| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.64 |
| Liaison | Eva Rocke |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2021 |
University of Montana
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 1.00 |
Madeleine
Jones ASUM Sustainability Coordinator ASUM |
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:
In 2018, a group of graduate business students in coordination with the Office of Sustainability developed a survey with questions related to sustainability to get a general understanding of campus attitudes on sustainability topics as well as gauge support for future initiatives. The survey assessed: What is the UM community’s general attitude towards sustainability? What is the UM community’s attitude, perception, and satisfaction of current UM sustainability efforts? What is the UM community’s attitude and perception towards continued/future sustainability efforts? What is UM community’s personal behavioral tendencies that impact their carbon footprint?
The intended target for the survey was the students and employees of the UM Mountain and Missoula College Campuses. The survey was administered once during 2018. Responses were collected using faculty networks (asking faculty to administer the survey to their classes), tabling and directly asking students in the student union and campus fitness facility to participate, and via email with a list of randomly selected campus affiliates.
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:
What is your attitude toward environmental sustainability in general?
To what extent do you engage in the following behaviors that limit your carbon footprint?
Please rate your likeliness to pay the following fees associated with parking permits to purchase carbon offsets that directly offset emissions generated from vehicle commuting to and from campus by UM affiliates.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The survey contained 18 questions related to sustainability on the UM campus and 5 demographic questions. The intended target for the survey was the students and employees of the UM Mountain and Missoula College Campuses. The survey was built in Qualtrics and distributed by use of an anonymous link in an email message.
The survey was distributed through newsletters published by the College of Business and W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation and by emails sent the College of Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences and the professor teaching STAT 216. The UM Sustainability Office sent emails to 1000 randomly selected students, faculty, and staff. A follow-up email was sent to the randomly selected sample one week after the first email was sent.
156 completed responses were received from the various efforts to distribute the survey, 66 responses received prior to the distribution of the random sample and 90 responses after. A comparison of the two groups did not produce a significant difference in the response patterns.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
Results from the data gathered indicate that there is a wide range of opinions and perceptions of sustainability on campus. Respondents tended to have positive views when it comes to current initiatives and would like to see sustainability added to UM’s list of core values. When asked about their willingness to pay a carbon offset fee when buying parking passes, respondents indicated relatively high likeliness responses up to the $10 range.
Employees (both staff and faculty) tend to have a stronger belief that the university should balance its growth with sustainable practices. Students tend to care less about the environment when the success of the UM is at stake. Data also provided information about commute habits.
Website URL where information about the assessment of sustainability culture is available:
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.