Baldwin Wallace University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Our Sustainability literacy assessment focuses on 5 student learning outcomes (SLO) which are assessed on a rotating basis with at least two sustainabilty SLOs assessed every year. This process was first implemented in the 2014-2015 Assessment Cycle and has continued annually since then. These SLO's include: 1. Demonstrate understanding of interaction between natural and social systems. 2. Demonstrate the ability to identify characteristics of sustainable societies and impediments to their development or preservation. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues and considerations related to sustainability. 4. Demonstrate ability to evaluate sustainability issues using systems thinking and multidisciplinary perspectives. 5. Demonstrate the ability to interpret data relevant to sustainability. Assessment Rubrics Corresponding to these SLOs have been developed by the Faculty Sustainability in the Major (FACsim) committee in conjunction with the designated Sustainability Program Assessment Coordinator (PAC) and the Director for Institutional Research and Assessment, Dr. Susan Warner. As Baldwin Wallace is presently moving towards an assessment driven culture, this process is expected to continue and be further refined over time.

Below is a sample of the Post-Test questions included in the Sustainability Culture Assessment. Note that these questions are the culmination of a highly detailed and prescribed process of data collection and reflection by student enrolled in Humans and the Earth over the course of the semester. After the course has concluded, these student artifacts are collected and evaluated using the rubrics built for assessing the Sustainability Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Students are first asked in a pre-test to discuss the extent to which they are currently living a sustainability lifestyle (i.e., prior to completing any sustainability coursework). Subsequently, the students complete a multi-week Lifestyle Project assessing their impact on the environment. At the end of the project, the students are asked to revisit the question of whether they now perceive themselves to be living a sustainable life after the course, how their perceptions may have changed over time, their level of commitment to sustainability over the long-term. Please see below for the Post-Test Questions. SAMPLE POST-TEST QUESTIONS "At the end of the Lifestyle Project, you will submit a final report. This report should be 3 to 5 pages long and should include a summary of the calculations included in your weekly journals and any interesting situations you encountered along the way. Specifically, your project report should include how much you reduced your impact on the environment as compared to your baseline over the three project weeks. Also answer the following questions in your report: (1) Which of these lifestyle changes do you feel you can commit to long-term? (2) Are you interested in continuing any of these lifestyle changes? (3) What assumptions are built into the Lifestyle Project exercise? (4) In what ways have you approached or come short of approaching a sustainable lifestyle? (5) What other categories do you think could be included in this project?" All students in the Sustainability Program (i.e., majors, minors, and certificate students) must complete Humans and the Earth.

The assessment is administered to all students who take SUS150I: Humans and the Earth which is the gateway course to the Sustainability Program offered with a cap of 55 students in the fall and spring semesters. Typically, the course is full. The course sastisfies a number of Core university requirements make it attractive to students of all majors and thus the students enrolled in the course represent a broad cross-section of university students.

The findings of the assessment for the past two years resulted in changes to the assessment instrument including the questions posed. As such, longitudinal data is not yet available.