Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 62.54
Liaison Lisa Noriega
Submission Date Sept. 21, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Yale University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.25 / 1.00 Amber Garrard
Associate Director
Yale 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:
Sustainability Service Corps students conduct an annual survey to undergraduate students to assess sustainability attitudes on campus. Undergraduates living in the residential colleges are queried in person and/or via email. In 2015-2016, 995 (out of 5,505) students responded. Variations of this survey have been distributed once a year in 2013, 2014, 2015. Students developed the survey under the direction of the Office of Sustainability.

A copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture:
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A sample of the questions related to sustainability culture or the website URL where the assessment tool is available:
Questions from 2015-16 Survey Name College Suite Number # of suitemates Had you heard of the Sustainability Service Corps before this survey? Do you know about your college's sustainability committee? How well do you think you understand what's recyclable at Yale? Do you have a recycling bin in your suite? If yes, is the recycling bin paired with a trash can? Are plastic bags recyclable at Yale? Is styrofoam (e.g. styrofoam cups and to-go boxes) recyclable at Yale? Are dining hall disposable coffee cups recyclable at Yale? Are coffee cups (from Starbucks, Blue State, etc.) recyclable at Yale? Do you have any dining hall plates, mugs, etc in your suite? Do you have instructional stickers on your heaters? How often do you turn off your bedroom lights when you leave? How often do you turn off the common room lights when you go to sleep? Did you receive free LED lightbulbs from an SSC member last year? Are you taking an LED lightbulb today? If yes, how many? Any final comments or ideas?

A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
n/a

A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:
Results have been used to inform programming for each individual year, not to compare trends from year to year. For example, 2015-2016 results demonstrated that more students were aware of the sustainability committees in the Colleges than the SSC program, that 30% of students do not understand the recycling system, and that 40% of students are aware of labeling in their rooms to instruct them about temperature control.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.