Sustainability Literacy

Sustainability Literacy Survey

The Sustainability Literacy Survey is intended to be the benchmark in a series of annual surveys of incoming students, to be supplemented with annual assessments of graduating seniors. The survey has been given to all incoming students since Fall 2013 throughout today. The post-test has been given to all graduating seniors since May 2017 and each year since then.

Incoming Students Results from 2013-2023

*** 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019* 2020 2022 Average
Climate Change 3.36 3.73 3.99 3.98 4.14 4.42 4.09

4.2

4.0

Energy 2.77 3.41 3.36 3.30 3.44 3.52 3.43 3.6 3.4
Planetary Assets 3.34 3.80 3.89 3.90 4.08 4.01 3.96 4.2 3.9
Systems 2.26 4.24 4.35 4.32 4.49 4.41 4.44 4.6 4.1
Environmental Justice 3.01 4.02 4.10 4.09 3.60 4.32 2.55 4.4 3.8
Business 2.19 3.93 3.98 3.95 3.95 4.04 4.00 4.0 3.8
Definitions 4.39 3.41 3.39 3.36 3.39 3.16 3.11 3.5 3.5
Attitudes 2.17 3.71 3.85 3.84 4.02 4.94 3.80 3.4 3.7
Behaviors N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.73 3.45 3.9 3.3
I know enough about sustainability N/A N/A N/A 2.22 3.17 3.46 3.20 3.1 3.0
SU's sustainability practices contributed to my decision to enroll here N/A N/A N/A N/A 15% very much
43% somewhat
42% not at all
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Willingness to support $1/credit fee for sustainability support N/A N/A N/A N/A 47% yes
47% maybe
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Importance of SU commitment to sustainability N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 3.06 2.90 N/A N/A
Importance of SU carbon neutrality N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 3.89 4.01 N/A N/A
Importance of fossil fuels divestment N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 59.4% yes
5.9% no
34.7% no understanding
45% yes
23% no
32% no understanding
N/A N/A
Would donate to offset N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 39% yes
55% maybe
6% no
N/A N/A

***Means are for 1-5 scales; higher numbers indicate more sustainability literacy.
*No survey conducted for 2018 Freshmen

 

 

Graduating Seniors' Results from 2017-2023

*** 2017/18* 2020** 2021 2022 2023 Average
Climate Change 4.13 4.21 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.2
Energy 3.44 2.82 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4
Planetary Assets 4.06 3.38 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.0
Systems 4.47 4.62 4.8 4.6 4.5 4.6
Environmental Justice 4.41 4.53 4.6 4.5 4.6 4.5
Business 4.20 4.13 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.2
Definitions 3.54 3.56 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5
Attitudes 4.00 3.96 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.7
Behaviors 2.76 3.46 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.6
I know enough about sustainability N/A 3.34 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.4
Importance of SU commitment to sustainability N/A 3.09 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Importance of SU carbon neutrality N/A 4.22 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Importance of fossil fuels divestment N/A 80% yes
10% no
10% no understanding
N/A N/A N/A N/A

*The same survey was inadvertently distributed twice, to 2017 graduating seniors in the Spring and to 2018 graduating seniors in the Fall.
**No survey of grads was conducted in 2019.

***Means are for 1-5 scales; higher numbers indicate more sustainability literacy.