Researchers at Utah State University conducted focus groups with students from each of the university's eight colleges to better understand student perspectives on sustainability and how to improve sustainability programs. The focus groups explored student awareness of current sustainability efforts, involvement of their college, and how students might prefer to engage with sustainability through courses, events, or personal actions. Preliminary findings showed differing levels of environmental concern across colleges and contrasting preferences regarding participation in sustainability events. Ongoing analysis aims to identify both similarities and differences between student groups to inform targeted outreach and marketing efforts.

1. understanding similarities & differences in sustainable perspectives
Research Mentor: Dr. Mark Brunson
Camilla Bottelberghe dept. of environment & society, utah state university | Viviane Baji dept. of economics, utah state university
problem
methods
Sustainability organizations at USU are able to
reach students who are already interested in and
knowledgable about sustainability, but they
often struggle to get participation and interest
from all of the students at USU.
Our project was created to meet two goals
- Get perspectives and suggestions from
students who are not traditionally interested in
Sustainability by holding a focus group with
students from each of the eight colleges at USU
- Using what we learn from the focus groups to
improve sustainability programs on campus
- Eight focus groups, one for each college
- We selected the first 7-9 students per college
to sign-up, avoiding selection based on gender,
age, or year in school
- We recruited students by placing posters in
buildings around the campus, as well as sending
out an e-mail from the students’ colleges
- Hour-long focus groups, with incentives for
participants
- Six main discussion questions
ongoing research
application
- College-specific marketing is necessary to
reach a wider group of students
- Collaborate with the Student Sustainability
Office to incorporate findings into outreach
efforts and campus events
- Invest in marketing that targets the
commonalities between all eight groups of
students
- Hold remaining focus groups
- Continue analysis of the results, with an
emphasis on differences and similarities
between groups
- Potentially create and distribute a follow up
survey
discussion questionsWhat aspects of sustainability efforts on campus are you aware of?
How involved is your college with sustainability?
How do you think you and students in your college would be most
interested in engaging with Sustainability? (Coursework, events,
service, personal actions, etc.)
What, if anything, might be preventing you and other students from
getting more involved? What would make it easier?
Are there areas of Sustainability that students from your college find
particularly important? Recycling, Food,Transportation, Curriculum
etc.
Being from your college, do you have any suggestions or hopes for
making sustainability a part of student life?
ENGINEERING
STUDENTS
Group atmosphere
Environmental concern
Personal, everyday actions
No group commitments
Experience & resume building
Technology & infrastructure
tangible results
commonality
natural
resources
fine arts
humanities
& social
sciences
education
science
business
engineering
agriculture
NATURAL
STUDENTS
resources
contrasting preferences regarding partcipation in sustainability events