Sustainability Focus Group Findings Elon Students BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In Elon University’s 2007-2008 Institutional Priorities, the university stated the importance of creating a sustainable environment at Elon. The university has taken initiatives in the past to institute sustainable efforts on campus; however, these efforts were mainly done behind the scenes. This year, the Environmental Council is trying to make Elon’s sustainability efforts more public. The student researchers’ purpose of study was to determine the current attitudes and behaviors of Elon students towards sustainability efforts on Elon’s campus. This information could potentially be used by the Elon University administration to implement more effective policies that encourage student participation in the sustainability efforts on campus. METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES Student researchers conducted a focus group on October 2, 2007, with Elon students. This focus group was composed of two students from each class at Elon. A total of five women and three men were present. The students that attended the focus group did not have to meet any specific requirements. Each student researcher was in charge of recruiting two students from an assigned class level. Focus group participants were chosen at random by each student researcher. The format for the focus group was as follows: Participants were asked to introduce themselves and share information about their typical weekend experiences. Next, participants were asked to do a word association with previously determined words relating to the environment and sustainability. The words included: green, recycle, environment, energy, biodiesel, sustainable, conservation, reduce, and reuse. Students spent an average of one to three minutes per word sharing the first thoughts that came into their mind, whether it was a positive or negative association. Students were then asked to share their insights about awareness concerning sustainability on campus. Students listed several organizations that currently exist on campus. Participants were then asked to discuss current environmental issues worldwide. The students then were asked to narrow the focus back to Elon. They were then asked how they heard about the information previously provided. Students were then asked about their current behaviors and thought processes with regard to sustainability. Participants were split into two groups and given slips of paper with facts about sustainability at Elon. They were asked to rank the facts by level of personal importance and then explain their reasoning.
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The last part of the discussion sought to find out what students wanted Elon to do to improve its sustainability efforts. The students were also asked to examine what they thought they could do to improve their own efforts. DETAILED FINDINGS Environmental Issues at Elon "The campus continues to water the grass twenty times a day at noon. Just throwing that out there." "Also at midnight, and at two" "Actually, there was one sprinkler we noticed that was on...We went to go do something and then six hours later we came back and the SAME sprinkler was on...it was watering under like benches, so I went over and turned it off." "Sloan is messed up when it comes to heat energy. It comes on like you're in an inferno and then you're either in an inferno or you're freezing.” Contrary to what we believed prior to conducting the focus group, Elon students are generally aware about environmental issues that affect Elon’s campus. Elon students do not seem to be frustrated by the loss of trays in the dining halls or the restriction on paper through the Pharos Print Management System; rather, students are concerned about the energy and water consumption on campus. Part of this recognition comes from the occurrence of experiencing Elon’s campus on a daily basis and observing poor environmental decisions that the school is making first-hand. When asked to identify any environmental issues at Elon, the participants in the focus group seemed to come to a general consensus on four issues. The issues that were discussed included water usage, food waste, energy usage in the dorms, and electricity. The students generally agreed that Elon handled itself poorly in dealing with these issues. The amount of water used by Elon was brought up several times throughout the conversation. Students seemed to feel very passionately about this issue since it is one of the most visible forms of waste on campus. The students felt that Elon’s use of water reflected very poorly on the school since the sprinklers seem to be constantly on and watering the grass, even if it was raining outside. Students also seemed to be bothered that Elon had little regard for the drought that is currently plaguing the state of North Carolina. Students also noted that the food waste in the dining halls was something that Elon should pay more attention to. Energy usage in the dorms was another issue that was addressed by a majority of the students in the focus group. Many felt that the air conditioning and heating systems in the dorms were designed poorly, and as a result, a lot of unnecessary energy was lost. One person even directly mentioned that the heaters in
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Sloan wasted a lot of energy since they were not easy to control and seemed to be run at full blast. While Elon may not be able to directly control student behavior in their residence, the students felt this issue was extremely applicable to Elon as a whole. If air conditioning and heating systems were easier to control and could be monitored more easily, then perhaps energy would not be wasted in the dorms. While the students recognize that some of these issues are directly related to student behavior, they note that Elon should take a more active role in trying to change these behaviors. However, the issues of excessive water usage and food waste are two major issues that the students believe Elon has direct control over. This said, students think that Elon should take steps towards correcting these actions before trying to tell students how to adopt a sustainable way of life. Sustainability Initiatives by Elon "I was gonna say, I think the lights in the classroom turn on at certain times." "They have a mechanism that senses how cold it is and it has less air conditioning when the lights are off. I especially like the new pavilions..." "The trays in the dining halls, taking away the trays." "A seven million dollar parking garage." "A