| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.96 |
| Liaison | Audrey McSain |
| Submission Date | Feb. 16, 2022 |
Lehigh University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Katharine
Targett Gross Sustainability Officer Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Yes
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
The entire campus community (students and employees) directly or by representative sample
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Longitudinally to measure change over time
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
Staff from the Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Lehigh Sustainability Council as well as the Office of Institutional Research created questions to assess the knowledge, behavior, awareness of students, faculty, and staff. The survey was sent to faculty, staff, and students in Fall 2021.
All participants (faculty, staff, and students) received a set of general sustainability culture survey items via a survey sent by email. They were then were randomly assigned to complete either additional culture items or commuter items. Respondents had the option to elect to also complete whichever block they were not originally assigned to.
All participants (faculty, staff, and students) received a set of general sustainability culture survey items via a survey sent by email. They were then were randomly assigned to complete either additional culture items or commuter items. Respondents had the option to elect to also complete whichever block they were not originally assigned to.
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:
See the above attachment for the questions.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
Through a survey sent out by the Office of Institutional Research through Lehigh email in Fall 2021. A follow up survey will be done in Fall 2022 (one year after the last one).
All participants (faculty, staff, and students) received a set of general sustainability culture survey items via a survey sent by email. They were then were randomly assigned to complete either additional culture items or commuter items. Respondents had the option to elect to also complete whichever blcok they were not originally assigned to.
All participants (faculty, staff, and students) received a set of general sustainability culture survey items via a survey sent by email. They were then were randomly assigned to complete either additional culture items or commuter items. Respondents had the option to elect to also complete whichever blcok they were not originally assigned to.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Below are a few key results from the cultural assessment:
66% of respondents felt that sustainability topics should be more integrated into course content.
97% of respondents felt that if they were made aware of more sustainable alternatives to office products, they would be more willing to purchase them.
The most commonly recycled items on Lehigh's campus are paper (88%) and plastic bottles (86%).
65% of respondents would like to see composting of food waste and/or expanding food donation expanded at Lehigh.
The majority of student respondents said they were not aware of who their Eco-Rep is and have not attended an Eco-Rep event in the last year.
By far email (91%) is the most effective way of communicating Lehigh activities and events.
47% of respondents either have not read or heard about Lehigh's Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030, but 54% are aware of Lehigh's Sustainable Purchasing Policy.
66% of respondents felt that sustainability topics should be more integrated into course content.
97% of respondents felt that if they were made aware of more sustainable alternatives to office products, they would be more willing to purchase them.
The most commonly recycled items on Lehigh's campus are paper (88%) and plastic bottles (86%).
65% of respondents would like to see composting of food waste and/or expanding food donation expanded at Lehigh.
The majority of student respondents said they were not aware of who their Eco-Rep is and have not attended an Eco-Rep event in the last year.
By far email (91%) is the most effective way of communicating Lehigh activities and events.
47% of respondents either have not read or heard about Lehigh's Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030, but 54% are aware of Lehigh's Sustainable Purchasing Policy.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The survey content and responses themselves were not impacted by COVID-19 and is therefore representative of a normal year.
We were planning to do a sustainability culture assessment in Spring 2021 so it would fit without our standard reporting period. Due to COVID-19, this survey was delayed until Fall 2021 and hence why it is just outside our normal reporting period.
We were planning to do a sustainability culture assessment in Spring 2021 so it would fit without our standard reporting period. Due to COVID-19, this survey was delayed until Fall 2021 and hence why it is just outside our normal reporting period.
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.