| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.51 |
| Liaison | Karen Eckert, Ph.D. |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Principia College
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Karen
Eckert, Ph.D. Professor and Director Center for Sustainability |
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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::
Longitudinally to measure change over time
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
The survey was developed by the Center for Sustainability with support from the Principia College Student Senate and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. It was beta-tested by the Sustainability Club prior to its distribution campus-wide. The "pre" and "post" surveys were distributed in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
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 file upload.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey was developed by the Center for Sustainability with support from the college's Institutional Research Officer. It was beta-tested by the Sustainability Club prior to its distribution - by email - campus-wide.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:
The survey sought to measure student knowledge of core sustainability topics, and the results were heartening. We found a consistently high (83-89%) understanding of basic sustainability principles; e.g., 85% (2015) and 83% (2018) of respondents knew that “sustainable businesses operate on a principle often referred to as the Triple Bottom Line” and that “People, Planet, Profit” is often used to describe this multidisciplinary approach; 85% (2015) and 83% (2018) could characterize a multi-pronged approach for a Fortune 500 company seeking to implement a program of corporate social responsibility (CSR); 83% (2015) and 85% (2018) could characterize a multi-pronged approach for a community seeking to “most effectively promote an environmentally sustainable future"; and 85% (2015) and 89% (2018) thought that “persons seeking to promote a more sustainable future” should look for an indication of fair labor practices, ‘green’ certifications, use of renewable energy during manufacturing and transport, and community-based philanthropy.
97% knew that “the three components of sustainability—environmental protections and stewardship, social equity, and positive financial performance—become inseparable from each other when true sustainability is achieved."
89% (both years) chose “energy sources that are infinitely renewable and do not produce harmful emissions” over other choices (e.g., locally extracted and refined carbon-based fuels, fuels made from biological materials, etc.) when asked “Which of the following fuels do you consider to be the most sustainable over the long-term?”
Finally, 81% (2015) and 83% (2018) "strongly agreed" when asked, "It's important to me that Principia has a strong commitment to sustainability.” In one interesting way the second survey differed from the first - and that is when asked what initiatives would demonstrate this commitment, the top three answers in 2015 were campus-wide recycling and composting, renewable energy production, and "green" purchasing policies. In 2018, the top three answers were sourcing local/organic/sustainable food, "green" purchasing policies, and achieving a LEED certified building.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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