| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74.46 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | Oct. 9, 2024 |
Emory University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Cyrus
Bhedwar Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
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:
Faculty from Sociology, Nursing, and Anthropology met in May, 2014, to develop a brief sustainability literacy survey for Emory undergraduate students. Additional faculty in Sociology/Oxford, Biology/Oxford, Japanese, and Public Health supported the efforts. The goal was to develop a pilot survey, to test whether we can get meaningful results, using the research generated by Drs. Karen Hegtvedt and Cathy Johnson on the sustainability-themed residence hall over the last decade. The 2014 pilot initial and follow-up surveys provided meaningful results, so starting in 2015, faculty slightly revised the survey to ask more current questions. In 2016, the faculty added a new section to meet the criteria for both sustainability literacy and cultural assessments, and in 2018 additional faculty convened to revise the survey to be inclusive of employees.
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:
A faculty committee developed an instrument that we hope can be completed in 10 minutes, focused on 4 areas of information: a. knowledge of areas of sustainability behavior change that are relevant to student lives; b. knowledge of Emory’s topical sustainability initiatives; c. sustainability identity and students’ commitments as persons who care about sustainability (to assess shift over their time at Emory); d. and knowledge of sustainability topics and challenges. The actual survey questions are attached. Emory uses a single assessment for both literacy and culture.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
An online survey was distributed to all faculty, staff, and students of Emory University and Emory Healthcare in March 2024 to assess 2023 sustainability literacy and culture. This was the fourth assessment of employees, but a survey of students has been conducted annually since 2014. The combined literacy and culture survey will continue will be administered each year to the entire campus and healthcare communities to assess change over time. In this way, the entire student, faculty, and staff bodies are surveyed and followed up with. To enhance participation, we offer a raffle for three $100 gift cards.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
When asked “Q3 During the last calendar year, how often did you act in the following ways?” for the following behaviors, respondents answered “Usually” or “Always” at the percentage indicated:
1. Reduce energy use (use natural lighting, turn off lights when leaving a room, turn off electronics when not in use). (87.6%)
2. Conserve water (minimize water use while washing dishes/hands or brushing teeth, take shorter showers). (62.5%)
3. Act to reduce waste (carry a reusable shopping bag, decline single-use bags/utensils/straws, take a reusable to-go container). (36.6%)
4. Choose a sustainable commute (carpool, walk, ride a bike, take public transit). (58.6%)
5. Minimize or avoid unnecessary air travel. (38%)
6. Eat less meat, follow a plant-based diet, or choose sustainably produced food (e.g. organic/local/Fair Trade). (21.2%)
7. Go into Emory's forests or greenspaces for restorative time or recreation.
8. Engage in an activity because of its sustainability-related focus (take a course, create a course, attend a training or event). (14.2%)
9. Conserve paper (take fewer paper towels, print less often, use recycled paper, print double-sided, use digital documentation). (67.5%)
10. Avoid purchasing bottled water by consuming water from bulk sources, a refillable bottle, or the tap. (79.1%)
11. Carefully sort waste into appropriate blue recycle and green compost bins, rather than dumping all waste together into one bin. (82.9%)
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Survey was conducted in March 2024 for responses related to experiences in 2023.
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.