| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.74 |
| Liaison | Lacey Raak |
| Submission Date | Feb. 18, 2023 |
California State University, Monterey Bay
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Lacey
Raak Sustainability Director Campus Planning and Development |
"---"
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::
A subset of the campus community or a sample that may not be representative of the entire community
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 the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Sustainability in 2020. The Office of Inclusive Excellence and Sustainability reviewed other similar surveys from across the country and compiled the survey to best serve CSUMB's goals. It has been refined with the support of the President's Sustainability Committee.
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:
On a scale of 1-5 please rate the following: Our division/college is actively committed to issues of sustainability. ("Actively committed" might include regularly discussing impacts of decisions on sustainability, equity, inclusion and diversity at staff meetings or when considering purchases or department decisions.)
1- Not Committed
to
5- Actively Committed
Sample question:
On a scale of 1-5 please rate the following: Our division/college is actively committed to issues of sustainability. ("Actively committed" might include regularly discussing impacts of decisions on sustainability, equity, inclusion and diversity at staff meetings or when considering purchases or department decisions.)
1- Not Committed
to
5- Actively Committed
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 a representative sample of faculty, staff, and students. There were several email reminders over the course of the survey period and the response rate was 17%. This is the first year conducting this assessment which is why we received a lower than average response rate. Despite this, we analyzed responses in several ways, including by equity & inclusive excellence, transportation, individual sustainable actions, sustainability initiatives & awareness, and interests between different campus groups. Going forward, the survey will be administered every year in an effort to make this a norm to assess specific knowledge, beliefs, and practices of CSUMB students, faculty, and staff. The input provided from this assessment will help the University to create programs, services, and policies to best serve our campus community.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Sustainability Culture
Students had the highest interest or passion for sustainability, corporation staff had the second highest interest, state-side staff had the third highest interest, and faculty had the fourth highest interest. 100% of respondents indicated that their interest or passion for sustainability was 4 or higher when asked to rate on a linear scale from 1-5 (1 being minimal or no interest, and 5 being very passionate).
Sustainability Initiatives and Awareness
Out of all sustainability initiatives on campus, waste diversion had the highest awareness with 53% of respondents indicating that they were very aware of campus efforts to promote waste diversion. Restoring the natural environment with native plants and trees had the second highest awareness with 50% of respondents indicating that they were very aware of this campus practice. Both of these campus initiatives are in alignment with the core goals of our Inclusive Sustainability Plan. Our goals include diverting 90% of waste from the landfill by 2030, planting 2,030 native trees on campus by 2030, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The university has developed these core goals that focus the campus community on three priority areas and serve as guideposts to unify the campus around a bold vision for sustainability. By aligning around these goals, CSU Monterey Bay can continue to be a leader and truly move the needle. Other categories included campus efforts to conserve water, conserve energy, promote food from sustainable sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, procure products from sustainable sources, maintain campus grounds in an environmentally friendly manner, encourage people to take the bus or bike, and incorporate sustainable building standards into new buildings and renovations.
Individual Sustainable Actions
94% of respondents use a reusable water bottle and turn off the lights when leaving a room. These two practices were the highest among all other categories. Additionally, 81% of respondents recycle and/or repurpose their waste. Other categories included using the power saving settings on the computer, turning off the computer when not in use, setting the thermostat to 65 degrees or lower during cool or cold weather, setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher during warm or hot weather, Unplug electrical appliances when not in use, printing double sided, limiting shower time to >5min, composting, shopping for things with minimal packaging, properly recycling e-waste, bringing reusable bags to the store with them, eating vegan or vegetarian meals, running the dishwasher only on a full load, and civically engaging in their community for the betterment of the environment.
Transportation
When asked about which mode of transportation was used to travel between their home and CSUMB: over 68% of respondents said that they drove a car and parked on campus, 31% of respondents did not travel to campus, 9% of respondents biked to campus and 6% walked. This is a clear area for improvement for our campus in order to encourage the usage of more sustainable modes of transportation as we work to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Equity/Inclusive Sustainability:
In an effort to deepen the campus understanding of how sustainability and social justice are interconnected and respond to opportunities to address intersectional issues, in 2020 the Office of Sustainability merged with the Office of Inclusive Excellence to become the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Sustainability. In this assessment, over 71% of respondents indicated that they are familiar with the intersections between sustainability, justice, & equity.
When asked to rate the following statement on a scale of 1-5 "Our division/college is actively committed to issues of sustainability. ("Actively committed" might include regularly discussing impacts of decisions on sustainability, equity, inclusion and diversity at staff meetings or when considering purchases or department decisions)," over 71% of respondents indicated that our division/college is actively committed to these issues of sustainability.
