, a representative sample was achieved - giving us confidence in our results at the 95% +/- 5% level. This is the third year conducting this survey and we analyze responses in several ways, including by academic class – which can shed some light on whether students gain literacy over time. For example, we have conducted this survey for three years and we can compare sophomore responses versus senior responses OR compare last year’s survey of juniors with this year’s seniors. Therefore, we are able to analyze a representative cohort over time. The survey was administered in annually from 2017-2020. Going forward, the survey will be administered every two years to avoid "survey fatigue."
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Sustainability Culture
GOAL: achieve a culture of sustainability within 75% of university community members by FY2021 – defined as 75% have at least a moderate passion for sustainability
78.8% of respondents have at least a moderate passion for sustainability (76.2% in 2018, 79% in 2017).
Between 2018 and 2019 there was a 5.5% increase of respondents that have a strong interest or passion for sustainability
Respondents that said they had a considerable passion increased this year to 14.3% vs. 12% in 2018 and vs. 9.5% in 2017
83.2% of respondents believe that humans exacerbate and contribute to climate change – up from 78.4%, 6.2% of respondents said they do not know enough, 7.1% do not believe scientists agree.
Sustainability Behavior
GOAL: achieve an average of 75% adoption rate of sustainability behaviors by campus community members by FY2021 – as measured by achieving an average of 75% combined “most of the time” and “always”
Average for all behaviors answering “most of the time” and “always” is 46.7% for 2019, 46.5% for 2018, and 48.1% for 2017.
Four behaviors were above 75% adoption including using a reusable container for beverages, recycling common items, turning off the lights, and washing laundry with a full load
There was a 7.3% increase in “most of the time” and “always” responses for using reusable bags and a 4.5% increase for double-sided printing. There were slight upticks for washing with a full load, common recycling and turning off lights – however, this could be attributed to the margin of error.
There was a slight decrease in setting the AC thermostat (-6.1%) and turning off the PC (-4.2%) when not in use.
There was a decrease in recycling confidence in students responses
There was a decrease in faculty confidence in knowing how to sign up for Seeds of Sustainability, participate in the Green Certification program, some recycling, and signing up for a plot at the Poly Garden
There was a decrease in staff confidence in knowing how to sign up for Seeds of Sustainability, participate in the Green Certification Program, and recycling plastic film.
GOAL: achieve a culture of sustainability within 75% of university community members by FY2021 – defined as 75% have at least a moderate passion for sustainability
78.8% of respondents have at least a moderate passion for sustainability (76.2% in 2018, 79% in 2017).
Between 2018 and 2019 there was a 5.5% increase of respondents that have a strong interest or passion for sustainability
Respondents that said they had a considerable passion increased this year to 14.3% vs. 12% in 2018 and vs. 9.5% in 2017
83.2% of respondents believe that humans exacerbate and contribute to climate change – up from 78.4%, 6.2% of respondents said they do not know enough, 7.1% do not believe scientists agree.
Sustainability Behavior
GOAL: achieve an average of 75% adoption rate of sustainability behaviors by campus community members by FY2021 – as measured by achieving an average of 75% combined “most of the time” and “always”
Average for all behaviors answering “most of the time” and “always” is 46.7% for 2019, 46.5% for 2018, and 48.1% for 2017.
Four behaviors were above 75% adoption including using a reusable container for beverages, recycling common items, turning off the lights, and washing laundry with a full load
There was a 7.3% increase in “most of the time” and “always” responses for using reusable bags and a 4.5% increase for double-sided printing. There were slight upticks for washing with a full load, common recycling and turning off lights – however, this could be attributed to the margin of error.
There was a slight decrease in setting the AC thermostat (-6.1%) and turning off the PC (-4.2%) when not in use.
There was a decrease in recycling confidence in students responses
There was a decrease in faculty confidence in knowing how to sign up for Seeds of Sustainability, participate in the Green Certification program, some recycling, and signing up for a plot at the Poly Garden
There was a decrease in staff confidence in knowing how to sign up for Seeds of Sustainability, participate in the Green Certification Program, and recycling plastic film.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Corey Hawkey
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.