Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.96
Liaison Tracey Coronado
Submission Date March 15, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Missouri State University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 1.00 Doug Neidigh
Sustainability Coordinator
Environmental Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture (i.e. the assessment focuses on sustainability values, behaviors and beliefs, and may also address awareness of campus sustainability initiatives)?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
The entire campus community (students, staff and faculty), directly or by representative sample

Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
Without a follow-up assessment of the same cohort or representative samples of the same population

A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:

The culture assessment was modeled on the Sustainability Cultural Indicators Project (SCIP) created by the University of Michigan, which was suggested by AASHE as an example of an effective sustainability culture assessment. The SCIP can be found here: http://graham.umich.edu/campus/scip/materials

During fall 2016 and spring 2017, we adjusted the questions to fit our campus, removed some of the items, and also added a few of our own. We ended up with two surveys, one for students comprised of 46 questions and one for employees comprised of 34 questions.


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:
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A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:

The survey was hosted on survey monkey.

During the spring of 2017, students were informed of the survey at the dining halls on campus. Dining Services provided candy bars as an incentive to students who complete the survey. Students were able to access the survey via survey monkey, which took them to the consent form, followed by the survey questions. During this same time, students also received a link to the survey via email through the Student Government Association newsletter, which is distributed to the entire student body. Transfer students also received the survey link via email from the Transfer Student Program Office.

During the summer of 2017, employees received information about the survey several times via email in our weekly employee newsletter (Inside Missouri State). If they wanted to participate they were able to click the survey monkey link that took them to the consent form, followed by the survey questions.


A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:

A representative sample of Missouri State students (N = 321) completed the questionnaire, as well as 343 faculty and staff members. Frequencies of the responses were found to identify opinions, practices, and areas of improvement. Upon analysis, it was found that of the sustainable programs organized by the University (Flip the Switch, EcoPalooza, Eco-Reps Program, Green Room Certification, Campus Garden, Sustainability Fund, RecycleMania, and the ZipGrow Towers) students overwhelmingly had “never heard of this.” For each program, over 50% of the students surveyed were unaware of the programs offered; however, the campus garden proved to be an exception with high levels of awareness. Interestingly, 69.8% of students reported that they were somewhat or very committed to sustainability. Friends or classmates were the main influences on students’ views of sustainability. Based on the survey results, it is clear that more effective means of communication are needed in order to translate student commitment into action. Connecting with students through social groups such as fraternities and sororities, associations and clubs, could be an effective way of communicating sustainability on campus.

Similar to students, faculty and staff had not heard of many of the sustainability programs on campus. However, they reported being significantly more committed to sustainability; 90.41% answered they were very or somewhat committed. When faculty and staff were asked how likely they were to act in sustainable ways in the future, they reported being very unlikely to change their transportation habits, but far more likely that they will reduce waste, recycle, and take care of their home in a more environmentally friendly way. Students’ responses to these questions were more varied but overall reported a greater likeliness of change in all areas. Employees reported that they heard about sustainability on campus through emails, other MSU employees, and the MSU website. By including more action oriented and specific information about ways to be more sustainable in emails, faculty and staff will have the resources to enact change. Not only that. but they will be able to communicate sustainability to other employees.

By diversifying engagement tactics to best fit students, faculty and staff, the sustainable efforts already being practiced will receive more attention. With greater awareness of the topic of sustainability, more sustainability initiatives will hopefully ensue. From our Sustainability Culture Assessment, we have identified communication as the area in greatest need of improvement. With future assessments we will be able to analyze the changes in how Missouri State University students, faculty and staff think about and practice sustainability.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.