Over 93% of respondents agreed that the impacts of environmental destruction and pollution disproportionately affects already marginalized communities by conscious design or systemic neglect.
Over 83% of respondents agreed with this statement: "Upon graduation, students should be able to identify how their degree or future profession contributes to environmental and social justice problems and solutions"
Finally, 70% of respondents knew the correct definition of "inclusive sustainability" at CSUMB. Our campus defines inclusive sustainability as the following: A commitment to improve the environment and the lives of those living within it regardless of income, class or identity, Seeks to promote all unique cultural and ethnic traditions that support, respect and provide stewardship for the earth and its resources, Acknowledges that environmental degradation is directly and intricately related to social injustices, and Seeks to ensure all students wanting careers in sustainability, environmental conservation, or similar fields are included and have access to opportunities that will further their professional ambitions.
Students had the highest interest or passion for sustainability, corporation staff had the second highest interest, state-side staff had the third highest interest, and faculty had the fourth highest interest. 100% of respondents indicated that their interest or passion for sustainability was 4 or higher when asked to rate on a linear scale from 1-5 (1 being minimal or no interest, and 5 being very passionate).
Sustainability Initiatives and Awareness
Out of all sustainability initiatives on campus, waste diversion had the highest awareness with 53% of respondents indicating that they were very aware of campus efforts to promote waste diversion. Restoring the natural environment with native plants and trees had the second highest awareness with 50% of respondents indicating that they were very aware of this campus practice. Both of these campus initiatives are in alignment with the core goals of our Inclusive Sustainability Plan. Our goals include diverting 90% of waste from the landfill by 2030, planting 2,030 native trees on campus by 2030, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The university has developed these core goals that focus the campus community on three priority areas and serve as guideposts to unify the campus around a bold vision for sustainability. By aligning around these goals, CSU Monterey Bay can continue to be a leader and truly move the needle. Other categories included campus efforts to conserve water, conserve energy, promote food from sustainable sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, procure products from sustainable sources, maintain campus grounds in an environmentally friendly manner, encourage people to take the bus or bike, and incorporate sustainable building standards into new buildings and renovations.
Individual Sustainable Actions
94% of respondents use a reusable water bottle and turn off the lights when leaving a room. These two practices were the highest among all other categories. Additionally, 81% of respondents recycle and/or repurpose their waste. Other categories included using the power saving settings on the computer, turning off the computer when not in use, setting the thermostat to 65 degrees or lower during cool or cold weather, setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher during warm or hot weather, Unplug electrical appliances when not in use, printing double sided, limiting shower time to >5min, composting, shopping for things with minimal packaging, properly recycling e-waste, bringing reusable bags to the store with them, eating vegan or vegetarian meals, running the dishwasher only on a full load, and civically engaging in their community for the betterment of the environment.
Transportation
When asked about which mode of transportation was used to travel between their home and CSUMB: over 68% of respondents said that they drove a car and parked on campus, 31% of respondents did not travel to campus, 9% of respondents biked to campus and 6% walked. This is a clear area for improvement for our campus in order to encourage the usage of more sustainable modes of transportation as we work to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Equity/Inclusive Sustainability:
In an effort to deepen the campus understanding of how sustainability and social justice are interconnected and respond to opportunities to address intersectional issues, in 2020 the Office of Sustainability merged with the Office of Inclusive Excellence to become the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Sustainability. In this assessment, over 71% of respondents indicated that they are familiar with the intersections between sustainability, justice, & equity.
When asked to rate the following statement on a scale of 1-5 "Our division/college is actively committed to issues of sustainability. ("Actively committed" might include regularly discussing impacts of decisions on sustainability, equity, inclusion and diversity at staff meetings or when considering purchases or department decisions)," over 71% of respondents indicated that our division/college is actively committed to these issues of sustainability.
Over 93% of respondents agreed that the impacts of environmental destruction and pollution disproportionately affects already marginalized communities by conscious design or systemic neglect.
Over 83% of respondents agreed with this statement: "Upon graduation, students should be able to identify how their degree or future profession contributes to environmental and social justice problems and solutions"
Finally, 70% of respondents knew the correct definition of "inclusive sustainability" at CSUMB. Our campus defines inclusive sustainability as the following: A commitment to improve the environment and the lives of those living within it regardless of income, class or identity, Seeks to promote all unique cultural and ethnic traditions that support, respect and provide stewardship for the earth and its resources, Acknowledges that environmental degradation is directly and intricately related to social injustices, and Seeks to ensure all students wanting careers in sustainability, environmental conservation, or similar fields are included and have access to opportunities that will further their professional ambitions.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
---
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Gabriella Ulloa and Timothy Randazzo
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.