seven million dollar parking garage?” "Actually, it may be more." "Why is it on the sustainability budget?” "That's gonna be the ugliest eyesore on earth." "I agree, but it's on the agenda." "I'm so confused, how is that sustainable?" "Cause it’s layers of cars instead of a laned parking lot." "Ohhhh. That was sneaky." Overall, we found that students are very aware of a variety of sustainable activities that Elon is currently participating in. The students in the focus group were able to very easily list different ways that Elon is trying to create a more sustainable campus. The idea of “green” buildings was mentioned several times by the students. They felt very strongly that Elon was taking the initiative to reduce the amount of energy academic buildings consumed. In regards to green buildings, students mentioned that Elon currently has systems in place to shut off computers every night and use motion sensor lights in some classrooms. This recognition of Elon’s efforts shows that students are somewhat aware of steps that Elon is taking in its efforts to become more sustainable. Other steps that students were aware of include the increased availability of recycling on campus. Students have noticed
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a huge increase in the number of recycling bins in classrooms and around the entire campus. Students also mentioned the Pharos Print Management System and its efforts to cut back on paper. Other Elon initiatives mentioned included the elimination of trays in the dining halls and the addition of electronic cushmans, Zipcars, and hybrid campus safety cars. However, it seemed as if students were only aware of the visible additions that Elon has made to the campus. Also, the sustainable actions the students mentioned all have a direct influence on them in some way. Awareness of Elon Students “We have to say it on the tours.” “I’m on Phoenix14. I think we might have done a story on [the water irrigation initiative].” “[Elon students] probably know about the Pharos System [initiative].” “They publicized that like crazy.” Overall, the focus group participants seemed to be very much aware of the many sustainable/environmental groups on campus and did not have trouble listing them. The students listed many different sources in terms of where they heard about sustainability on Elon’s campus and did not seem to pinpoint one source as being the only means for obtaining information on the issue. The sources our participants listed for obtaining information about sustainability on Elon’s campus were The Pendulum, E-net, Student Government, word of mouth, physically seeing the change, posters in dining halls and emails. After hearing a list of facts about actions Elon has taken to become more sustainable, all of the focus group participants were aware of at least one of the actions. One student said he was aware of all of the facts, while the rest of the students admitted to only being aware of some of the facts. The majority of students admitted to being aware of the efforts that affected them personally, such as the Pharos Print Management System and the increased amount of places to recycle on campus. Students stated that they heard about the less known initiatives through campus clubs and jobs. The students did not offer any further suggestions about other sources through which Elon can spread the word about sustainability, so we assume that Elon does not need to change their communication means at this time. Some of the students were not aware of certain initiatives Elon has taken to become more sustainable. Current Behaviors of Elon Students
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“I like to come home to a well lit house.” “I know living with a bunch of people, you’re more likely to take carpools. You could be like, ‘ok I’m going to Wal-Mart.’ Five people will jump in your car before you say, ‘do you want to come?’” Where I live off campus, there’s nowhere to recycle. There’s just a dumpster. That’s it. And everyone just throws everything together. I definitely think living on campus now, it’s easier to recycle and conserve energy.” When talking about their current behaviors regarding sustainability, our focus group participants focused on these categories: recycling, light energy, computer energy, campus living and driving. When referring to recycling, our participants mentioned “paper” and “bottles/cans” as being the specific items that they recycled. The majority of our focus group participants said they recycled in some way. Only one participant admitted to not recycling at all. Most of the participants said they recycled sometimes, but not always, while stating convenience as the main reason for their behaviors. One person said they used the blue bag the campus provides to recycle. One student said that she used both sides of paper. Another participant said she recycles bottles, but not paper. A couple people stated that they did not recycle when they were unsure of whether the item was recyclable or not. This was mainly the case with paper, not bottles or cans. One person said that he waits until he comes across a recycling bin to dispose of his items. Recycling appears to go hand-in-hand with campus living, as students agreed that recycling is easier on campus than it is off campus. One student talked about how there were no means of recycling in his townhouse and that there were only dumpsters. Another participant said she recycles more at Elon than she does at her permanent home. One student said, however, that he goes through more garbage while living on campus because everything is packaged and processed. Driving also appears to go hand-in-hand with campus living. Most of the students who live on campus said they drive their cars less, since they can walk to their classes and because they do not want to be fined for parking in certain areas. One student who lives on campus said he drives everywhere after 5:30 p.m. because he is too lazy to walk. Another student said that she carpools a lot with her friends to go to places off campus like Wal-Mart, since many students do not have cars. When asked whether they turn off their lights when leaving the room, our participants were split down the middle. Some people said that they do turn off the lights, while others said they do not. Most of the students that do turn off the lights do so based on habit. Some of the students who turn of their lights do it as a conscious effort. The students that do not turn off lights when leaving seem to do so based on their personal preference to return to a lit room and because they do not care.
