Environmental Awareness Survey
The Office of Environmental Policy began surveying the UConn student body in 2004 in order to gauge the level of environmental awareness and knowledge in the student population. The survey has taken place every other year since 2004. Below are tables that have compiled responses from 2004-2010. Additional questions were added to the 2010 survey and the results from these can accessed here.
Below is the list of questions that were asked on the Environmental Survey administered in alternating years between 2004 and 2010.
1) What is the most important environmental issue on campus? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Trash/litter | 23% | 25% | 17% | 11% |
| Recycling | 7% | 19% | 20% | 26% |
| Water issues | 3% | 12% | 20% | 12% |
| Air pollution | 5% | 7% | 2% | 2% |
| Energy issues | 5% | 5% | 17% | 25% |
| Global Warming | 0% | 0% | 4% | 0% |
| Other | 2% | 4% | 2% | 8% |
| Unsure/Left Blank | 55% | 28% | 18% | 10% |
2) In comparison to other UConn students, how important is the environment to you? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very important | 34% | 30% | 63% | N/A |
| Somewhat important | 45% | 53% | 31% | N/A |
| Not very important | 13% | 14% | 4% | N/A |
| Not at all important | 4% | 3% | 1% | N/A |
| Blank | 4% | 0% | 1% | N/A |
3) How important is it to you that UConn's new buildings be designed to conserve water and energy? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very important | 32% | 41% | 81% | 65% |
| Somewhat important | 46% | 47% | 16% | 32% |
| Not very important | 14% | 9% | 2% | 3% |
| Not at all important | 4% | 3% | 1% | 0% |
| Blank | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
4) How important is it to you that UConn purchase recycled and recyclable products? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very important | 39% | 46% | 76% | 67% |
| Somewhat important | 38% | 41% | 19% | 28% |
| Not very important | 13% | 10% | 2% | 5% |
| Not at all important | 4% | 3% | 1% | 0% |
| Blank | 6% | 0% | 2% | 0% |
5) How important is it to you that UConn consider using fuel-efficient vehicles and alternative fuels to run its vehicles? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very important | 24% | 48% | 73% | 58% |
| Somewhat important | 45% | 38% | 21% | 29% |
| Not very important | 22% | 11% | 4% | 10% |
| Not at all important | 5% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Blank | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
6) How important is it to you that UConn consider renewable energy sources for its energy needs? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very important | 24% | 39% | 76% | 65% |
| Somewhat important | 45% | 48% | 18% | 31% |
| Not very important | 22% | 10% | 3% | 4% |
| Not at all important | 5% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Blank | 4% | 1% | 2% | 0% |
7) In comparison to other UConn students, how important is it to you to recycle the products you use? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | |
| Very important | 31% | 36% | 75% |
| Somewhat important | 46% | 45% | 20% |
| Not very important | 14% | 16% | 2% |
| Not at all important | 4% | 3% | 1% |
| Blank | 5% | 0% | 2% |
8) What types of items do you regularly recycle on UConn's campus? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Newspapers | N/A | 57% | 79% | 81% |
| Bottles/Cans | 55% | 77% | 93% | 95% |
| Mixed Paper | 50% | 29% | 73% | 65% |
| Cardboard | N/A | 12% | 52% | 67% |
| Sneakers | N/A | 8% | 12% | 7% |
| E-waste | N/A | N/A | N/A | 13% |
| Other | N/A | 1% | 8% | 0% |
| Blank | 9% | 0% | 3% | 0% |
9) What types of items do you regularly recycle at your home away from UConn? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Newspapers | N/A | 76% | 81% | N/A |
| Bottles/Cans | 75% | 91% | 95% | N/A |
| Mixed Paper | 63% | 44% | 69% | N/A |
| Cardboard | N/A | 52% | 75% | N/A |
| Sneakers | N/A | 8% | 12% | N/A |
| Other | N/A | 5% | 11% | N/A |
| Blank | 9% | 0% | 3% | N/A |
10) What do you think about the location of recycling containers on campus? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very convenient | 11% | 18% | 25% | N/A |
| Somewhat convenient | 43% | 40% | 53% | N/A |
| Not very convenient | 26% | 32% | 17% | N/A |
| Not at all convenient | 11% | 10% | 3% | N/A |
