| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 79.37 |
| Liaison | Jillian Leach |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2022 |
California State University, Chico
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Jennifer
Rotnem Director of Energy and Sustainability FMS |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students?:
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 list or sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
(Attached above)
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
In 2017, as part of a review of the General Education program at Chico State, sustainability learning outcomes were measured, and sustainability literacy was analyzed. A Faculty Learning Community comprised of six faculty members from four separate colleges developed an assessment plan and created the survey (attached). The survey was used to assess sustainability as a learning outcome for students in General Education.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The Faculty Learning Community (FLC) worked with faculty teaching GE courses to give the surveys to students in their classes. The survey was developed “to help better understand the nature, functioning, and valued practices of sustainability on CSU, Chico campus,” and to “help us understand how to teach sustainability across the curriculum better. (from the survey)” During the spring semester of 2017, students in general education courses were surveyed using the survey instrument (attached). The survey was designed to measure knowledge acquisition, attitudes, and behavior changes because of instruction. The survey used a multiple-choice performance test and a multiple-choice self-reflection. Data was compared between students enrolled in the GE Sustainability Studies Pathway with those GE students who were not enrolled in the GE Sustainability Pathway. Thirty-two (32.1) percent of the sample represented students enrolled in classes in the Sustainability Pathway. After the surveys were administered, the FLC analyzed the survey results and wrote the assessment report (attached). (Note that this 2017 assessment is the most recent assessment of the sustainability pathway. See notes below for explanation.)
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
In the 2017 assessment, we demonstrated a statistically significant difference in knowledge acquisition of the principle of sustainability between the beginning and end of a semester, and between courses across the general education pathways. Students in the GE Sustainability pathway had the highest knowledge scores, as well as greater participation in sustainability events when compared to several other GE students. Freshwater pollution was ranked the top area of concern for students.
The study showed a gap among Pell-eligible, first generation, and underrepresented minorities students for sustainability knowledge. This suggested that the sustainability curriculum is not serving these students as well as it could, and not making a strong connection between the three components of sustainability – social justice, economic feasibility, and environment.
Website URL where information about the sustainability literacy assessment is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The last assessment of the sustainability literacy was 2017. Regular assessment of the General Education Sustainability Pathway and “sustainability” as a student learning objective are required, but two things postponed the assessments until Fall 2022.
The first reason is that the COVID pandemic prevented implementing a more recent survey. A survey was planned for AY 2019-20 but was incomplete because of the campus response to the COVID pandemic and campus closures.
The second reason the sustainability survey was delayed is that the entire GE program was under revision. These GE revisions included a comprehensive assessment of the GE program and GE Pathways, including sustainability. The entire process of evaluating and revising the GE program was significantly delayed because of COVID pandemic and campus closures. This in turn postponed the implementation of the sustainability pathway assessment and development of the evaluation criteria.
The new assessment date is Fall 2022, and will be administered periodically thereafter, giving every student in GE pre- and post-evaluations to measure the success of the pathways and the student learning objectives (both with a sustainability-focus) as per Executive Memorandum EM 21-023, September 3, 2021.
https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/2021/21-023.shtml
Example of what criteria will be surveyed for the GE pathways, including: https://csuchico.app.box.com/s/0jzl965z9lmekmb80o41jlit00lemasg
This is the most recent Sustainability Literacy Assessment, conducted in 2017:
https://storage.googleapis.com/stars-static/secure/211/7/628/5785/Sustainability%20SLO%20Report%20Feb%201.pdf
The last assessment of the sustainability literacy was 2017. Regular assessment of the General Education Sustainability Pathway and “sustainability” as a student learning objective are required, but two things postponed the assessments until Fall 2022.
The first reason is that the COVID pandemic prevented implementing a more recent survey. A survey was planned for AY 2019-20 but was incomplete because of the campus response to the COVID pandemic and campus closures.
The second reason the sustainability survey was delayed is that the entire GE program was under revision. These GE revisions included a comprehensive assessment of the GE program and GE Pathways, including sustainability. The entire process of evaluating and revising the GE program was significantly delayed because of COVID pandemic and campus closures. This in turn postponed the implementation of the sustainability pathway assessment and development of the evaluation criteria.
The new assessment date is Fall 2022, and will be administered periodically thereafter, giving every student in GE pre- and post-evaluations to measure the success of the pathways and the student learning objectives (both with a sustainability-focus) as per Executive Memorandum EM 21-023, September 3, 2021.
https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/2021/21-023.shtml
Example of what criteria will be surveyed for the GE pathways, including: https://csuchico.app.box.com/s/0jzl965z9lmekmb80o41jlit00lemasg
This is the most recent Sustainability Literacy Assessment, conducted in 2017:
https://storage.googleapis.com/stars-static/secure/211/7/628/5785/Sustainability%20SLO%20Report%20Feb%201.pdf
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.