| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 84.74 |
| Liaison | Patrick McKee |
| Submission Date | Dec. 30, 2024 |
University of Connecticut
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Patrick
McKee Senior Sustainability Program Manager Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture?:
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 Office of Sustainability began surveying the UConn student body in 2004 to gauge the level of environmental awareness and knowledge across campus. The survey has taken place originally on a biannual basis and since 2020 has become an annual survey. It is intended to understand students' knowledge and attitudes related to sustainability. Results are analyzed in comparison to previous years' results to help inform future programming. We also included the four questions that align us with the survey administered around the world by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. This way we can compare our campus to other groups around the world, and possibly contribute to the body of research the Yale program is creating. The Yale SASSY survey is found here: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/sassy/
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:
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The Environmental Awareness Survey is distributed in a variety of ways to reach the largest number of students, make the survey accessible, and obtain a representative sample. In Fall 2022, the primary method of distribution to the student body is through the UConn Student Daily Digest—which every student receives. There was also a flyering campaign in all residence halls, student representatives making in class announcements, and social media posts on the Office of Sustainability's main social media channels to reach the entirety of campus. The survey was also included as a part of large events such as the Earth Day Spring Fling to solicit a greater response rate. Additionally, the survey was distributed to faculty through the Staff/Faculty Daily Digest which all faculty members receive.
The literacy survey contains responses from all levels of students from freshmen to graduate students. In addition, the responses were from a wide array of races and ethnicities, colleges and majors, and genders. The wide variety of advertising ensures that a wide variety of students complete the Sustainability Literacy Survey, allowing for a representative sample of the UConn student body.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Now every year the Office of Sustainability sends out a Sustainability Awareness Survey to see how conscious students are about how UConn handles important environmental issues (e.g., waste diversion, energy production, transportation). The Office of Sustainability design questions to determine which areas of sustainability are most important to UConn students and faculty. We received 748 Student Responses and 38 Faculty responses from the Spring 2024 survey. Key findings from the 2024 Sustainability Awareness Survey include:
222 respondents are first years, 156 are second years, 161 are third years, 112 are fourth years, 6 are fifth years, and 12 students are in graduate programs. We also find that 42% of responses come from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 14% come from College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, and 10% are from the School of Engineering. The rest is spread out from other colleges and schools across campus. We use this data to see who we need to focus on when we design outreach programs.
91% of undergraduate respondents and 94% of faculty respondents see environmental problems as a dire threat to global well-being.
83% of student respondents utilize public transportation at least once a month and 23% use it every day while almost no faculty reported using public transportation citing a variety of reasons though there was a general desire for more public transportation options.
There was an average rating of 4.43 out of 5 for students and 4.62 out of 5 for faculty in regard to an honest rating of how much do you believe climate change will harm future generations. This can be compared to 2024 AASHE STARS submission where 90% of undergraduate respondents believe climate change will do a great deal of harm to future generations of people 2034 AASHE STARS submission. This shows a trend where students and faculty recognize the harm that climate change poses.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.