Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.58
Liaison Tom Twist
Submission Date June 12, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Bates College
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 4.00 Tom Twist
Sustainability Manager
Facilities
"---" 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::
The entire (or predominate) student body, directly or by representative sample

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:

What current problems are sustainability initiatives trying to address today?
Climate Change
Habitat Degradation
Access to clean drinking water
Waste Management
All of the above

What percentage of potable water is actually consumed by drinking?
5%
30%
50%
75%

What percentage energy reduction could one expect from switching from incandescent bulbs to LEDs?
10%
30%
50%
90%

What percentage of solid municipal waste could be composted?
10%
30%
50%

What is the approximate lifespan of a solar panel?
15 years
25 years
40 years

How do the life cycle costs of an electric car compare to a vehicle with an internal combustion engine?
Better
Worse
Depends on electricity mix

Thank you for completing our survey!


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

The literacy assessment tool was created by the sustainability office as part of our first year orientation. It goes out to the first year listesrv both as an engagement tool and to assess their knowledge. We also put it out on an online publication called Bates Today, which is accessible to all first years.


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

This assessment goes out each year to all our first year students as part of the sustainability orientation program. We bring up some of the questions during our sustainability presentation to all first years, and give out prizes for the correct answers.


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

This past year, we had 227 students respond to the survey, with only a third of the students getting all sustainable literacy questions correct. The drinking water and LED questions had the worst performance, and the current problems and municipal waste questions had the highest percentage of correct responses.


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