Wake Forest University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge. If you do not know an answer, please select "I don't know." 1. What is the most significant driver in the loss of species and ecosystems worldwide? a. Capturing animals for use in zoos b. Conversion of natural spaces for human development c. Overhunting/overharvesting d. Water scarcity e. I don't know 2. Which of the following are occurring as a result of climate change? Select all that apply. a. Greater crop reliability b. Higher frequency of extreme weather events c. Increased frequency of armed conflict d. Increased human migration e. Loss of habitat f. Rising sea levels g. I don't know 3. What is meant by the term "carbon footprint?" a. The area of forest removed for construction of a building or road b. The greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual's or entity's actions c. The resources required to support a specific crop d. The square footage occupied by a building e. I don't know 4. Each of the following fuels accounts for approximately what percentage of the electricity used in North Carolina? (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, I don't know) a. Coal b. Natural gas c. Nuclear d. Renewables 5. Which two sectors or processes are responsible for the greatest use of freshwater? a. Agriculture b. Bottled water c. Energy production d. Household use e. Manufacturing f. I don't know 6. What is the most common cause of pollution of streams and rivers? a. Litter near streams and rivers b. Surface water running off yards, pavement, and farmland c. Waste dumped by cities d. Waste dumped by factories e. I don't know 7. What are the two primary benefits of wetlands? a. Filter the water before it enters larger waterways b. Promote flooding c. Provide good sites for landfills d. Reduce impacts from storms e. Reduce the number of undesirable plants and animals in the area f. I don't know 8. What determines which materials are collected for recycling in any given municipality? Select all that apply. a. Demand for products made with post-consumer recycled content b. Global markets for each type of recycled material c. Individual campus rules d. Local municipality rules e. I don't know 9. How is climate change impacting each of the following? (significant negative impact, minor negative impact, no impact, minor positive impact, significant positive impact, I don't know) a. Access to freshwater b. Air quality c. Biodiversity d. Food security e. National security f. Ocean health

The literacy assessment was developed in the spring of 2018, as part of a larger instrument that also addresses sustainability culture and engagement. Questions were inspired by surveys from other universities and our desired learning outcomes. University experts in social surveys were consulted. The assessment was distributed in May 2018.

A list of all university email addresses was complied and sorted at random. The instrument was then sent to 1,000 university users, which also included faculty and staff. The literacy assessment section was only displayed to those who indicated they were students. The literacy assessment will be implemented each spring and sent to a representative sample obtained as described above. Starting in the spring of 2019, we will compare the progress of each class year over time. If we are successful in increasing sustainability literacy, each individual class year should show improvement in scores over time.

The results from the literacy assessment showed a fairly strong understanding of many high-level sustainability concepts among undergraduate students, consistent with our efforts to infuse sustainability in the curriculum.