| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.56 |
| Liaison | Georgeann Moss |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2021 |
Dallas College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 1.00 |
Brandon
Morton Assistant Director of Sustainability Office of Social Responsibility and Inclusion |
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:
The Dallas College North Lake Campus conducted a faculty and staff survey to evaluate beliefs and priorities in areas of sustainability and resilience. The survey that was developed asked respondents to define sustainability and resilience, and prioritize topic areas for education themes and activities for learning and teaching. The assessment survey was developed by the Sustainable Blazers Committee and included overarching guidelines from Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitment, AASHE-STARS, and Cities Resilience Index.
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:
The survey was eight questions:
(1) What is your role at North Lake College? (please check all that apply)
Student
Faculty
Staff
Administrator
Other________
(2) How should sustainability be defined by North Lake College?
Something the Sustainability Coordinator does
Something North Lake employees do
Economy, Environment, and Society
Meeting our needs for today and needs of future generations
Other ___________
(3) What specific sustainability topics or issues would you like to learn more about? (please check all that apply)
Air Pollution
Biodiversity on Campus
Carbon Footprint
Diversity and Equity
Economic Development
Electric Vehicles
Environmental Justice
Food
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Green Building
Green Purchasing or Shopping
Health and Wellness
Poverty
Recycling
Renewable Energy
Social Justice
Tree Conservation
Water Harvesting and Efficiency
Other
(4) What type of activity or event would you most likely attend if North Lake College hosted to focus on specific sustainability topics or issues? (please check all that apply)
Community or Campus Bicycle Ride
Discussion Topics Roundtable on Global Poverty
Discussion Topics Roundtable on Urban Ecology
Discussion Topics Roundtable on Economic Development
Book Club or Discussion Group with a Selected Reading
Guest Speaker from a Company or Community organization
Gardening at Home Workshop
How to Plan and Install Solar Panels on Your Home
Monthly Newsletter about Campus and Community Efforts
Overview of Existing Resources for Faculty and Staff
Recycling and Composting Workshop
Tree Identification and Appreciation Workshop
Webinar Online
Other
(5) How do you define resilience?
Something the Sustainability Coordinator does
Something Employees do
Something Students do
Grit and toughness to withstand life's challenges
Ability of a community or organization to prepare for, withstand, and respond to adverse situation or natural disasters
Other
(6) What specific resilience topics or issues are you most concerned about? (please check five)
Air Quality
Cellular Communications and Broadband Accessibility
Civic Engagement
Community Leadership
Community Planning
Drought and Flooding
Earthquakes in Texas
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Shelters
Electricity Reliability and Power Supply
Farming and Forestry
Food Supply
Health Care
Housing
Invasive Species
Natural Areas that are Sensitive to Human Impact in Texas
Rivers and Lakes, Water Quality
Self-Sufficiency and Survival Preparation
Stormwater and Rainwater Management
Transportation and Traffic Planning
Terrorism
Water Supply
Other
(7) What type of activity or event could North Lake College host to focus on specific resilience topics or issues? (please check all that apply)
Community Stakeholder Roundtable on Flooding and Natural Disaster Preparedness
Guest Speaker from a Company or Community Organization
Monthly Newsletter about Campus and Community Efforts
How to Plan for Emergencies at Home Workshop
How to Plan for Emergencies on Campus Workshop
How to Plan and Install a Rainwater Harvesting System at Home
Discussion Roundtable on Health and Wellness
Discussion Roundtable on Public Health and the Environment
Discussion Roundtable Differences and Similarities of Sustainability and Resilience
Overview of existing resources for Employees and Students
Other
(8) Would you like to recommend resources that could be included in North Lake College's online resources for employees and students?
No thank you, but I look forward to learning what others recommend
Book(s) to recommend to others
Film(s) to recommend to others
Magazine(s) to recommend to others
Professional Organization(s) to recommend to others
Web Site(s) to recommend to others
Other
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey encouraged broad participation and was supported by the campus marketing and public information department for distribution.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
There were 130 responses: 15% students, 33% faculty, 46% staff, and 6% administrators. The questions focused on asking employees to prioritize their learning interests which can help to describe values and beliefs around sustainability goals for the campus.
- 74% of respondents defined sustainability as "meeting our needs today and needs for future generations.
- 76% defined resilience as “ability of a community or organization to prepare for, withstand, and respond to adverse situations or natural disasters”
- Top 5 sustainability topics of interest in order of priority:
o (1) Health and Wellness
o (2) Renewable Energy
o (3) Food
o (4) Water Conservation
o (5) Recycling
- Top 5 sustainability activities to host on campus in order of priority:
o (1) Gardening Workshop
o (2) Residential Solar Workshop
o (3) Recycling and Composting Workshop
o (4) Guest Speaker Presentation
o (5) Review Existing Resources for Employees Workshop
Top 5 resilience topics of interest in order of priority:
o (1) Emergency Preparedness
o (2) Water Quality
o (3) Health Care
o (4) Food Supply
o (5) Drought and Flooding
Top 5 resilience activities to host on campus in order of priority:
o (1) Emergency Planning on Campus Workshop
o (2) Emergency Planning for Home Workshop
o (3) Rainwater Harvesting and Storage Workshop
o (4) Roundtable Discussion on Public Health
and the Environment
o (5) Guest Speaker Presentation
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.