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When asked whether they turn their computers off at night when not in use, one person admitted to actually turning hers off and unplugging it. Another student said that he leaves his computer on, but turns off the computers in his job when he leaves at night, because no one will be using them. The rest of the participants said that they did not turn their computes off, but some people said they put their computers on sleep-mode to reduce energy usage. One participant said he plugs all of his electronics in at night because they need charging. Overall, it seems that students in the focus group participate in at least one of these sustainable activities. The two main reasons for participating in these behaviors were convenience and habit. However, many of the participants did mention suggestions for increasing sustainable behavior. This will be discusses later. Influencing factors “There is this commercial and it was a fish bowl [that] had little fishies in it and they were swimming around. And it shows a lady turn on a tap (she’s brushing her teeth) and then the water level in the fish bowl slowly drains and [the fish] are flopping around and it’s really bad.” “No I don’t recycle. Hmm why not? Because I never did it as a kid? Because I’m always trying to figure out how I can get stuff, not how I can replenish stuff. I think a lot of it has to do with my upbringing. Another part of it has to do with where my values are. Specifically, I’m not at a point where I’m focused on trying to preserve what’s there. I’m trying to get what I don’t have. You know what I mean? So, I guess that makes a difference as well. I dunno, it’s not that it’s inconvenient, it’s just out of my mind. I just don’t really think about it.” “I do more than I did last year because this year we’re actually given one of those little blue bags for recycling in the dorms. We never got one last year. So I mean I tried a few times, but basically it was just inconvenient for me to split things up and it was taking space up in my room that I didn’t have. So I didn’t do it, but I do now. Because of convenience sake, if I’m not near my recycle bag in the room, I don’t do it. Sometimes when I’m on campus I’ll just throw everything in the recycling bin just in case it can be recycled. But then again that’s also convenience. If that’s not around, I’ll throw it in the trash and if there is no trash around and the recycle bin is there, I’ll have at it.” As a result of our focus group, we found that many factors other than just a general concern for the well being of the Earth influence the habits of Elon students. While conducting the focus group, we found that the students’ values, the media, up-bringing and convenience all play an important role in their efforts and level of participation in sustainable activities. According to the focus group members, many claimed that these values had been instilled in them as children.
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“Upbringing [motivates me to be sustainable]. I dunno, we’re just nature lovers, so I guess if I weren’t raised the same way I probably wouldn’t be as concerned about it. But we’re environmentalists.” Some of the participants noted that if they did not continue to follow these behaviors, they felt a sense of guilt. This could be due to a lack of obedience or knowing the possible repercussions to their actions. Another student stated that as a child, there was a commercial that ran on a specific channel daily. According to her, there was a fish bowl filled to the brim with goldfish. It shot to another person turning on a faucet and as the water rushed out, the water level within the bowl filled with fish, lowered drastically until they was none. However, when the faucet was turned off the bowl began to fill up and save the fish. A second student described a commercial that would often play on television when she was growing up. There was an animated house with a pond and a fish inhabitant nearby. A little boy was seen in the bathroom brushing his teeth with the sink running. As the water flowed out, the pond water drained. This was a very similar commercial to the one above. Both influenced the amount of water that the students used. It was also noted that some students were never taught or encouraged to be environmentally aware. There seemed to have the two extremes within the focus group. One student mentioned that she never recycled or monitored her water usage. To this day she still does not turn off lights, recycle, or control her water usage. This student also commented on the fact that her mindset was not focused on trying to preserve something, but rather trying to find and get what she needed for herself. A second student said that as a child, her parents emphasized being environmentally friendly. The family recycled everything they could and turned off all electricity whenever possible. Even though these two were quite opposite, the majority of the group said that their upbringing was semi-conscious about the environment and made an effort to help out. There were times, however, when paper was not recycled and lights or computers were left on. Convenience factored into their motivations and so did past habits. It was stated that the blue bags given to students upon moving into their dormitory had not only helped increase recycling, but reminded the students to recycle. As convenience motivated Elon students to participate in environmental efforts, it formed a positive habit. Personal views “I figure if I do the right thing, then at least I am not hurting anyone.” “If you don’t make a huge impact yourself, you’ll lead by example…so once you start doing it, then other people might.”
