Annual Sustainability Pulse Survey: Open Nov. 1 - Dec. 3
View the 2021 Sustainability Literacy Answer Key here
Beginning November 1, the Office of Sustainability is asking all students, staff, and faculty to participate in our second annual Sustainability Pulse Survey. The survey will remain open until December 3 and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey will have a chance to win a pair of Apple AirPods!
"As this is our second annual sustainability survey, we are excited to see how perceptions and understanding about sustainability have evolved across the campus community,” says Heather Hyde, Director of Sustainability. “Since our last sustainability survey, we have implemented several new projects and initiatives to support engagement, decrease our environmental impact, and foster a culture of sustainability throughout Western. We are now seeking feedback on awareness of our efforts and progress.”
There are three main aspects to the survey: sustainability literacy, sustainability at Western, and community interest and engagement. The sustainability literacy portion is designed to take the pulse of the campus community that will more broadly measure the understanding of sustainability issues. The sustainability at Western portion is designed to gauge the campus community’s knowledge of Western’s current sustainability initiatives and projects. Finally, the community interest and engagement portion of the survey allows for understanding how students, staff, and faculty engage with sustainability.
The results of the 2020 survey indicate that the Western community has a good understanding of the principles of sustainability, including waste diversion, active transportation, energy conservation, and concepts related to social sustainability. The results also indicate that there is a strong passion for sustainability across the campus community. Evidence of this can be seen through the sign-up of nearly 150 students in the first year of the Western Sustainability Leaders Program (WSLP) which brings together students interested in sustainability, the Office of Sustainability, and other professionals in the broader community to engage in sustainability related topics and initiatives. The 2020 survey also identified opportunities to increase awareness of Western’s initiatives and the progress the university is making in its sustainability efforts such as deep energy retrofits, installation of more EV charging stations, and promoting health of natural spaces on campus.
“To see effective and lasting change, we need to create a strong culture of sustainability on campus,” says Hyde, “This is only possible if the campus community comes together and remains unwavering in their commitment to sustainability and engage in ways that support this belief.” The Sustainability Pulse survey helps to identify which aspects of sustainability the campus community deems important.
