| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.18 |
| Liaison | Weston Dripps |
| Submission Date | Aug. 19, 2024 |
Amherst College
AC-5: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Weston
Dripps Director of Sustainability Sustainability |
Has the institution conducted one or more assessments of the sustainability literacy of its students during the previous three years?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of of the instruments/tools used to assess sustainability literacy:
The Office of Sustainability, together with the Office of Institutional Research, conducted a campus wide sustainability survey that included a dedicated section to sustainability literacy as well as separate sections on transportation and sustainability culture. The Qualtrics survey was pushed out to the entire campus community through November and December 2023, with three follow up reminders sent to those who had not completed the survey.
The survey was divided into the following four sections:
- Basic demographic information (5 questions)
- Transportation and commuting habits (11 questions)
- Sustainability culture (13 questions)
- Sustainability literacy (13 questions).
The literacy assessment was required for all students respondents and optional for staff respondents. In total, 582 community members completed the literacy assessment. Of these responses, 333 were students and 249 were staff. A complete list of questions and responses is provided here.
Description of the institution’s recent sustainability literacy assessment findings and any notable trends:
Overall, we had a fairly high response rate, especially among staff. In total, 582 community members completed the literacy assessment. Of these responses, 333 were students and 249 were staff. Given that the literacy assessment was optional for staff, it was encouraging to see such high participation among staff.
Members of the Amherst community performed quite well on the literacy assessment overall. Our results show that most students and staff understand the key principles of sustainability. However, some had trouble identifying specific terminology or concepts, such as “ecosystem services” and the three key pillars of sustainability.
A more detailed analysis of the literacy assessment results is available here.
Were academic staff engaged in sustainability education at the institution involved in developing and/or adopting the methodologies used to assess sustainability literacy?:
Description of the process through which academic staff were involved in developing and/or adopting the methodologies used to assess sustainability literacy:
The Office of Sustainability initially reviewed roughly a half dozen sustainability surveys from other institutions to help seed the survey. Students in the ENST 495 Senior Seminar conducted a more thorough review of the questions and ensured breadth and depth in the content being asked. The final survey was shared with Kate Sims in the Environmental Studies Department and Jesse Barba in Institutional Research for their review, feedback, and input.
Are the literacy assessments designed and administered in such a way that the results can be used to evaluate the success of the institution’s sustainability education initiatives?:
Description of how the design and administration of the sustainability literacy assessments supports the evaluation of the success of the institution’s sustainability education initiatives:
We intend to administer the survey every three years, and use Qualtrics to distribute. The survey was confidential, but not anonymous, such that it will be possible to track individual as well as collective student, staff, and faculty performance longitudinally. The Office of Sustainability is using the survey results to inform its programming priorities and offerings.
The survey was developed, administered, and analyzed by the Office of Sustainability with the support and assistance of the Office of Institutional Research. The literacy assessment will be one of a number of means by which we will assess and track the student body’s sustainability literacy through time. Ideally we see improved performance with time as the new office of sustainability continues to build out and support a number of new initiatives and programs aimed at improving sustainability literacy including our EcoReps program, Student Fellows Program, Faculty Affiliate program.
Points earned for indicator AC 5.1:
Percentage of students assessed for sustainability literacy, either directly or by representative sample:
Description of the process used to measure or estimate the percentage of students assessed for sustainability literacy:
The sustainability survey was distributed through the Office of Institutional Research to the entire campus community (faculty, staff, and students) Spring 2023. The survey was open for 1 ½ months and administered as a Qualtrics survey. Three reminders were automatically sent to those who had not completed the survey. A total of 888 campus members completed the survey, including 371 students (19.5% response rate) and 517 staff members (46.1% response rate).
A more detailed analysis of the literacy assessment participants is available here. The analysis includes the demographics of those who completed the survey. The racial demographics of the participant pool reflect the overall student body demographics.
Points earned for indicator AC 5.2:
Notes about the information provided for this credit:
Additional documentation for this credit:
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.