| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.67 |
| Liaison | Aurora Sharrard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 13, 2024 |
University of Pittsburgh
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Chiamaka
Okpara Sustainability Intern 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:
QUESTIONS BELOW; ANSWER CHOICES ON ATTACHED
1) What are the three dimensions of sustainability?
2) Choose the best description for the economic aspect of sustainability
3) Choose the best description for the social aspect of sustainability
4) What is the name of the primary U.S. federal agency that oversees environmental regulation?
5) Which of the following are ecosystem services provided by a wetland?
6) Which of the following is NOT a potential effect of global climate change?
7) Which of the following items are NOT related to sustainability?
8) The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is the theory that recommends companies focus on what?
9) Some buildings on Pitt's campus are LEED certified, what does this mean?
10) Many economists argue that electricity prices in the U.S. are too low because:
11) Of the following, which could be considered living in the most sustainable way?
12) Which food has the highest carbon footprint?
13) As of 2021, the world's richest 1% own what percent of the world's wealth?
14) In 2022, the U.S. government defined poverty in Pennsylvania as having an annual household wage of $27,750 or less for a family of four. What percentage of Allegheny County residents live below the poverty line?
15) How familiar are you with the following concepts?
• Circular Economy
• Climate Change
• Triple Bottom Line
• Environmental Justice
• Sustainability
• Globalization
• Externalities
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
The triennial Pitt Sustainability Literacy Assessment is administered by the Office of Sustainability and incorporated into the triennial Pitt Sustainability Literacy & Culture Survey. The 2023 Pitt Sustainability Literacy Assessment was deployed in Spring 2023 to students, faculty, and staff on all 5 campuses via email, the Pitt Sustainability monthly newsletter, and social media.
The 2023 Pitt Sustainability Literacy Assessment is an evolution of the 2020 Pitt Sustainability Literacy Assessment, which was originally developed by researching sustainability literacy surveys administered by other universities and adopting questions to best fit the needs of the University of Pittsburgh. To keep the survey dynamic, questions for the 2023 version were optimized and adapted by the Pitt Sustainability team, including replacing 2020 questions with very high or low literacy with new questions relating to those same topics.
Responses are used by the Pitt Sustainability Team to both gauge the sustainability knowledge of Pitt students, faculty, and staff and to create future offerings related to sustainability opportunities and challenges.
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The 2023 Pitt Sustainability Literacy survey was entirely delivered electronically, including being advertised in Spring 2023 to students, faculty, and staff on all 5 campuses via email, the Pitt Sustainability monthly newsletter, and social media. Participants were offered the chance to win 1 of 5 gift cards to the University Stores.
Survey responses by Pitt community affiliation were distributed as follows: 13.8% undergraduate students, 10.4% graduate students, 12.3% faculty, and 58% staff. While the sample distribution is not representative of the campus community, it is important to note that when responses is split by affinity group and campus, survey results still yields valuable insights. By segmenting responses from undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff, the Pitt Sustainability team and partners can better tailor sustainability initiatives to each group's specific needs and preferences, demonstrating Pitt's commitment to continuous improvement. This approach also enhances the triennial survey's efficacy and underscores its validity, thus reinforcing its value in shaping future endeavors and maintaining its status as a robust, relevant assessment tool.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
2023 Pitt Sustainability Literacy Survey Takeaways:
1) 2023 Literacy Survey scores decreased 17% compared to 2020 scores, most likely due to the reduction in the overall number of questions asked (from 20 scoreable questions to 14).
2) Results indicate a diverse range of sustainability literacy levels among Pitt community respondents, with only 26% of respondents achieving scores of 71% or greater and 31% of respondents getting less than 51% of the 14 questions correct.
3) With 11% of respondents getting only 1 or 2 questions correct, there is clear room for improvement in further educating the Pitt community about foundational sustainability concepts. This specific response set could also indicate that some respondents rushed through the literacy section to get to the more popular culture questions in the survey.
4) Points of discussion for 2026 delivery include increasing the number of questions, separating the literacy survey from the culture survey, and/or taking the pre- and post- approach for a specific population.
5) Climate change, Globalization, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice were self reported to be the most understood concepts by the Pitt community.
6) Triple bottom line, Externalities, and Circular Economy were the concepts self-reported by respondents to be least understood.
Website URL where information about the sustainability literacy assessment 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.