| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.87 |
| Liaison | Carrie Metzgar |
| Submission Date | Nov. 5, 2024 |
University of California, San Diego
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Michael
Salisbury Sustainability Data Analyst Utilities & Sustainability |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students?:
Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
A list or sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
A copy of the assessment questions is attached above. There are 36 questions total, 12 are focused on sustainability literacy and 24 are focused on sustainability culture; one third of the questions are focused on sustainability literacy.
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
The UC San Diego Sustainability Culture and Knowledge Survey, containing the Sustainability Literacy Assessment, was developed prior to the start of the 2024-25 academic year in Qualtrics based on a modified version of the 2022 Ohio State University Campus Sustainability Survey created by Dr. Nicole Sintov and her team in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. The assessment addresses student knowledge of sustainability topics and challenges (e.g., climate change, social and economic justice, global poverty, resource depletion, and so on). Overall, the survey was designed to evaluate current sustainability initiatives and develop insight into how these initiatives could be improved. It allows Sustainability Staff at UC San Diego to measure current and longitudinal trends in campus behaviors, beliefs, values, attitudes, and knowledge.
During the development stage, UC San Diego Staff utilized the AC-6 technical manual to ensure consistency aligning with STARS requirements. As mentioned above, one third of the overall survey focuses on knowledge of sustainability topics and challenges via the literacy assessment section. Broadly, questions were created within the context of established methodologies and fabricated to encapsulate a full spectrum of sustainability-related concepts, as mentioned above: behaviors, beliefs, values, attitudes, and knowledge. Longitudinal items (e.g. items intended to track changes in sustainability behaviors and knowledge) and one-time items (e.g. support for current and future sustainability initiatives) are key themes of the survey. Similarly, a major part of this survey reflects components of the Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) scale developed by Zwickle and Jones (2018), which measures knowledge related to social, economic, and ecological elements of sustainability.
Overall, the assessment section is designed such that longitudinal studies can be performed on representative samples in both a pre- and post-test method. Moving forward, UC San Diego plans to continue to administer a pre-assessment at the beginning of every school year and a post-assessment at the end of every school year. Qualtrics provides Staff with a central nucleus for structured pre- and post-assessment data collection and organization, allowing for the planning and scheduling of post-assessment efforts.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
As part of the UC San Diego Sustainability Culture and Knowledge Survey, the first Sustainability Literacy Assessment was administered to the entire student body, as well as faculty and staff, via a three-pronged approach: (1) UC San Diego social media efforts; (2) promotion on related websites and newsletters; and (3) in-person promotion at key campus buildings and events.
Social media efforts were comprised of Instagram posts (both stories and profile) on the main UC San Diego page (@ucsandiego), UC San Diego Sustainability page (@sustainucsd), and related campus community pages. This effort was carried out utilizing best social media practices (e.g. creating visually engaging content, identifying best day/time to promote based on demographics, establishing collaboration efforts, interacting with followers, and the like). Promotion on websites included the UC San Diego Sustainability website (https://sustainability.ucsd.edu/) and Housing*Dining*Hospitality (https://hdh.ucsd.edu/).
In-person pomotion involved working with several campus partners to promote the survey via outreach materials. This included working with the UC San Diego Library to promote the survey within the libraries, at the UC San Diego Bookstore, and within Facilities Management buildings. The survey was also promoted at large-scale events such as the Annual Staff Celebration Sustainability Staff and Student Move-In. The student move-in consists of all housing areas (undergarduate and graduate) and was a key opportunity to gain insight into student literacy and knowledge.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
As of October 2024, the UC San Diego Sustainability Culture and Knowledge Survey, containing the Sustainability Literacy Assessment, has more than 200 participants. As described above, UC San Diego Staff have established this survey as an ongoing effort, which will allow Staff to perform related pre- and post-test methodologies once (1) a more robust temporal measure has been met (e.g. an entire academic year etc.) and (2) pre- and post-test delineations have been established (e.g. study sample by quarter etc.).
Overall, results from the literacy assessment portion of the survey shows impressive understanding of the following:
- Knowledge that the ozone layer protects us from harmful UV rays (85%)
- Familiarity with definition of sustainable development (76%)
- Understanding that equality and equity are important parts of sustainability efforts (98%)
- Understanding that climate change can have an affect on natural disaster occurrence, frequency, and intensity (98%)
- Understanding of decarbonization (96%)
Areas for continued improvement are in the following areas of sustainability literacy:
- How to live in the most sustainable way (reducing consumption of all products, buying 'green' products, etc.)
- Knowledge of environmental justice and what it means
- Understanding of the economics associated with electricity costs
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Sustainability at UC San Diego is at the genesis of a new, exciting chapter. The survey described above allows staff to capture important data from individuals relevant to this new phase and make empirically based decisions based on this information. The flexibility in research approach that Qualtrics allows will further support the mission of fostering the entire spectrum sustainability at UC San Diego.
Poinst of contact for credit information:
- Michael Salisbury, Sustainability Data Analyst, Utilities & Sustainability
- Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer, Utilities & Sustainability
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.