January 20, 2016
Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program Highlight
Led by U-M's renowned Graham Sustainability Institute, the Institute for Social Research and the Survey Research Center's Bob Marans continue to collaborate on the comprehensive Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program. The study is designed to assess sustainability knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes across U-M students, faculty, and staff over time. This groundbreaking effort is designed to inform educational programs and campus operations at the university, and is an outgrowth of the Community Awareness goal area of the U-M Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment. Watch the video below for an overview of the program.
Building on information gleaned from focus groups, two questionnaires were designed and administered to samples of university students, faculty, and staff in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014 and Fall 2015. The web surveys yielded annual responses from more than 3,500 students and 1,500 faculty and staff members. Questions cover travel and transportation, waste prevention and conservation, the natural environment, climate change, food, and engagement, awareness, and ratings of campus sustainability initiatives. Survey data are supplemented with geographic data covering campus buildings where respondents live, work and study.
In order to increase awareness around the University, the program put together a Call to Action summarized in the following video.
For more information visit the Sustainability Cultural Indicator website.