| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.72 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | Jan. 18, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
The Ohio State University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Emily
Walpole Graduate Admin Assoc Sch of Environ & Natural Res |
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)?:
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:
The items used in the 2014 survey effort were developed through expert input, focus groups, and analysis of sustainability literature. The 2018 version of the survey updated these items, and also included additional measures based upon validated scales. These include the Sustainability Attitudes Scale (SAS) (see Zwickle & Jones, 2018) and personal perceptions of sustainability behaviors (items adapted from Stern, 1999; Hassan, Shiu, & Shaw, 2014; Heath & Gifford, 2006).
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:
Main sustainability behaviors scale from 2018 survey, with instructions:
“To begin, below is a list of behaviors you may or may not do. Please indicate how often you do these behaviors. There are no right or wrong answers, so your first thought is probably the most accurate.”.
1. Walk, bicycle, or take public transportation instead of taking a car
2. Eat organic food
3. Eat meat
4. Eat animal products such as milk, cheese, eggs, or yogurt
5. Print on both sides of the paper
6. Carry a reusable water bottle
7. Purchase second-hand items instead of purchasing new items
8. Use reusable bags when shopping
9. Sort out your recycling
10. Turn off the lights in an empty room where you live
11. Turn your personal electronics off or into low-power mode when not in use
12. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when going up or down more than one floor
13. Act to conserve water when showering, cleaning clothes, dishes, or other uses
14. Limit your consumption of new items (e.g. electronics, clothes)
15. Limit the energy used to heat or cool your living space
(A codebook of all items used in the 2018 survey, as well as a full report on results is forthcoming and will be shared on our website: ESSL@osu.edu).
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
In 2014 a sustainability survey was distributed to a random sample of 20,000 undergraduate students on the Columbus campus through an online survey, to which 4,400 responded. In 2018 similar procedures were implemented, and 20,500 random undergraduate students (stratified by class year) were contacted via email, to which 3,293 responded. The survey included a variety of scales related to sustainability knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and values. To improve representation of less engaged students, in both 2014 and 2018 the ASK scale was shared with non-response students in a short (5-minute) follow-up survey.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:
By comparing a sub-set of eight items used in both the 2014 survey and the 2018 pilot survey, it can be estimated that engagement of Undergraduate students in sustainable behaviors has increased. In 2014, self-reported engagement in these behaviors was 57.25% on average (SD = 16.54) on a 100-point scale (of ‘what percent of the time when possible you engage in the behavior’). On the 2018 version of the survey, engagement in these same behaviors was 3.67 on average (SD = .50) using a 5-point (“never” to “always”) engagement scale. While not perfect comparisons due to scale changes, if the 100-point engagement scale were converted to a 5-point scale, the score from 2014 would be 2.86 on average; almost a full point lower than the 2018 average. In future years, longitudinal assessment will more precisely determine if this score is increasing over time, and if so, by how much per year.
In 2018 several other measures of sustainability culture and values were assessed, including the Sustainability Attitudes Scale (SAS), of which students had a quite high average score of 5.90 (SD = .90) on a 1-7 “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” scale. In other words, this indicates that the large majority of students agreed with statements such as “Biological diversity in itself is good”. In future years, longitudinal assessment will determine if this score, among others, is increasing over time among the student body.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Please visit the website for the Environmental and Social Sustainability Lab at ESSL.osu.edu or contact us at ESSL@osu.edu to receive more information about the OSU campus sustainability survey, as well as our other social scientific sustainability research initiatives.
Please visit the website for the Environmental and Social Sustainability Lab at ESSL.osu.edu or contact us at ESSL@osu.edu to receive more information about the OSU campus sustainability survey, as well as our other social scientific sustainability research initiatives.
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.