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“I think it’s bigger than just me doing things that may not be very convenient for myself, but I think combined effort is definitely going to make a difference. But like I said, I don’t think it makes that much difference on the grand scheme of things because there would have to be a lot of incentives put in place, (not only just for individuals, but corporations and governments), and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.” “I don’t think me personally is going to make that big of a difference, especially when the values behind this type of initiative hasn’t been reconstructed in our society.” During the focus group, we split the group into two and asked the students to rank facts about sustainability at Elon based on their personal level of importance. The facts ranged from the reduction of energy usage by Elon to amount of water used for irrigation. The groups were then asked to share their rankings and reasoning for listing the facts in the orders that they did. Surprisingly enough, the two groups listed the supplied facts in completely different orders. While one group’s top priority was Elon’s water usage, the other placed that fact as their least important. One group decided to list the facts based on what had already been done on campus to improve sustainability. The other group focused on what Elon could do to continue to improve its efforts to improve the environment. While many of the students felt that these issues were important, many noted that environmental issues are bigger than one person. Several of the students mentioned that they would like to see more incentives to participate in sustainable activities and others admitted that they would be more likely to participate if more people did. Some simply felt that one person cannot make a big difference. Costs & Benefits: “I think it’s good because if you didn’t do it before, maybe since there is more of an effort here, you might be more likely to recycle just because you’ve done it so much here and…if you didn’t do it before, you might be more likely to do it after you leave.” “Just because it’s a fad doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily a bad thing. It doesn’t matter how it was brought up, as long as it was brought up. It’s a good thing.” The participants of the focus group were able to name numerous costs and benefits of the current sustainability plan. We expected that they would be able to say decidedly whether the benefits outweighed the costs, but the group in general seemed to have split opinions. Many of the discussion participants felt that the programs that are in effect now are far more convenient than they have been in the past. They appreciate the efforts that are being made by the university and think it is very encouraging to see more people trying to be more involved. One of the main benefits that the group saw was that if students start
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to learn these values in college, perhaps they will carry on the behaviors and beliefs beyond graduation, wherever that may take them. All seemed to believe that what the university is doing is a step in the right direction and the effects are positive, but there is a lot more that can be done. As far as the costs students see in participation in these programs, students seemed most concerned about the financial costs they are incurring. After the 7.6 percent tuition hike in the past year, many students wonder if the benefits outweigh the costs. One male student mentioned that there are two sustainability coordinators, and he wonders if there is really such a great need for these positions to validate the costs of their salaries. One female student also said that she is already out of printing dollars this year due to the fact that most professors have been encouraged to print out fewer handouts, but are often requiring students to do so. In one respect, the efforts of the campus are saving paper, but in another way, it is costing students more because the professors are not capable of providing students with handouts. A male participant seemed quite convinced that this whole program is more a result of a fad than anything else. He does not seem to believe that it is going to last beyond a few years. A female student echoed his questioning of the fad mentality, wondering if the plans that are being implemented are long-term or short-term for the university. One male student countered this questioning by stating that just because it may have started as a fad, it is not necessarily a bad thing. What really matters is whether it sticks in the future. Several students mentioned the fear that the community may revert back to its previous behaviors, or that the efforts will plateau where we are now, when there is still plenty more to be done in the future. While students were able to name more specific costs than benefits, it is unclear whether they believe the costs are worth the benefits. Each student had his or her own opinion about the costs and benefits of the program, but there was no real consensus within the group. Improvements to be made to the program “In Octagon, the cups they give you, they’re not environmentally friendly at all. And so like if we could start to work some sort of system like, bring your own mug, like that’s a good first step, but there are a lot of other places on campus where there’s a lot more work that’s needed.” “They’ll sacrifice sustainability for what I call ‘prettiness.’ I mean the new Koury Business center fountain—that thing is monsterous. You know, I can’t even imagine how much water it uses just to go on for an hour.” “I feel like they’re using this sustainability project as another way to boost their image. And I don’t think it’s necessarily being used with the right mindset, with the right frame of mind. It’s like, how can we use this to kind of bolster our image as a university competing with other universities for admittance?”
