Central New Mexico Community College
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

2019 UPDATE: QUESTIONS students are directed to answer during NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION are found in the file above and also via this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=awcO9aWG80WHsD9NDsXpTj8YmS5eSDBKnUhsUT7YDzhUNldIWDhHQUVYUFpNQU4wWEJOR05QUEtCNS4u

FOR RECYCLEMANIA (2016-2018)
RECYCLEMANIA STUDENT ASSESSMENT
1) Do you agree to the above terms? By clicking Yes, you consent that you are willing to answer the
questions in this survey.

2) Which * best describes you?
CNM student Not a CNM student

3) Please check all of the following that describe why you are participating in Recyclemania:
Student: Extra Credit
Student: Service Learning
Student: Sustainability Certification
Student: Interest
Non-Student: Interest
Other (please specify)

4) When are pizza boxes not recyclable?
When there is grease on the cardboard.
When the food inside has not been removed.
When they are wet.
All of the above.

5) Which two of the following are not acceptable in CNM's recycling bins?
Aluminum cans
Cardboard
Glass bottles
Paper
Plastic bags

6) A plastic bottle is not recyclable when:
It is crushed.
The cap is removed.
It contains liquids or trash.

7) Which of the following is false?
Albuquerque's water supply comes from treated river water and groundwater from the aquifer.
In Albuquerque's single-stream recycling, Styrofoam food containers are bin-appropriate items.
In Albuquerque's single-stream recycling, tin cans that have been rinsed out are bin-appropriate items.
Putting plastic bottles that contain liquid or trash into a recycling bin can cause the entire bin's contents to be sent to landfill.
Albuquerque's storm water runoff, which drains into the Rio Grande, is not treated to remove pollutants.

8) Which best describes sustainability?
Meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
Advancing the political and economic interests of the nation as a competitive global leader without violating human rights
Maintaining principles of democracy, majority rule, and representative leadership without sacrificing individual rights and liberties
Protecting the environment for the sake of wildlife even when doing so interferes with business and recreational interests.

9.) If you would like us to send you a link to our post-assessment and give you the answers to the
questions at the end of Recyclemania, please provide your email address.

WATER IN THE DESERT student assessment

1) Which * best describes you?
New to CNM this year
Have attended CNM for over a year
Not a CNM student

2.) River, stream, and wetlands restoration activities in New Mexico. . . (Check all that apply.)
Are important to me because they ensure clean water for me to drink.
Are important to me because they maintain communities.
Are important to me because they provide me with recreation opportunities.
Are important to me because they sustain the plants and animals of our state.
Are not important to me.

3) Albuquerque's water supply comes from two different sources. What are they?
Captured rainwater and groundwater from the aquifer
Recycled wastewater and irrigation ditches
Treated river water and groundwater from the aquifer
Streams in the Sandias and stormwater runoff
4.) Which percentage of the average American's water usage comes from toilets, taps, and garden hoses at
home?
5%
25%
50%
75%

5.) Complete the following sentence: Bottled water . . .
a) stresses our regional “drinking” water sources (tap) water, because some of it comes from municipal sources in the Colorado
River Basin.
b) mostly comes from pristine sources, such as freshwater springs, so aside from the plastic waste it generates, it is a better
option than tap-water.
c) is regulated by the FDA, rather than the EPA (which regulates our tap-water), and so therefore may not be purified to the same
strict standards.
d) is sometimes contaminated by the plastic of the bottle itself, because plastics break down in the presence of heat and sunlight,
thus possibly leaching toxic chemicals.
e) a, c and d are all correct.

6.) Which of the following does NOT commonly pollute Storm Water run off?
Dog feces
Lawn fertilizer
Car oil
Waste chemicals from manufacturing plants

7) Which do you think best describes sustainability?
Meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
Advancing the political and economic interests of the nation as a competitive global leader without violating human rights
Maintaining principles of democracy, majority rule, and representative leadership without sacrificing individual rights and liberties
Protecting the environment for the sake of wildlife even when doing so interferes with business and recreational interests.

