Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.23
Liaison Jim Walker
Submission Date June 14, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Texas at Austin
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 1.00 Jill Parrish
Program Coordinator, Green Fee
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution conduct an assessment of sustainability culture (i.e. the assessment focuses on sustainability values, behaviors and beliefs, and may also address awareness of campus sustainability initiatives)?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
A subset of the campus community or a sample that may not be representative of the entire community

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:
In Spring 2016, approximately 37, 274 adult undergraduate students were invited, via email, to participate in the UTell Us survey. The instrument for the spring was the SERU – Student Experience in the Research University. The survey opened in March 2016 and closed at the end of May 2016. In addition to email solicitation, students could access the instrument through a link on the Student Success Initiatives webpage and various social media posts. This research was conducted under the approval of The Office of Research Support, Study Number 2016-01-0047.

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:
The questions covered how often students followed news related to global climate and environmental issues, how often students completed work relating to sustainability, and how much coursework emphasized dimensions of sustainability.

A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
Survey respondents comprised 17.6% of the population. In addition to email solicitation, students could access the survey through the Student Success Initiatives webpage and social media posts.

A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:
Comparing the 2013 survey results and 2016 survey results shows a slight increase (about one tenth of a point) in students being influenced by UT Austin in learning and developing skills in sustainability.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.