Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 38.99
Liaison Hayley Berliner
Submission Date Oct. 28, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Trinity College (CT)
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 4.00 Hayley Berliner
Sustainability Coordinator
Finance & Operations
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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::
The entire (or predominate) student body, directly or by representative sample

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):
A sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:

Which of the following items can be recycled in Connecticut?
a.Styrofoam
b.Paper cups
c.Greasy pizza boxes
d.Milk cartons
e.Not sure

How much electricity does Trinity consume per year?
a.19 million kilo watts per hour
b.52 million kilo watts per hour
c.7 million kilo watts per hour
d.1 million kilo watts per hour
e.Not sure

Which items in Mather dining hall CANNOT be composted?
a.Plastic wrappers
b.Disposable cutlery
c.Wax paper cups/bowls
d.All the above
e.Not sure


A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:

The assessment contained 20 questions. Questions 1-5 focus on global aspects of sustainability and climate change. Question 6-10 focus on sustainability and environmentalism in the U.S. Questions 11-15 focus on sustainability and environmentalism in the state of Connecticut. Finally, questions 16-20 focus on Trinity College's energy use and sustainability.

Questions were thought of using IPCC data, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and other various sources on sustainability and climate change.

It was important to us that the questions would assess general knowledge as well as educate by provided informational links following questions for students to learn more.


A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :

The assessment was sent out to the entire students body by our student life office.


A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s), including a description of any measurable changes over time:

111 participants completed the survey and the average score of the assessment was 50%. Participants that completed the assessment struggled the most with questions on carbon emissions and energy production in the state of Connecticut and water use in the U.S.

However, students showed strong knowledge of general climate change topics and stakeholders like the Greenhouse effect and the E.P.A.


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.