| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.20 |
| Liaison | Denice Koljonen |
| Submission Date | Feb. 17, 2022 |
Boston College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 1.00 |
Bruce
Dixon Sustainability and Energy Specialist Facilities |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Yes
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
A subset of the campus community or a sample that may not be representative of the entire community
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Without a follow-up assessment of the same cohort or representative samples of the same population
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
A group of consulting club students (Consultants for Social Impact)from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College gathered information for an analysis of Boston College’s sustainability through an online survey during fall 2020 of the undergraduate student population at Boston College. This survey aimed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from respondents. The survey analyzed students' awareness of and attitude toward waste sorting and composting on campus, in order to help Dining improve access to compost bins and student participation in compost.
Each year, Boston College seniors in the Environmental Studies program complete a research project on a subject of their choosing. Minors conduct their research in the Environmental Seminar, while majors participate in a year-long Senior Research Seminar or conduct an independent Senior Thesis.
Each year, Boston College seniors in the Environmental Studies program complete a research project on a subject of their choosing. Minors conduct their research in the Environmental Seminar, while majors participate in a year-long Senior Research Seminar or conduct an independent Senior Thesis.
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 attached document above - "Survey Sample"
Environmental Studies research paper on understanding of recycling: https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/mcas/envstudies/PDFs/student-research/recycling-waste/Do_Students_Understand_Recycling%20_2020_PAPER.pdf
Environmental Studies research paper on understanding of recycling: https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/mcas/envstudies/PDFs/student-research/recycling-waste/Do_Students_Understand_Recycling%20_2020_PAPER.pdf
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
Multiple surveys were given to various groups of undergraduate students. These surveys were assessed (see above). Most of the surveys were specifically distrubuted to members of sustainability clubs on campus, such as Real Food. The focus of the questions remained on the indivudual student and their experiences with composting in order to gauge the effectiveness of the relatively new composting program. There was room for suggestions and places to explain one's reasoning, rather than simply picking from an established set of multiple choice questions. This type of survey is more useful in determining whether or not the composting program is making progess and promoting change in the BC community.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Our survey results and institutional assessment indicate that Boston College and its students are making progress in their efforts to compost, though there is room for improvement. Boston College could improve by putting the compost bins in more accessible and visible locations, which was a reappearing concern in the survey results. This would make the act of composting easier and more convenient to encourage students to participate. Students expressed a moderate to high interest in composting, but their actions were limited by the lack of awareness surrounding the program. There should be more publicity on the topic of food waste/composting, as well as clear visuals to find the nearest compost bin.
Boston College puts forth many efforts to build a culture of sustainability and reducing food waste, but it may be the case that these efforts require a greater common denominator for collections and greater impact.
Boston College puts forth many efforts to build a culture of sustainability and reducing food waste, but it may be the case that these efforts require a greater common denominator for collections and greater impact.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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