| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.65 |
| Liaison | Laura Bain |
| Submission Date | Jan. 19, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Furman University
EN-6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Laura
Bain Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment David E. Shi Center for Sustainability |
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)?:
Which of the following best describes the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the cultural assessment? The assessment is administered::
A brief description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted:
The assessment was developed by conducting a review of other school’s sustainability surveys, identifying similarities, compiling and tailoring questions specific to Furman, and obtaining feedback from students to ensure relevancy. These questions were included in a survey also designed to sustainability literacy. A staff member from the Shi Center for Sustainability collaborated with the university’s Assistant Director of Institutional Assessment and Research and a highly-qualified research staff member to develop the survey instrument and sampling methodology.
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:
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements (agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, disagree):
Sustainability is important to how I live my life.
I am interested in integrating sustainability into my current or future professional career.
Furman is committed to sustainability efforts.
Please indicate the frequency with which you currently do the following things (most of the time; sometimes, rarely):
Use a "power-save" scheme for your computer.
Wash clothes in cold water.
Unplug appliances to eliminate ghost power use.
Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.
Minimize the waste you generate.
Ride a bike or walk instead of using a car.
Repurpose an item instead of throwing it away.
Recycle paper, plastic, or aluminum.
How familiar are you with the following initiatives or places on campus (I am very familiar with it; I've heard of it and/or I know a little bit; I've never heard of it):
Furman's sustainability master plan, Sustainable Furman.
The Solar Farm
The Greenbelt
The American College and University President's Climate Commitment
The Place of Peace
The Living Machine
The Sustainability Science Major
The Shi Center Sustainability Fellowship Program
A brief description of how representative samples were reached (if applicable) and how the cultural assessment is administered:
A representative sample was randomly selected by the Assistant Director of Institutional Assessment and Research, with correction to ensure proportionate representation from all class years and genders. The assessment was administered as part of Furman’s Sustainability Survey which has been administered to students, faculty, and staff, every third year since 2008. The survey was administered through the Qualtrics survey platform and distributed via an individual e-mail with one follow-up reminder email to unfinished respondents. In order to encourage participation and completion of the survey, the first 250 respondents to complete the survey were offered an incentive valued between $5-$8.50.
A brief summary of results from the cultural assessment, including a description of any measurable changes over time:
There were 337 respondents to the assessment. Respondent roles were 67% student, 16% faculty, and 17% staff and gender descriptions were 60% female and 39% male, which is representative of the campus population. The following questions measured changes in sustainability perceptions over time:
The percentage of respondents who say they agree or somewhat agree with the statement, "sustainability is important to how I live my life" increased from 78% in 2014 to 93.5% in 2017.
The percentage of respondents who say they agree or somewhat agree with the statement,
"I am interested in integrating sustainability into my current or future professional career"
increased from 59% in 2014 to 78% in 2017.
The percentage of respondents who say they agree or somewhat agree with the statement "Furman is committed to sustainability efforts" increased from 77% in 2014 to 97% in 2017.
The percentage of respondents who have NOT participated in or attended any sustainability-related internships, courses, CLP events, workshops, etc decreased from 41% in 2014 to just 17% in 2017.
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.