California State University, Fresno
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Cultural and literacy assessment questions are modified from the assessment used by CSU Humbolt. The assessment is given to students attending campus events (summits, tabling, club meetings) through a QR code, which then takes students to a Qualtrics version of the survey. The survey was started in November 19, with ongoing outreach for students to participate through this year's (virtual) Earth Day (April 22, 2020). The survey is maintained through our Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE), with Marie Tongson-Fernandez overseeing data collection and ultimate dissemination.

Q12. "Sustainability" with regard to natural resources means:
❑ Using natural resources as slowly as possible
❑ Using natural resources no faster than at the rate they regenerate
❑ Not introducing new technology too quickly
❑ Discovering new resources to allow maximum economic growth
❑ Do not know

Q5 Please indicate which of the following statements best describes your level of interest in sustainability:
❑ I have a passion for sustainability
❑ I have considerable interest in sustainability
❑ I am neither interested nor disinterested in sustainability (neutral)
❑ I have little interest in sustainability
❑ I have no interest in sustainability

Q6. Please indicate how often do you engage in the following activities?
Always, Most of the time, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
Print double- sided
Recycle
Use a reusable water bottle, coffee container, etc.
Use reusable bags at store
Volunteer
Join a student club, student government, or community organization related to sustainability
Participate in a gathering addressing social issues
Buy sustainable products (fair trade certified, organic, etc.)
Use alternative transportation (ride bus, bike, carpool)

Q7. Please indicate the degree of importance you place on the following sustainability issues:
Very Important Important Neutral Not Important Not Very Important

Recycling
Minimization of waste being sent to the landfill
Choosing food based on its environmental impact
Water conservation
Purchasing environmentally friendly consumer products
Energy conservation
Livable wages
Minimizing carbon emissions from transportation

Q8. Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of economic sustainability?
❑ Maximizing the share price of a company’s stock
❑ Long-term profitability
❑ When costs equal revenue
❑ Continually expanding market share
❑ I do not know

Q9. Corporate social responsibility implies a commitment to the three key components of sustainability, which include:
❑Three forms of financial reporting
❑Ecological, social and financial performance
❑Offering health, dental and vision care to employees
❑Incorporating community and government representatives on the board of directors
❑I do not know

Q10. What best describes systems thinking?
❑ It is computational
❑ It is one-sided
❑ It is interdisciplinary
❑ jIt is mechanical
❑ I do not know

Q11: Workers around the world face a variety of social injustices, including low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of access to education. To help improve conditions for these workers you can:
❑Support corporations that do not allow workers to join labor unions.
❑Buy the newest products to keep factories around the world open.
❑Purchase items from companies that conduct business in a socially responsible way.
❑Support large corporations because they generally have more money to pay workers.
❑I do not know

Q13. Which of the following is the United Nations’ definition of sustainable development?
❑Ensuring that people continue to buy more goods and use more resources,
indefinitely
❑Setting aside resources for preservation, never to be used
❑Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
❑Only using recycled materials for production
 I do not know

Q14. A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from cradle to grave (resource extraction through usage and disposal), is called:
❑An annual product review
❑ A life cycle assessment
❑ An energy audit
❑ A thermal system analysis
❑do not know

Q15.What is meant by the term "carbon footprint"?
❑It refers to the chemical structure of the carbon chain in a given quantity of gasoline
❑The carbon left on the ground each time you take a step
❑It refers to the greenhouse gasses released by burning fossil fuels
❑do not know

Q16. Americans account for about 5 percent of the world's population and….
❑ More than 50% of the world's energy consumption
❑ Between 10 - 49% of the world's energy consumption
❑ 9% or less of the world’s energy consumption
❑ I do not know

Q17. Which of the following is an example of sustainable forest management?
❑Relocating human populations so that a forest can be harvested
❑Never harvesting more than what the forest produces in new growth
❑Growing forests of only one species of tree
❑Removing regulations to open up more forests for logging
❑I do not know

Q18. Which of the following is an effect of global climate change?
❑ Loss of habitat
❑ Decrease in sea level
❑ Fewer severe weather events
❑ Colder average temperatures in the ocean
❑ I do not know

Q19. What is an ecological service provided by rivers?
❑ Provides fertile location for growing non-native species
❑ Helps maintain fisheries
❑ Provides a natural dumping ground for sewage and industry discharge
❑ Keeps the number of mosquitoes low
❑ I do not know

Q20. What is the source of our drinking water here at Fresno State University?
❑Kings River
❑ San Joaquin River
❑Central Valley Aquifer
❑ Clovis Irrigation District
❑ I do not know

Q21. Was Fresno State’s commitment to sustainability a reason you chose to come here?
❑ Yes
❑ No
❑ I do not know

Q22. How many times have you taken classes at Fresno State that either explicitly focus on
sustainability or touch on sustainability-related topics?
❑ Never
❑ Once
❑ A few times
❑ More than five
❑ I do not know

Q23. Where do you think we can improve sustainability practices? (check all that apply)
❑ Alternative Transportation
❑ Reducing land-fill waste
❑ Food options and campus dining
❑ Reducing energy use
❑ I do not know

Q25. From the following list please indicate what or who has influenced your awareness and understanding of sustainability (0 = no influence) (4 = a great deal of influence).
no influence great deal of influence

High school teachers/courses 0 1 2 3 4
Parents/family 0 1 2 3 4
Peers 0 1 2 3 4
On Campus Activism 0 1 2 3 4
Off Campus Activism 0 1 2 3 4
College Instructors/courses 0 1 2 3 4
Initiatives around campus (recycling efforts, etc.) 0 1 2 3 4
Media 0 1 2 3 4

Q24. My understanding and awareness of sustainability related issues has increased since I have become a student at Fresno State.
❑ Strongly Agree
❑Agree
❑ Neutral
❑ Disagree
❑ Strongly Disagree

Q26. I find it easy to find data/information about our sustainability-related practices and policies here at Fresno State.
STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, NEUTRAL, DISAGREE, STRONGLY DISAGREE

Q27. I would prefer more sustainability-related content in my courses.
❑ Strongly Agree
❑Agree
❑ Neutral
❑ Disagree
❑ Strongly Disagree

Q28. I think that universities should be sustainability role models in their daily operations (for example, water and energy conservation, exemplary recycling program, environmental and social issues awareness).
❑ Strongly Agree
❑ Agree
❑ Neutral
❑ Disagree
❑Strongly Disagree

Q29. I feel that Fresno State is doing a good job of modeling sustainability in its daily operations (for example, water and energy conservation, exemplary recycling program, environmental and social related issues awareness).
❑ Strongly Agree
❑ Agree
❑ Neutral
❑ Disagree
❑Strongly Disagree

30. If you have any questions or comments related to sustainability or this survey, please
provide it in the space below:

Right now, we're focusing more on engaging students with the survey, more than getting a campus-wide sense of literacy and culture, since the students are our main mission. Representative sampling of students has yet to be reached, but will be assessed using participation results once the semester ends, compared with the statistical demographics of our student body.

Currently, students identify sustainability as being important and would like more sustainability academic programming and visible culture on campus.