| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.67 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 30, 2021 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 1.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
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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::
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::
Without a follow-up assessment of the same cohort or representative samples of the same population
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
Over the course of the Fall 2020 term, members of UA Sustainability worked to prepare this all-undergraduate sustainability survey, in collaboration with other groups on campus that included, but were not limited to, the MIT Office of Sustainability, Environmental Solutions Initiative, and the Student Sustainability Coalition. The survey was designed to get a clearer idea of which sustainability-related issues MIT undergraduates know and care about, so as to better inform the work of UA Sustain and other student sustainability groups going forward. Questions covered 6 main topics: campus community, campus sustainability, external relations, fossil fuel divestment and the Climate Action Plan, career choices, personal sustainability. The survey was open for 2 weeks and received 934 responses (approx. 21.5% of undergraduates), which were cleaned and analyzed by UA Sustain members.
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 the full copy of the survey provided above. A sample of three questions is given here.
Sample Question 1:
Which of the following topics have you searched for information about, with regards to MIT?
* Sustainability education opportunities (i.e., classes, events)
* Sustainability research
* Fossil fuel investments/divestment
* Energy usage
* Sustainability career resources (i.e., professional development)
* Waste production and minimization efforts
* Water usage
* Other campus sustainability related topic(s)
Sample Question 2:
Select three from the following list that you think should be prioritized for MIT’s institute-wide sustainability goals:
* Waste production and minimization efforts
* Fossil fuel investments/divestment
* Sustainability research
* Energy usage
* Sustainability education opportunities (i.e., classes, events)
* Sustainability career resources (i.e., professional development)
* Water usage
* Other campus sustainability related topic(s)
Sample Question 3:
Should MIT be involved in climate action in the Greater Boston Area/Massachusetts?
* Yes (involved)
* No (not involved)
Sample Question 1:
Which of the following topics have you searched for information about, with regards to MIT?
* Sustainability education opportunities (i.e., classes, events)
* Sustainability research
* Fossil fuel investments/divestment
* Energy usage
* Sustainability career resources (i.e., professional development)
* Waste production and minimization efforts
* Water usage
* Other campus sustainability related topic(s)
Sample Question 2:
Select three from the following list that you think should be prioritized for MIT’s institute-wide sustainability goals:
* Waste production and minimization efforts
* Fossil fuel investments/divestment
* Sustainability research
* Energy usage
* Sustainability education opportunities (i.e., classes, events)
* Sustainability career resources (i.e., professional development)
* Water usage
* Other campus sustainability related topic(s)
Sample Question 3:
Should MIT be involved in climate action in the Greater Boston Area/Massachusetts?
* Yes (involved)
* No (not involved)
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey was open for a period of two weeks, from November 29th to December 13th, 2020. Distribution was done through the undergrads@ email list, which contains all undergraduates at MIT. Distribution was also done informally through messaging to SSC member organizations to share with their members, on social media (via Instagram stories and other mediums), the ESI weekly newsletter, and MIT community group chats. Hosted on Qualtrics with the MIT enterprise license, the survey received a total of 934 responses, representing approx. 21.5% of the undergraduate student body (there are 4,361 undergraduates in the 2020-2021 academic year).
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
First, respondents care significantly about the energy aspect of sustainability. This was evidenced by significant participation in MIT Divest and Energy Club, day-to-day concern with reducing energy consumption, significant interest in MIT's relationship with fossil fuel companies, and strong support for fossil fuel divestment.
Another recurring theme is that respondents feel MIT does a good job on providing opportunities for sustainability education and furthering climate research. Respondents frequently seek out information on these topics, despite sustainability not playing a significant role in shaping the careers and class schedules of most. However, many respondents expressed a desire for these opportunities to be more accessible and publicized.
Finally, while respondents feel MIT has adequately engaged in sustainability from an education and research perspective, respondents felt strongly that MIT should further engage in sustainability and climate action as they relate to government and industry. Responses indicate that respondents are aware that sustainability and climate actions are institutional and systemic issues, and while they do care about their own careers and day-to-day decisions, they also care about what MIT can do to further climate action and sustainability from an institutional perspective, including in waste reduction strategies.
Another recurring theme is that respondents feel MIT does a good job on providing opportunities for sustainability education and furthering climate research. Respondents frequently seek out information on these topics, despite sustainability not playing a significant role in shaping the careers and class schedules of most. However, many respondents expressed a desire for these opportunities to be more accessible and publicized.
Finally, while respondents feel MIT has adequately engaged in sustainability from an education and research perspective, respondents felt strongly that MIT should further engage in sustainability and climate action as they relate to government and industry. Responses indicate that respondents are aware that sustainability and climate actions are institutional and systemic issues, and while they do care about their own careers and day-to-day decisions, they also care about what MIT can do to further climate action and sustainability from an institutional perspective, including in waste reduction strategies.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.