| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.15 |
| Liaison | Mary Ellen Mallia |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2023 |
University at Albany
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Mary Ellen
Mallia Director of Environmental Sustainability Finance and Business |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
Yes
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
The entire campus community (students and employees) 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 survey was created in the Fall of 2018 by combining several instruments: a two question poll on top sustainability concerns and desired initiatives, the Sustainability Education Consortium questions developed for NSSE (used with permission) and an attitudes and behaviors survey developed by Dr. Sean Vormwald of Syracuse University. The survey results have been used to develop campus policies and initiatives as well as inform senior leadership as to student and employee actions and attitudes. An initial re-administration of the survey was planned for Fall 2021 but pushed back due to COVID related delays and will now be administered in February 2023. The survey will be scaled back somewhat in terms of the number of questions asked and the initiatives will be updated.
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:
1.We’d like to know more about your sustainability opinions. Out of these topics related to environmental sustainability, which are most important to you? (check the top five that you think apply)
2. On a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 is "Strongly disagree" and 7 is "Strongly agree", please choose your level of agreement with each statement below.
Community cooperation is necessary to solve social problems
I am willing to put forth a little more effort in my daily life to reduce my environmental impact
I turn off lights when I leave an unoccupied room on campus when I can
I recycle plastic, paper, and metal waste on campus when I can
People seem to care about sustainability at UAlbany
2. On a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 is "Strongly disagree" and 7 is "Strongly agree", please choose your level of agreement with each statement below.
Community cooperation is necessary to solve social problems
I am willing to put forth a little more effort in my daily life to reduce my environmental impact
I turn off lights when I leave an unoccupied room on campus when I can
I recycle plastic, paper, and metal waste on campus when I can
People seem to care about sustainability at UAlbany
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The assessment was administered by the Office of Institutional Research. A random sample of approximately 1/3 of the undergraduate student population (4,000 students) and approximately 1/3 of the graduate student population (1,500 students) was selected. For the faculty/staff sample, a random sample of approximately ½ of UAlbany funded faculty/staff (1,000 faculty/staff) and ½ of Research Foundation funded staff (236 staff) was selected.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Student most associate sustainability with the following terms: 1. Climate Change, 2. Human Rights and 3.Health and Well-being. Faculty/staff associated: 1. Climate Change, 2. Energy Conservation/Efficiency and 3. Waste Reduction. The most desired initiative by both groups was an increase in water bottle filling stations. A full summary of the survey is provided below.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The assessment from the Fall 2018 administration of the sustainability knowledge, attitudes and behaviors survey is being shared since our planned implementation of a second administration of the survey was delayed due to COVID impacts. The survey distribution is happening in February - March 2023 and will follow the same protocol and methodology as before.
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.