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With this said, the students in the focus group had several suggestions for improvements that can be made to the program. Several students mentioned the conflicting messages sent by the university. As one female put it, the university’s devotion to “prettiness” has seemed to overshadow the devotion to sustainability. The new fountain at the Koury Business Center was mentioned as one of the features on our campus that defeats the purpose of the sustainability plan. One student questioned why the university spent so much money on a new “pretty” fountain when it could have been spent on something more useful related to sustainability and environmentalism. The fact that the campus is using more water on this fountain, in addition to the possibly excessive watering of the grass, is also a factor. Students seemed quite concerned with the frivolous use of water to water the grass all the time. While students take pride in the beauty of Elon’s campus, it seems that they fear the water is being wasted. Similarly, students mentioned that perhaps the university is only concerned with environmentalism and sustainability in order to boost its public image. They hold the belief that the university is just making an attempt to get a better reputation, which is reinforced by a statement from one student that the university fixes one problem and then “pats itself on the back,” without worrying about what else can be done. One student said that while the university is taking the right steps, it is just taking baby steps, which are “annoying.” The students believe that there are still obvious problems to be fixed, including the use of Styrofoam cups at dining locations and the fact that dining hall servers still heap plates with food, even without the trays. While the elimination of the trays was intended to reduce wasted food, the same excessive amount of food is given out. In general, students think that the university has the wrong mindset about the entire situation. Instead of being concerned about the environment, it seems the university is concerned about itself and its image. Students do not think that the plan itself seems sustainable, nor do they think that all of the issues are being addressed. Students believe that the sustainability planners need to be more concerned with a comprehensive, longterm plan. SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS We have concluded from the focus group findings that Elon students are not only aware about some of Elon’s sustainability efforts, but are open to becoming more involved in their endeavors. Students are genuinely concerned about environmental issues and the university’s impact. The following are more specific suggestions to improve Elon’s sustainability plan. Efficient Communication.
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Based on the comments made during the focus group about how students obtain information about sustainability on Elon’s campus, it seems as though Elon should continue to communicate their efforts the way they have been, which is through a variety of sources. Although the students are generally pleased with the current methods of communication on campus, they would like to be made more aware of all sustainability initiatives, even those that do not directly influence student life. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Elon students and the university seem to be on the same page with some of the new ways to be sustainable. By being open and receptive to new ideas, the sustainability initiatives on campus have become many and varied. Another way the school could encourage students to recycle more based on the comments made during the focus group is by implementing environmentally-friendly packaging for take-out food items. For example, the school could replace the Styrofoam cups in Octagon with recyclable materials and assign convenient, clearly marked designated areas to dispose of these items. The easier the better. Based on comments made during the focus group, it seems that most Elon students are willing to live more sustainable if it is convenient for them, specifically, in terms of recycling. At the moment, students only seem to be recycling paper and bottles/cans. If the school wants students to recycle more items, such as cardboard, then developing convenient and clearly marked areas to dispose of these items would likely result in a change of more sustainable student behavior in terms of the items they throw out. We have also learned that while many students are apathetic to environmental issues, they will participate in activities if it is convenient for them. For example, by placing the blue recycling bags in student rooms the university increases its chances of students participating in the recycling program. Also, by advertising the convenience of becoming sustainable, students are more likely to engage in sustainable behavior. Students may not necessarily view sustainability as their top priority, but by communicating the convenience of these behaviors, students may be more willing to participate.
Long term planning.
There seems to be a general consensus of Elon students that sustainability around the university’s campus is simply a fad. This could be a result of the university’s focus on
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improving daily student activities. While a master sustainability plan exists at Elon, it is not communicated well to the students. Many students feel that the university is participating in a “Go Green� fad simply because it has become a major concern for institutions. To be taken more seriously Elon needs to better show its commitment and seriousness to a long-term sustainability plan. This can be accomplished by involving every aspect of the university in its plan.
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