| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.18 |
| Liaison | Chris Adam |
| Submission Date | Dec. 30, 2024 |
Dawson College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Chris
Adam Coordinator Sustainability Office |
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:
A questionnaire was developed for both sustainability culture and literacy using samples from other institutions and then modifying questions to meet Dawson-specifc themes. The number of surveys implemented by the Quality Assurance & Planning Office at the college required us to put 10 literacy questions with the sustainability culture questions if we wanted to survey both staff and students. A pilot survey was created and tested for content comprehension and again for IT requirements. Students and staff were not identified with their response. Five climate-related questions were also added as part of a Canada-wide survey on climate action knowledge and shared with CICan in Ottawa. The survey went live on November 6, 2022 and then the same questions were given in April of 2023. Over 4,510 students completed the first survey and 2,300 students completed the second survey. 236 staff completed the survey for the first section but were not asked for the second survey as many of the questions were geared to students being aware of activities within the college that were not directed towards teachers. Teacher responses did give us an important idea of what they were aware of.
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:
8. Please indicate the extent of your agreement with the following statement: 'I think of the natural world as a community to which I belong.
a. Strongly Disagree
b. Disagree
c. Neutral
d. Agree
e. Strongly Agree
9. Are you aware of Dawson’s core value of well-being for all?
a. Yes
b. No
10. Please indicate the extent of your agreement with the following statement:
“Well-being for all should have a stronger presence in Dawson’s mission.”
a. Strongly Disagree
b. Disagree
c. Neutral
d. Agree
e. Strongly Agree
11. Chose all the answers that apply to the following statement. I feel the Dawson outdoors grounds should:
a. Stay the way they currently are
b. Have more eco-zones and trees
c. Have more vegetable and flower gardens
d. Have more recreation opportunities (e.g. trails, exercise equipment, swings, etc.)
e. Less garden and ecozone space
12. Please rate the extent to which you do the following (1- never, 5- always)
•I seek out opportunities to learn about sustainability
•I know how to separate my waste and do it correctly
•I look for locally grown, organic, or Fairtrade food when shopping
•I reduce my consumption by choosing reusable items over single-use
•I prefer buying from brands that support community development and sustainability, even if it’s a little more expensive
•I choose sustainable methods of transportation (i.e., transit, carpool, bike) over single-occupancy vehicles
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
Dawson has approximately 8,000 students, and as such a participation rate of 4,336 for V1 and 3,999 for V2 was representative of the student population.
The college has 1,100 full-time and part time staff and 236 staff completed the survey, just under a representative sample.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
- Students and staff identify environmental issues as a very high concern and would like to see more natural landscaping on the city block.
- Students identify stress issues as a high concern.
- 70% of students are interested in sustainability related learning and activities, but are not aware of what is available on campus.
- Because of the high turnover of students in pre-university programs (two years) and trade programs (3 years); only about a third of students are aware of the many sustainability initiatives on campus.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Federation of Colleges of Quebec did an extensive survey of sustainability culture and programs in colleges and sent individual reports out to each college in the province. See attached file above.
Sustainability Culture Survey: Several questions had IT technical issues that were corrected in the second version (e.g. an option on a multiple choice was not visible, some wording edits were made for clarity).
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.