The Impact of Education for Sustainability: 2011 and 2013 NSSE SEC Data William M. Throop Green Mountain College Sept. 30, 2014

The Aims of the NSSE Sustainability Education Consortium To acquire cross institution data sets on students’ engagement with aspects of sustainability throughout their educations. To enable member institutions to assess their strengths and weaknesses with respect to sustainability education compared to peers. To provide one source of assessment data for AASHE’s STARS.

National Survey of Student Engagement - NSSE Survey of approximately 85 questions administered annually at colleges and universities (usually administered every 2-3 years) Administered to FY and SR students – GMC percentages in % FY, 68% SR Engagement is an established proxy for quality of learning NSSE consortia add 20 questions

Creation of the NSSE SEC questions Throop/Jensen created initial draft 2010 Goal of integrating key aspects of sustainability education into NSSE question framework Review by AASHE board members/staff and by NSSE staff Administered 2011 and revised based on results and responses from members

SEC Members 2011 California State University, Monterey Bay College of the Atlantic Green Mountain College Luther College Prescott College St. Olaf College Unity College Washington and Lee University 2013 Clarkson University Eastern Mennonite University Green Mountain College Lewis and Clark College Portland State University Sewanee: University of the South Susquehanna University U. of Arkansas at Little Rock Winston-Salem State University

My Questions On what dimensions of sustainability education are consortium schools missing significant percentages of students? How should we make student engagement with sustainability broader and deeper? What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of Green Mountain College’s approach to sustainability education? How can the survey instrument be improved and used more fruitfully?

Green Mountain College: An Overview 850 students (250 graduate students) 180 years old; 19 years with an environmental focus Mission: Green Mountain College prepares students for fulfilling lives by taking the goal of creating just and sustainable societies as the unifying theme for its interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate liberal arts education. The College fosters the ideals of environmental and personal responsibility, civic engagement, entrepreneurial spirit, and global understanding. 37 credit general education curriculum organized around sustainability 22 liberal arts and pre-professional majors A strategic plan focused on achieving authentic sustainability(socially, economically and environmentally).

First Year StudentsSeniors GMC 2011 N=44 GMC 2013 N=58 SEC 2013 N=1020 GMC 2011 N=60 GMC 2013 N= 72 SEC 2013 N=1895 During the school year how often have you 1a. Completed an assignment that evaluates the sustainability of some activity. Never5%3%23%17%6%27% Sometimes18%28%36%25%20%37% Often46%23%26%25%35%23% Very often31%46%16%33%40%13% 1b. Made a significant contribution to a group project Never0%8%0%7% Sometimes15%34%9%18% Often50%38%43%34% Very often34%21%49%41%

First Year StudentsSeniors GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 During the School year, how often have you 1c. Integrated knowledge from multiple academic disciplines in working on a project. Never2%3%9%8%0%7% Sometimes20%17%30%19%11%24% Often46%43%39%37%29%36% Very often32%36%22%36%59%33% 1d. Completed an assignment that evaluates our responsibilities to future generations. Never3%7%30%16%3%27% Sometimes21%31% 29%35%34% Often38%33%26%30% 24% Very often38%29%13%25%32%14%

GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 213 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 During the school year, how much has your coursework emphasized the following? 2a. Understanding the complex relationships between economic, social, and ecological systems Very little5% 14%17%4%17% Some8%21%35%23%10%28% Quite a bit34%30%31%33%36%29% Very much53%45%20%27%50%26% 2b. Evaluating the moral dimensions of social and/or environmental problems Very little3% 16%8%3%16% Some11%10%28%21%15%28% Quite a bit32%38%35%40%33%31% Very much55%48%20%30%49%25% 2c. Comprehending ways in which human activities may exceed the carrying capacity of systems that support us Very little0%3%20%12%4%23% Some8%12%33%21%17%30% Quite a bit40%37%28%33%34%26% Very much52%47%18%34%45%21%

GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 During the current school year, about how often have you done each of the following? 3a. Participated in a campus or community sustainability project. Never13%17%53%17%11%58% Sometimes53%36%29%33%42%26% Often20%24%11%22%25%9% Very often14%22%8%27%22%6% 3b. Altered your behavior to become more sustainable. Never0%5%28%5%3%19% Sometimes32%31%36%32%31%39% Often36%35%25%37%43%28% Very often32%29%11%26%23%15% 3c. Went on a field trip in your bioregion. Never9% 68%32%26%67% Sometimes16%37%18%26%31%20% Often33%27%9%16%17%8% Very often42%28%5%25%26%5%

GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 To what extent does your institution emphasize each of the following? 4a. Taking responsibility for the welfare of your communities Very little6%2%10%9%6%14% Some22%14%25%23%19%32% Quite a bit 35%38%37%24%32%35% Very much 37%47%28%43% 19% 4b. Learning about sustainability. Very little0% 9%3%0%12% Some7%4%23%5% 28% Quite a bit 26%17%34%23%21%33% Very much 67%79%34%68%73%27% 4c. Understanding local economies and/or ecosystems Very little3%2%12%11%4%16% Some18%14%32%10%13%33% Quite a bit 28%35%32%30%31%33% Very much 51%49%23%49%53%18%

GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? 5a. Articulating a vision of a just and sustainable society. Very little7%0%18%7%3%11% Some21%20%36%18%16%31% Quite a bit36% 30%34%29%35% Very much36%43%15%41%52%23% 5b. Acquiring skills to lead or facilitate group activities. Very little12%13%6%13% Some28%33%24%32% Quite a bit40%35%31%32% Very much21%19%39%23% 5c. Understanding the consequences of your choices. Very little2%5%12%4%5%14% Some21% 27%18% 29% Quite a bit42% 37%39%42%34% Very much36%33%24%40%36%23%

First year students GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? 5d. Understanding the economic dimensions of sustainability Very little7%21%3%22% Some24%37%25%35% Quite a bit36%27%40%28% Very much33%15%29%15% 5e. Acquiring the skills to help organizations become more sustainable. Very little5%22%7%27% Some25%36%24%34% Quite a bit35%28%39%26% Very much34%13%30%13% 5f. Understanding issues of social justice Very little9%16%7%16% Some31%33%20%30% Quite a bit32% 38%30% Very much28%19%35%22%

First year students Seniors GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 GMC 2011 GMC 2013 SEC 2013 To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? 5g Persevering in achieving long-term goals despite adversity Very little 3%15%8%17% Some29% Quite a bit 35%34%28%32% Very much 33%22%35%23%

Consortium Conclusions The good news:Overall, consortium students believed their institutions emphasized learning about sustainability and a fairly high percentage of students (>50%) indicating significant engagement with sustainability. The highest scores were on items related to general skills, e.g. 1c Integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines (69% of seniors),1b Made a significant contribution to a group project (75% of seniors), rather than specific sustainability knowledge. The bad news: On many items, more than 50% of consortium students had little or no engagement with sustainability, and specifically, participation in sustainability projects is low (3a: 82%/84% never or only sometimes engaged in projects).

Consortium anomalies Students said institutions emphasized understanding local economies and/or ecosystems (4c: 66% of seniors),though ironically more than 60% FY/SR never went on a field trip in the bioregion. There is a vision/skills gap: 58% of seniors say that have a vision of just and sustainable society (5a), but only 39% say they have the skills to increase an organization’s sustainability (5e). Between FY and SR years, there is almost no change in the perceived institutional contribution to perseverance (5g). Indeed, there is surprisingly little difference between the FY level of engagement and SR engagement, both for the consortium and GMC. Seniors report some increased understanding of complex systems and of a vision for a just and sustainable society.

Green Mountain College Conclusions As a result of GMC’s sustainability-themed gen. ed. program ELA, between 90% and 100% of students report some engagement with most of the sustainability items. 95% of students report sometimes altering their behavior to become more sustainable, with about 2/3’s doing so often or very often. The education appears to be changing behavior. The GMC means for seniors have risen significantly from 2011 to 2013, probably as a result of ELA revisions. Still 30% of students graduate without thinking they have significantly improved their skills in moving an organization towards sustainability.

Possible implications for GMC Where the consortium has little sustainability impact on 50 – 60% of students, GMC has little skills/personal development impact on 30%, which is still too high. For example, GMC should focus more on developing the capacity to persevere in achieving long-term goals despite adversity; almost 1/3 of students say that capacity, which is critical for success, has not been significantly strengthened. Even though almost all students engage in group projects, almost 30% say the institution has done little to enhance skills of facilitating group projects, a key leadership skill we should cultivate.

Additional GMC sustainability education assessments Outcomes assessments on 26 general education sustainability/liberal arts learning outcomes Alumni sustainability impact survey Delicate Balance capstone sustainability statement and project Evolution of student learning goals

Next steps Engage faculty/staff/administrators in planning aout how to expand the range of students who acquire sustainability skills and knowledge. More explicitly tie institutions' sustainability emphasis to a range of learning activities - especially skills development - in order to close the vision/skills gap. Systematically compare GMC’s NSSE survey results with its gen. ed. outcomes assessment to test the validity of the former. Enlarge the consortium, and review/revise the questions.