Florida State University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture

In Spring 2021, a Ph.D. candidate conducted an external audit to examine FSU Sustainable Campus’ inclusion of diverse students in student-led programming and communications. The central research question was why are students of color, mainly Black or African American students, not participating in SC student-led events? Sustainable Campus charged the student to provide Sustainable Campus with strategic guidance on increasing student diversity at student-led events by examining programs and communications.

Survey questions included:
- Since the Fall 2018 term, have you participated in any FSU student-led activities?
- If so, what are the activities?
- Are there any non-FSU activities you engage in?
- Have you heard of any of the following FSU Sustainable Campus student-led events?
- If so, from where?
- When selecting what FSU Sustainable Campus student-led activities to participate in, what factors influence your decision to attend?
- When selecting what FSU Sustainable Campus student-led activities to participate in, what factors influence your decision not to attend?

Focus group questions included:
- During your time at FSU, did you participate in any FSU student-led activities? Why did you attend these events? If you find yourself returning to a certain group, why would you say that is?
- Have you ever heard of any Sustainable Campus efforts?
- What kinds of student-led Sustainable Campus events do you think would be interesting?
- Can you describe any previous experience in environmental science or sustainable environmental efforts?

Interview questions included:
- During your time at FSU, did you participate in any FSU student-led activities? Why did you attend these events? If you find yourself returning to a certain group, why would you say that is?
- Have you ever heard of any Sustainable Campus efforts?
- How would you describe the diversity of programs available at Sustainable Campus?

The student conducted 15 non-representative surveys, two focus groups (with a total of 14 students), and three interviews. The student also completed a discourse analysis of Sustainable Campus social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, the Sustainable Campus website, and the Sustainable Campus office.

Using this data and Dawson’s (2017) equity in STEM framework, the student produced an executive report, which provided an overview of the significant findings and recommendations. Specifically, the student found that students of color responded positively to events that de-centered whiteness and incorporated other people of color.

Recommendations to decenter whiteness included: 1) Centering the practices, epistemologies, interests, and speech of the historically marginalized; 2) Reaffirming an office culture built on unity, respect, and social justice; 3) Participating in antiracist, decolonizing, or dismantling professional development training; and 4) Ensuring long-term accountability through meetings and critical reflection.

As a result of the student’s external audit, Sustainable Campus has a better understanding of how to explicitly and consciously consider the decentering of whiteness in its communications, programming, office spaces, and social media platforms.

In addition, the IDS2227 Sustainable Society course has engaged over 80 undergraduate students in first-hand data collection and surveying of the campus culture. Students in Fall 2019, Fall 2020, and Fall 2021 course worked with community organizations Sustainable Tallahassee and the Leon County Office of Sustainability to observe and inquire about sustainable practices through field studies that involve survey data collection and analysis. Collectively, the students received 1396 responses to 15 non-representative surveys of the FSU community with topics ranging from electric vehicles, solar panels, organic agriculture, and more.