| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 34.83 |
| Liaison | Katie Wall |
| Submission Date | March 24, 2022 |
Lees-McRae College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Taylor
Barry Director Institutional Research |
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:
Lees-McRae's Sustainability Survey was developed through the Office of Institutional Research by an internal campus committe comprising of faculty, staff, and a student STARS representative. The committee reviewed similar surveys, primarily Appalachian State University's, and compiled the survey to best fit our campus needs. The survey was administered to the entire campus community in November 2021, which follows our campus Sustainability Month. Moving forward, the survey will be administered at this time annually.
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 brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
An email was sent to the entire on-campus community (student body, faculty, and staff) requesting their participation in the Sustainability Survey. The email is sent through College Communications, and faculty encouraged students to take the survey in their classes during survey administration.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
1. 58% of survey respondents were students.
2. 70% of student respondents were in their first year at Lees-McRae.
3. 67% of student respondents live on campus and have a vehicle.
4. 78% of students who commute to campus commute 0-10 miles each way per day.
5. 100% of employee respondents commute to campus, with 67% commuting more than 10 miles each way per day.
6. 35% of student respondents and 60% of employee respondents move their car at least once per day.
7. When asked what would help students reduce the number of times they moved their car on campus in a given day, 32% of responses were related to more food options on campus, 16% to places to work/wait on campus, and another 16% to safety (parking/lighting).
8. 40% of employees do not move their car once they are on campus.
9. 36% of student respondents noted that better bike storage, locks, etc., on campus would increase their ability to leave their car parked, while 28% noted they already walk/bike/scooter around campus.
10. 45% of employees already use walk as their mode of transportation around campus.
11. 78% of student and 55% of employee respondents, respectively, reported that Lees-McRae’s mountain location influenced their decision to attend and work here.
12. 68% of survey respondents describe Lees-McRae’s sustainability reputation as either average or somewhat sustainable.
13. 33% of survey respondents believe the College is performing well or making valuable progress regarding our wildlife and nature preservation.
14. When asked what Lees-McRae could do to achieve better sustainability on campus, 27% commented on improving recycling efforts, while 18% noted a need for increased sustainability education across campus.
15. 54% of student respondents reported the topic of sustainability being mentioned in their classes.
16. 48% of student respondents said they have not been intention about taking sustainability-themed courses, but 24% said they plan to be.
17. Of the employee respondents that teach, 70% said they discuss sustainability in their courses.
18. When asked what sustainability meant to them, 25% of respondents referenced the word environment.
19. 42% of respondents stated that they are personally very interested in sustainability.
20. 66% of respondents believe it is important for our campus community to be sustainable.
21. 68% of respondents reported actively practicing sustainability in our campus community, while 14% reported that they feel as though the campus does not often lend them the opportunity to act sustainably.
22. Top three areas in which respondents make conscious, pro-environmental choices:
a. The way they use electrical appliances
b. The way they use their water
c. Their waste reduction
23. Top two ways in which respondents would be willing to contribute to campus sustainability practices:
a. Change decision-making behaviors
b. Change personal behaviors
24. The top three motivators for survey respondents to be personally involved in sustainability-oriented behaviors include:
a. Other species have the right to a healthy planet
b. Future generations have the right to a healthy planet
c. It is necessary to save our planet
25. 60% of survey respondents believe global climate change will be a major problem for them personally, while 82% believe it will be a major problem for other people on the planet.
26. Survey respondents ranked the following top five areas as the most important for enabling a sustainable future:
a. Ensuring access to safe water
b. Ending hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture
c. Sustainably managing land and halting biodiversity loss
d. {tie} Promoting health and well-being; Providing affordable and sustainable energy; Conserving, sustaining, and using marine resources
e. Ensuring inclusive and quality education
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.