Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 53.57
Liaison Noah Upchurch
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Catawba College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Noah Upchurch
Senior Sustainability Specialist
Center for the Environment
"---" 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::
The entire campus community (students and employees) directly or by representative sample

Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Longitudinally to measure change over time

A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
Catawba College has developed its own sustainability culture and literacy assessment. The assessment was developed by the staff of the Center for the Environment. Questions for this section of the assessment were designed to allow students, faculty, and staff to reflect upon the current attitudes, physical structures, programming, and curriculum in relation to sustainability at the College. This current culture portion of the assessment was finalized in early February of 2023 and was developed from previous student-organized sustainability culture assessments.

A copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture:
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A sample of the questions related to sustainability culture or the website URL where the assessment tool is available:
Culture Assessment Questions:
1. At Catawba College, sustainability is plainly visible in first impressions of campus. 
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
2. Sustainability accomplishments are a source of pride for me as a member of the Catawba College community.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
3. At Catawba College, student/employee orientation includes information about sustainability and how to live a sustainable life as a campus community member.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
4. At Catawba College, sufficient opportunities exist to integrate sustainability into my life.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
5. Catawba College integrates the Fred Stanback, Jr. Ecological Preserve well into student learning and educational opportunities.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
6. I feel confident that I am living a sustainable lifestyle.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
7. My actions can make a difference in the future and present state of our planet.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
8. Catawba College communicates well about the impact of our renewable energy systems.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
9. Catawba College has effective recycling and waste management programs. 
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
10. Catawba College is a leader in sustainability.
True
False
11. What must Catawba College do to become the leading environmental small college in the southeast?
(Open Short Response)

A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The assessment was first offered to all faculty, staff, and students through the All-Catawba distribution list on 2/21/2023, and remained open until 2/25/2023. Participants were entered into a $50 gift card giveaway.

Since the assessment is a dual literacy-culture tool, the culture assessment will be conducted alongside the annual sustainability literacy assessment, which is currently set for post-assessment on 2/21/2024.

Identifying a Representative Sample:

Respondents were first asked to identify themselves as an employee or student at the College. Students completed the culture section of the Assessment. Student majors and employee departments among respondents were recorded to ensure a representative sample. Of the 237 total respondents, 156 were students and 81 were employees. A summary of student majors and employee departments is attached, along with summary results from the culture assessment.

A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Please see the attached file.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
Culture_Assessment_Responses_Feb_2023_2.pdf

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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