| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 91.10 |
| Liaison | Alex Davis |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2023 |
Arizona State University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Krista
O'Brien Program Manager Sustainability Practices |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
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.
The survey is administered to representative samples of each class year (cohort) of ASU students. Over time, the results from a 3rd and 4th year cohort may be compared with the prior results of the 1st and 2nd year cohorts (respectively). The survey is sent to all faculty and staff for each cycle with enough participation to ensure a representative sample.
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:
Compared to the range of issues that people view as important, how important are the following issues to you?
1 = less important than all other issues
2
3
4
5 = more important than many other issues
a. Ensuring that every person in the world has equal opportunities in life
b. Protecting the natural environment from destruction or harm
c. Understanding people who are different or who hold opposing views
d. Creating a sense of community in your neighborhood and/or surrounding areas
e. Ensuring the physical safety of the greater community from outside non-environmental threats
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 40,000 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 throughout the survey period and the response rate was 10%for students and 16% for faculty and staff. Although the response rate was less than targeted, there were over 6,500 responses, and a representative sample was achieved - giving us confidence in our results at the 95% +/- 1% level. This is the fourth 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 five 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 can analyze a representative cohort over time. The survey was administered annually from 2017-2020. Going forward, the survey is administered every two years to avoid "survey fatigue." The most recent survey was administered in 2021. At the time of this submission, the 2023 survey was in progress.
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% having at least a moderate passion for sustainability
93% of respondents have at least a 3 out of 5 interest in sustainability (78% in 2019, 76.2% in 2018, 79% in 2017). *Labeling was removed from the scale in 2021
85% of students and 90% of faculty and staff believe that humans exacerbate and contribute to climate change – up from 83.2% in 2019.
Responses indicate an increased understanding of how to participate in a Sustainability Certification Program across all populations, suggesting that there may be an increased interest in the Sustainability Certification program
15% of student respondents stated that sustainability was a primary factor in their decision to study at ASU, while 8% of staff and nearly 10% of faculty cited sustainability as a primary reason to work at ASU.
Most respondents across all populations believe that ASU is doing at least a moderately effective job at addressing climate change.
Most respondents across all populations believe that ASU is doing at least a moderately effective job at promoting a culture of sustainability on campus.
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”
The average for all behaviors answering “most of the time” and “always” is 41% for 2021, 46.7% for 2019, 46.5% for 2018, and 48.1% for 2017.
The average for sustainability behaviors adoption fell, but this could potentially be attributed to the reorganization of this section, some behaviors were removed and added. The COVID-19 pandemic may have also influenced the behavior section.
Data suggest that 30-40% of respondents feel empowered to implement sustainability actions, 30-40% need additional information to feel empowered to take sustainability actions, and 20-30% of respondents are disinterested.
There is a significant increase in respondents, across all populations, that said they attended a sustainability event on campus.
Responses may suggest that confidence in how to recycle paper, plastic, and glass has decreased slightly.
Responses may suggest that respondents need more information on specialty recycling programs, especially composting.
Responses may suggest that knowledge-based efforts have not reached roughly 30-40% of the population in a way that provides them with the confidence to participate in a variety of activities.
There was a considerable improvement in respondents that feel confident they know how to participate in a campus-community garden.
Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.