8.) Which of the following do you think are personal practices that support sustainability? (Select all that
apply.)
Purchasing locally grown foods
Reusing disposable items (scratch paper, boxes, paper and plastic bags, plastic utensils, etc.)
Keeping indoor temperature settings close to outdoor temperatures and dressing accordingly
Using styrofoam food containers (cups, plates, carry-out boxes, etc.) instead of disposable paper containers

There have been several sustainability literacy assessments given during educational outreach seminars/events between 2016-2018 (see RecycleMania and Water in the Desert below). However, whether or not assessments occur during these events depends on how the sustainability curriculum committee chair decides to implement various programs, so the assessments are not static and don't necessarily provide data on how to move forward with operations at the college. Therefore, the CNM Sustainability Project Manager (Molly Blumhoefer) saw a need for a permanent and frequently administered Sustainability Literacy Assessment, especially considering the changes to the global recycling market. This assessment is meant to gather baseline data of entering students. A subsequent assessment will be developed for students who have been on the campus for at least one semester. The newest sustainability assessment that is administered during NSO (link above) was adopted in spring semester 2019.

RECYCLEMANIA:
The questions were developed by the participating faculty members, whom each had their own topics for individual weeks of 8 week program. For example, Recyclemania included the 3 R's and other topics such as upcycling.

Water in the Desert included policy, pollution and conservation, etc. The questions related directly to the program kick-off education expos, weekly topics, activities and films.

In the spring of 2019, this assessment was developed by Molly and the organizer of New Student Orientation (NSO, Jackie Walker) agreed to encourage students to take the literary assessment during NSO starting Summer 2019, by visiting the Sustainability Home Page (where a link to the assessment exists). Students go online with their smartphones, or after the NSO session to take the assessment.

Historical:
Ursula Waln, Senior Director of Outcomes and Assessment at CNM took part in both the kick off and ending education expos for programs. She and her student-employees had a "sign-in" station set-up with iPads where the assessment was up before students could move forth through the expo. The same scenario was set-up for the final expo at the end of the 8 week programs.

2019 NSO Literary Assessment:
As of June 2019, there are nearly 700 respondents. Over Summer and Fall 2019 Molly will look to the results for areas of improvement in sustainability educational outreach programs and develop/advise on these programs accordingly. After new programs have been developed, the baseline results will be pulled and a new literary assessment will be administered to students who have been attending CNM for at least one semester. CURRENT MEASURABLE changes are seen in questions 3 and 4. When there were below 200 respondents only a small percentage (approximately 10%) of students believed that containers containing foods/liquids could be recycled; this percentage is now almost 30% !!! In question 4, the number of students who believes that cardboard is NOT recyclable has also significantly increased.

2019
Molly Blumhoefer is working with NSO's Jacquelyn Walker.

Historical:
Water in the Desert Project The Water in the Desert Project was offered as an 8-week education series in the Fall term of 2016. The project was designed to meet the committee's strategic directions 1 and 2. The project members included Carson Bennett, Molly Blumhoefer, Luis Campos, Anna Fedele, Heather Fitzgerald, Steve Glass, Monique Lacoste, Sandi Rourke, Sue Small, Ursula Waln, and Asa Stone. The project concluded in November 2016 with 32 certificate students, over 300 participating students, and over a dozen participating instructors. Ursula's analysis revealed that the project was successful at improving participants knowledge about water resources issues. See the project website for details (https://www.cnm.edu/about/sustainability/water-in-the-desert-project).

RecycleMania Project: Recyclemania was an 8 week experiential learning project offered in spring 2016, beginning the week of February 7. It was designed to meet the Committee’s strategic direction 1. The project was led by the following faculty, staff, and students: Luis Campos, Anthony Rael, Lupe Fuentes, Ursula Waln, Sandi Rourke, Katrina Taylor, Monique Lactose, Sue Ruth, Asa Stone, the USGBC student organization and Molly Blumhoefer. It included a national recycling competition (CNM placed 31 out of 198), Adopt-A-Bin Contest, Service Learning, and a variety of campus-wide educational events. 79 students participated in the first week’s assessment of knowledge on recycling.

History:
A total of 84 students were assessed during the 2015 Recyclemania program.
A total of 79 students were assessed during the 2016 Recyclemania program.
A total of 300 students were assessed during the 2016 Water in the Desert program.
A total of (?) students were assessed during 2017-2018