Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.15
Liaison Sara McIntyre
Submission Date Dec. 20, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Sewanee - The University of the South
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 4.00 Nick Cookson
Sustainability Program Manager
Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
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Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students (i.e. an assessment focused on student knowledge of sustainability topics and challenges)?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
A subset of students or a sample that may not be representative of the predominant student body

Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
Standalone evaluation without a follow-up assessment of the same cohort or representative samples

A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
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A sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
Q1. Consider the statement "Think globally, act locally." Choose an environmental issue and discuss the conflict of scale. How and at what scale does this issue impact the environment? How does that scale introduce challenges for management or regulation? What are strategies for overcoming these challenges? Q2. According to former EPA administrator, W.D. Ruckelshaus, “the difficulty of converting scientific findings into political action is a function of the uncertainty of the science and the pain generated by the action.” Using historical or current examples, discuss ways in which scientific uncertainty and economic (or other) pain have made the establishment of effective environmental policy difficult. Also, discuss factors that could improve scientific certainty and alleviate pain.

A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
Graduating Senior comprehensive examinations for Environment and Sustainability majors adopted in 2015.

A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The sample is the students who are majoring in the specific degree program and it is administered by faculty.

A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s), including a description of any measurable changes over time:
Faculty assess how students have addressed the questions related to sustainability throughout the academic year and refocus efforts based on answers to the comprehensive exams to address weaker areas.

Optional Fields 

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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