Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 74.20
Liaison Juanita Van Norman
Submission Date Aug. 5, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Manitoba
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 1.00 Christie Nairn
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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 developed by the Office of Sustainability in January 2022. The survey was designed to assess the general culture of sustainability at the University of Manitoba. The survey was approved by UM’s survey committee and was administered from February 28 – March 28, 2022. Going forward, this survey will act as a baseline tool to determine the culture of sustainability among students, staff, and faculty and the information provided will help improve sustainability outreach and education initiatives at the University.

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:
11. I have a personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental issues like minimizing waste, resource consumption, water use and energy use.
- Yes
- No
- Not sure

12. I have a personal responsibility to help make a difference on social issues like ensuring equity and inclusion, spreading environmental education, and supporting activities that promote human health and wellness.
- Yes
- No
- Not sure

13. I feel that my culture and heritage is adequately represented and respected at the University of Manitoba.
- Not at all
- Only a little
- A moderate amount
- A great deal
- Not sure

14. How important is the issue of climate change to you personally?
- Not at all important
- Somewhat important
- Extremely important
- I haven’t really thought about it

15. How much do you think climate change will affect you personally?
- Not at all
- Only a little
- A moderate amount
- A great deal
- I haven’t really thought about it

A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
Promotion of the survey included campus-wide email communications to all staff, students and faculty in addition to a university news article and social media posts made on the Office of Sustainability’s Instagram and Twitter. Through communications, a link to the survey was accessible. During UM Sustainability Day, the survey was promoted to all attendees of which included students, staff, and faculty members.

A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
The survey received 990 responses, with most responses being from undergraduate students, followed by staff, graduate students, and faculty. The culture of sustainability assessment showed that the over 90% of student, staff, and faculty felt a personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental and social issues. There was a strong general understanding of the different recycling streams offered at the university, with a small percentage indicating that plastic straws are recyclable on campus, which is incorrect. In addition, only 18 per cent of respondents indicated that pens and highlighters are recyclable on campus, which is low compared to knowledge on other recycling streams. Pens and highlighters can be recycled through UM ReBins located at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture is available:
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.