| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.24 |
| Liaison | Rob Andrejewski |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2022 |
University of Richmond
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Rob
Andrejewski Director of Sustainability Office for 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 Sustainability Culture Survey was delivered to the entire campus in conjunction with the biannual commmuter survey. Questions aligned with the previous sustainability cultural assessment, which was created as part of the University's Sustainability Plan in 2019, as well as a 2014 survey to examine changes over time. The remainder of the questions were designed to assess what the campus knows about sustainability and what sustainability issues are important to the campus community. This survey will continue to be administered every two years to measure changes in sustainability culture on campus over time.
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:
See Attached.
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
The UR Office for Sustainability Commuter and Sustainability Culture Survey was administered online from November 1 to November 29, 2021, to faculty, staff, and students. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate commuting behavior to campus and to gain a better understanding of sustainability-related values, behavior, and awareness. Of the 6,534 individuals invited to participate in the survey, 1,013 responded, resulting in a 16% response rate. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness managed the process, including data collection, outreach, and results. An online Qualtrics survey with unique identifiers was made available to the entire campus. Reminder emails and Spiderbytes (the University's daily email announcements) encouraged participation.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment:
The Sustainability Culture Survey revealed where the campus community felt we should focus our efforts, the level of awareness of campus sustainability activity and structures, and the perceived importance of sustainability at UR. Respondents rated focus on waste diversion from the landfill, reducing GHG emissions, and building green as the three top actions we must address first when considering sustainability. 92% of the respondents said that sustainability was important to them, but they thought this was true for only 83% of the population as a whole, 78% of the student population, 73% of the faculty, and 70% of the staff. 77% felt UR was taking the actions needed to advance sustainability on campus. Familiarity with sustainability efforts on campus falls primarily in the "somewhat familiar" category. A minority of people were aware of the Climate Action Plan, STARS Gold Rating, sustainability course offerings, or Sustainability and Environmental Awareness Committee. This reveals a need for better outreach efforts in those areas.
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:
Debra White from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness administered the Sustainability Commuter and Sustainability Culture Survey.
Debra White from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness administered the Sustainability Commuter and Sustainability Culture Survey.
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.