Student Sustainability Survey : From Data and Dialogue to Action Primary Actions The 2014 Western Michigan University Student Sustainability Survey was redesigned to ask students to rank their campus sustainability priorities. A sustainability literacy assessment also was developed from a best practice review and included in the 2014 survey. Problem Addressed Previous annual surveys called for students to rate campus sustainability actions, but priorities were difficult to identify from the survey results because most had similar ratings of importance. The Office for Sustainability also recognized the opportunity to pilot test a sustainability literacy assessment. Background Western Michigan University students convinced the Board of Trustees to create a Student Sustainability Fee ($8 per semester, $4 per summer session) in To measure student awareness of programming and opportunities related to the fee, the Office for Sustainability annually facilitates the refinement, distribution, and analysis of the Western Michigan University Student Sustainability Survey. All students are encouraged to take the survey to determine student priorities for campus projects, actions, and initiatives. The survey helps WMU promote a campus culture of sustainability and garners attention from local media in Southwest Michigan. Survey results are revealed each year at a town-hall style celebration and discussion. Survey Goals 1.Assess awareness and support of the Sustainability Fee and associated projects 2.Attract students with no prior association with sustainability at WMU and introduce them to opportunities to advance their involvement 3.Further engage students already involved in sustainability at WMU and gain their feedback for advancing initiatives and reaching more of the general student population 4.Pilot a literacy assessment component with the 2014 survey Methods A best practice review included literacy assessments from schools such as Ohio State University, Cornell University, Appalachian State University and University of Maryland. Researchers developed 18 questions, and they revised survey content with the assistance of Dr. Harold Glasser, Executive Director for Campus Sustainability, and Doctoral Assistant Katherine Binder. Surveys were administered via a secure university webpage. A link to the survey was widely published through standard university channels. How Did You Hear About the Survey? Sustainability Literacy Assessment Sample Questions Town Hall 35 students attended the post survey town-hall. Survey results were presented and open discussion followed. Discussion topics included: Getting more students to take the survey Explaining how the fee is used Gaining involvement of satellite campuses Developing a strategy to incorporate student feedback into WMU policy and practice Lessons Learned Not all 1,356 students that started the survey completed it The largest loss of student participants occurred after the first page of the literacy assessment Promotion of the Town Hall event needs to increase and vary in order to get higher attendance with a more diverse audience Need to increase general awareness within the student body of the Student Sustainability Fee fund allocation (indicated below) Presentation Authors Erin Denay, Communications Student Anne Copeland, Administrative Assistant Western Michigan University Office for Sustainability, Kalamazoo, Michigan Michigan contains a number of wetlands. What is the primary benefit of wetlands? Which of the following sectors is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States? Reach 1,356 students respondents of 24,294 enrolled 84% of respondents were undergraduate students 16% of respondents were graduate students Sustainability Fee 2014 Sample Question “I am happy with how Sustainability Fee monies are being allocated and managed.” Ranked Action Priorities 1.Increase healthy food options on campus including local and diet sensitive options and the development of a student led Sustainable Café (46.3%) 2.Expand sustainability focused residential options on campus (31.52%) 3.Increase renewable energy infrastructure (38.76%) 4.Create an introductory sustainability course to fulfill general-education credits (34.65%) It is worth noting that increasing healthy food options on campus and reducing campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions (stated in 2014 survey “Increase renewable energy infrastructure (i.e., solar, wind, geothermal)”) were consistently rated by students as top priorities in the 2011 though 2014 surveys. Sustainability Literacy Topics Piloted Renewable resources Local major pollution event history Benefits of wetlands Bioaccumulation & biomagnification of pollutants (specifically PCB’s) Effective food production & consumption (dietary gap) Habitat & biodiversity loss Largest contributors to GHG Social justice Exponential growth Global population history Current state of world’s ecosystems Local poverty rate Distribution of wealth in the United States Expected quality of life in the future As more sustainability related courses are added to the curriculum, the sustainability literacy assessment will provide metrics to track student knowledge of sustainability during their education at WMU. I do not know how it is spent 41% No 4% Undecided 13% No, but I support the concept 12% Yes 29%