| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.53 |
| Liaison | Andrew DeMelia |
| Submission Date | June 6, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Bryant University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Gaytha
Langlois Chair, Science & Technology Department Science & Technology Department |
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)?:
Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
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:
The MKT 421 Sustainability Marketing class is asked a series of open-ended questions about Sustainability, for example, What is sustainability? What are the pillars of Sustainability? What are the benefits of sustainable practices? About 20 students are surveyed each time the course runs.
As part of the course structure in Science & Technology courses designed for the Environmental Science programs, we routinely use pre- and post-surveys within each class regarding students' awareness of sustainability and their knowledge of sustainability programs on campus.
Other surveys addressing sustainability issues were conducted in 2016-2018, encompassing a variety of team-based projects in the some sections of the SCI-351 Ecology: Theory and Applications course and in the Energy Management Strategies course. Topics have included personal phone disposal, a zero waste initiative on campus, disposal of food waste on campus, protection of wetlands, and the use of renewable energy at Bryant; over 180 students were surveyed as part of these efforts.
It is hoped that this type of survey can be expanded to assess sustainability awareness across a larger segment of the Bryant community. The next step in this process will take place in the Fall 2020 semester, working with the SustainUs student sustainability organization as well as with faculty from several departments.
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
The assessment is based on findings from class projects, pretested in small groups over four years from 2015-2019, encompassing input from faculty from several disciplines (communication, marketing, global studies, environmental science, and statistics), as well as with our sustainability consultant, Sierra Flanigan.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The assessments were administered to students in the MKT421 Sustainability Marketing course, the Energy Management Strategies course, and the Ecology course.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s), including a description of any measurable changes over time:
From these limited samples, a few patterns emerge: PRE-TESTING (1) In pre-testing (i.e., start of the semester) students are usually aware of "sustainability" but may not be able to define the term or characterize details about what this concept encompasses; (2) Students may not initially be aware of campus sustainability programs and successes; POST-TESTING (1) Generally, at least 85% of students can define sustainability and explain the value of the conceptual goals of sustainability programs; and (2) Students can describe campus sustainability programs and usually are supportive of these programs.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.