Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.35
Liaison Laurie Husted
Submission Date June 9, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Bard College
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 4.00 Peter Klein
Assist Professor Sociology & Env & Urban Studies
Sociology
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students (i.e. an assessment focused on student knowledge of sustainability topics and challenges)?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
A subset of students or a sample that may not be representative of the predominant student body

Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
Standalone evaluation without a follow-up assessment of the same cohort or representative samples

A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
A sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:

URL: http://www.sulitest.org/en/index.html
1. What is the most widely used definition of sustainable development (resulting from the Brundtland report in 1987)?
2.In November 2001, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. Which of the following is NOT a result of this statement?
3.According to the Stern report published in 2006, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change would cost around 1% of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year. What is the estimated cost of climate change each year if we do not act?
4. How many people still did not have access to "improved sanitation" services in developing countries in 2012? (Improved sanitation services are defined as those that "hygienically separate human excreta from human contact").
5. According to the "2013 UN Report on World Social Situation", which of the following trends in global economic inequality is NOT true?
6. In 2012, how many people around the world have been victims of forced labor?
7. According to UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) enables everyone to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to build a sustainable future. Among the following statements, which one correspond to UNESCO's recommendations on ESD?
8. Out of the 6,000 languages currently spoken in the world, how many of them will disappear by the end of the century if nothing is done to safeguard them? (Estimation provided by UNESCO)
9. Among the following statements, three are related to the LINEAR model, based on production and consumption, and only one relates to CIRCULAR economy. Which one of these statements relates to CIRCULAR economy?
10. Which human activity removes the most of renewable freshwater resources worldwide?
11. A complex system (a company, a city, an ecosystem ...) can operate important changes when acting on sensitive points called "leverage points". Among the 4 forms of leverage points below, which one is the easiest to trigger - but also the least effective to achieve systemic changes?
12. According to the 2015 official United Nations population estimates and projections, what is the estimated population of the Earth in 2050?
13. In their book "The necessary revolution", Peter Senge and his co-authors have identified that the ability to collaborate is based primarily on three skills. Which of the following is NOT one of these three skills?
14. The CFC (ChloroFluoroCarbons) gases endanger the ozone layer. In 1987, an international agreement (the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer) was signed by several countries. What were the consequences of this agreement?
15. The objective of Biomimicry is to create new products, processes, or lifestyles compatible with life on earth in the long term. Among the following statements on Biomimicry, which one is NOT true?


A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:

Initiated by a French business school, the Sulitest was designed from the beginning to be a free tool for all students in higher education regardless of the area of study, level of study or country of origin.
This is why today we find among the registered institutions deploying the test, many business schools and engineering schools but also universities with diverse educational programs and research areas.
The basic free version of the Sulitest aims to be a universal test for the academic world. Now the new premium version enables schools and universities to add and customize questions based on the assessment, research or pedagogical needs of an institution.


A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :

The test was administered to students in the graduate program at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy as well as students in the undergraduate Environmental and Urban Studies program as part of an Environmental Education course.


A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s), including a description of any measurable changes over time:

Sections of the Assessment with worldwide scores and Bard participant scores:

1. CORE International—Worldwide: 55% Bard: 62%
2. Knowledge - Global and local human-constructed systems—Worldwide: 54% Bard: 57%
3. Knowledge - Role to play, individual & systemic change—Worldwide: 50% Bard: 66%
4. Knowledge - Sustainable humanity and ecosystems—Worldwide: 63% Bard: 67%
5. Knowledge - Transition towards sustainability—Worldwide: 48% Bard: 63%


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.