University of Texas at Austin
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Rocky
Baier Data Analyst and Reporting Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students?:
Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
A list or sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
The Office of Sustainability partnered with Institutional Reporting, Research, & Information Systems (IRRIS) to administer the Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) as published by Dr. Adam Zwickle at Michigan State University in the Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-67122-2_25). This assessment was chosen because there is published documentation of its efficacy at measuring sustainability knowledge across ecological, economic, and social domains using a small number of questions. The sustainability knowledge and cultural assessment questions were combined into a single survey, the Bleed Orange, Live Green Sustainability Survey, along with additional campus-specific questions.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The Office of Sustainability partnered with Institutional Reporting, Research, & Information Systems (IRRIS) to conduct the Sustainability survey. Through a collaborative effort, the survey content was refined, ensuring clear and focused questions that captured all the relevant information. The survey was meticulously tested to ensure a seamless participant experience with its flow and functionality. Once finalized, IRRIS created a random sample of the target student population and administered the survey on September 25, 2023. The Sustainability Survey was emailed to 8,600 undergraduate and graduate students, stratified by classification (e.g. Freshman, Sophomore, etc.) and college/school/unit (CSU). The survey remained open for a little over 2 weeks and closed on October 10, 2023. Respondents who completed the survey were entered into a drawing to win one of ten $40 HEB gift cards, and one grand prize - a $500 HEB gift card. 1,842 students completed 100% of the survey and were included in the analysis and reporting of the results. This equates to a 21.4% response rate and provides us with sufficient information to generalize the data to the population - based on a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. The assessment data was summarized by IRRIS through a report summarizing key insights and an interactive Tableau visualization.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) survey consisted of twelve, multiple-choice items. For every item, respondents were given four answers plus the opportunity to select ‘I don’t know.’ The percentage of respondents who provided correct answers varied considerably from question to question.
Percentage of respondents who selected the correct answer to each question:
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Over the past 3 decades, what has happened to the difference between the wealth of the richest and poorest Americans?
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The difference has increased
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Correct – 87.7%
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Which of the following is the best example of environmental justice?
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All stakeholders from an indigenous community are involved in setting a quota for the amount of wood they can take from a protected forest next to their village
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Correct – 86.6%
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Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth’s upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from?
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Harmful UV rays
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Correct – 84.5%
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Which of the following is the most community used definition of sustainable development?
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Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
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Correct – 83.1%
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Which of the following countries has now passed the U.S. as the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide?
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China
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Correct – 79.2%
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Which of the following is an example of sustainable forest management?
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Never harvesting more than what the forest produces in new growth
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Correct – 66.8%
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Of the following, which would be considered living in the most sustainable way?
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Reducing consumption of all products
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Correct – 59.0%
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Many economists argue that electricity prices in the U.S. are too low because…
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They do not reflect the costs of pollution from generating the electricity
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Correct – 54.2%
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Which of the following is the most commonly used definition of economic sustainability?
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Long term profitability
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Correct – 45.5%
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What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and rivers?
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Surface water running off yards, city streets, paved lots, and farm fields
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Correct – 41.2%
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Which of the following is a leading cause of the depletion of fish stocks in the Atlantic Ocean?
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Fishermen seeking to maximize their catch
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Correct – 29.1%
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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.