| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.81 |
| Liaison | Austin Eriksson |
| Submission Date | Nov. 29, 2021 |
California State University, Northridge
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Sarah
Johnson Sustainability Program Analyst Institute for Sustainability |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
In September 2021, a survey was administered based on an initial 2018 survey conducted for our previous STARS Report. The survey included over twenty concept or demographic questions that were developed to assess awareness, behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes about CSUN’s sustainability initiatives and climate change, generally based on the following categories:
1. Familiarity with the concept of sustainability
2. Awareness of CSUN’s sustainability efforts
3. Willingness to engage in and/or actual participation in CSUN’s sustainability efforts
4. Beliefs about personal responsibility
5. Attitudes about and support for CSUN’s sustainability initiatives
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.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
N/A
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Preliminary results suggest that our campus community is generally concerned about environmental (e.g., pollution, climate change) and social (e.g., social justice, public health) issues. Respondents expressed more concern for environmental issues than for social and financial (e.g., prosperity, employment) issues related to sustainability.
However, general awareness and participation of campus sustainability initiatives could be improved in certain areas. For example, awareness of Waste Diversion efforts (94%), Energy Efficiency Strategies (74%), Health and Wellness programs (76%), and Sustainability Events (88%) were relatively high compared to awareness of operational programs such as those involving Purchasing (50%), Planning (45%), and Grounds (57%).
Roughly 20% of respondents agree they are not well informed about sustainability initiatives on campus, with the majority (75%) indicating that they would like to learn more.
One important statistic to note was that just over 70% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their knowledge of environmental issues has increased due to events, activities, courses, and/or signs posted on campus.
When asked about how to participate in on-campus sustainable actions (report energy issues, recycling, reuse, health and wellness) a majority (52%) of students agreed that they knew how.
When asked about environmental issues in general and how they might play a role in the overall sustainability movement, CSUN students agreed that the environment is important and is affected by their choices.
When ask if environmental issues affect their lives, 91% of our students agreed or strongly agreed. When asked if they have a personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental and social issues, they strongly agreed or agreed (95%).
Additional analyses are still being conducted, and a planned follow-up survey will be conducted to compare results over time. The results will help to guide and inform the goals and measures of campus sustainability planning and initiatives.
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.