Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 57.31
Liaison Feng Teter
Submission Date Dec. 4, 2023

STARS v2.2

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

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 1.00 Beth Weinman
Associate Professor
Earth and Environmental Sciences
"---" 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:
As part of Fresno State's CUPR project, the Human Behavior Energy Audit was conducted in 2021 by NORESCO's Green Operations team to better understand sustainability behaviors and attitudes among students and staff/faculty. The HBEA consisted of two parts: focus groups discussions and web-surveys.

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:
Sample questions--

Please indicate your level of agreement for the statements below:
□ Strongly disagree □ Disagree □ Neutral □ Agree □ Strongly agree
1. Energy conservation is important here at Fresno State
2. Fresno State should conserve energy
3. I should help Fresno State conserve energy
4. It is my right to use as much energy as I want
5. Recycling is important here at Fresno State

Tell us about these behaviors while at school:
□ Never □ Seldom □ Half the time □ Often □ Always
1. When I leave unoccupied areas, I turn off the light(s)
2. When I am finished using my computer, I turn it off
3. When I am finished using my computer, I turn my monitor/display off
4. I turn off the water faucet when I am finished

Did you know that water is required to clean and keep equipment and machinery functioning properly?
□ Yes
□ No

Did you know that golf cart chargers stop charging (or shut down) when the battery is fully charged, even though it is still plugged in?
□ Yes
□ No

Tell us about your commute to campus
□ Never □ Seldom □ Half the time □ Often □ Always
1. I walk to campus
2. I ride my bicycle to campus
3. I ride public transit to campus
4. I drive an alternative-fueled/hybrid vehicle to campus
5. I drive my gas-powered vehicle to campus
6. I carpool/ride-share to campus

In an ideal world, how would you like to commute to campus?
□ Walk
□ Gas-powered vehicle
□ Alternative fuel/hybrid vehicle
□ Bike
□ Public transit
□ Carpool/ride-share
□ Other

Please check three future sustainability priorities for Fresno State
□ More solar power generation
□ Reclaim water for reuse on campus
□ Low water-intensity landscaping options
□ More efficient irrigation system
□ Low-flow water fixtures (toilets and sinks)
□ Electric equipment for custodial, facilities, and maintenance staff
□ More electric vehicle charging stations
□ Electrify the Fresno State vehicle fleet

A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The HBEA is an exploratory survey intended to get a general idea of campus conservation and sustainability culture. Representative sampling was not used in this project. A web survey was sent out via email to students and staff/faculty; some survey questions varied depending in whether the participant was student or staff. Focus group participants were selected by department in groups of 10, with a total of 22 focus groups.

A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
There is a significant interest in supporting sustainability at Fresno State and/or implementing sustainable practices in their personal lives, but there is some lack of awareness relating to the university's current sustainability efforts.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture 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.