| Blank | 9% | 0% | 2% | N/A |
11) How confident are you that items placed in recycling bins at UConn are actually being recycled? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Very confident | N/A | 19% | 17% | N/A |
| Somewhat confident | N/A | 47% | 52% | N/A |
| Not very confident | N/A | 22% | 22% | N/A |
| Not at all confident | N/A | 12% | 8% | N/A |
| Blank | N/A | 0% | 1% | N/A |
12) What would be the single best way to encourage students to recycle more at UConn? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| More bins in academic buildings | 21% | 23% | 16% | 23% |
| More bins in residences | 25% | 26% | 19% | N/A |
| More bins in dining halls | 6% | 13% | 6% | N/A |
| More accessible bins around campus | 17% | 18% | 13% | 42% |
| More Recycling Outreach | N/A | N/A | N/A | 25% |
| More Janitorial training | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10% |
| More clearly marked bins | 19% | 16% | 22% | N/A |
| Other (specify) | 0% | 4% | 14% | N/A |
| Blank | 12% | 0% | 10% | N/A |
13) What would be the best way to encourage UConn students to use bicycles more on campus? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| More bike paths | 38% | 29% | 20% | 25% |
| More bike racks | 22% | 23% | 17% | N/A |
| More storage facilities | 29% | 23% | 21% | 43% |
| Loaner program | N/A | 23% | 28% | 22% |
| More bicycle signage | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10% |
| Other (specify) | N/A | 2% | 9% | N/A |
| Blank | 11% | 0% | 5% | N/A |
14) What types of things do you do to conserve water/energy on UConn's campus? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Limit shower time | N/A | 33% | 38% | 37% |
| Use a clothing rack to dry clothes | N/A | 14% | 16% | 13% |
| Turn off lights when not in use | N/A | 78% | 88% | 89% |
| Turn off electronics when not in use | N/A | 58% | 74% | 69% |
| Turn off the water while brushing my teeth or shaving |
N/A | N/A | N/A | 73% |
| Save my laundry for when I have full loads | N/A | N/A | N/A | 79% |
| Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of incandescent bulbs |
N/A | N/A | N/A | 39% |
| Lower thermostat when leaving the room | N/A | 30% | 41% | 38% |
| Use double sided copies | N/A | 26% | 62% | N/A |
| Use reusable plates, cups, utensils | N/A | 43% | 59% | N/A |
| Carry reusable coffee mug | N/A | 21% | 42% | N/A |
| Other | N/A | 2% | 8% | N/A |
| Blank | N/A | 0% | 5% | N/A |
15) Would you be willing to pay $2 more in student fees per semester to reduce UConn's impact on the environment? (See the Graph)
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Yes | N/A | 79% | 75% | 64% |
| No | N/A | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| Don't Know | N/A | 9% | 14% | 12% |
| More than $5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11% |
| Less than $5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3% |
16) Have you ever heard of the EcoHusky student group at UConn? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Yes | 65% | 80% | 88% |
| No | 35% | 18% | 12% |
| Blank | 0% | 2% | 0% |
16A) If yes, what interaction with EcoHusky have you had? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Seen Articles | 33% | 51% | 76% |
| Visited website | 5% | 27% | 35% |
| Active member | 1% | 4% | 10% |
| Volunteered for event | 1% | 8% | 16% |
| Attended meeting | 1% | 8% | 12% |
| Seen Poster | 40% | 53% | 89% |
| Other | 8% | 12% | 0% |
17) Which one group best describes your ethnicity? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | |
| African American | 5% | 2% |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native | 1% | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 4% | 5% |
| Caucasian | 80% | 80% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2% | 3% |
| Bi/Multi-racial | 3% | 3% |
| Other | 2% | 4% |
| Blank | 2% | 7% |
18) Your accumulated college credits at the end of the current semester will allow you to be classified as: (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Freshman | 8% | 4% | 21% |
| Sophomore | 30% | 14% | 23% |
| Junior | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| Senior | 28% | 24% | 29% |
| Graduate | 8% | 36% | 8% |
| Blank | 0% | 3% | N/A |
19) In what school is your current major? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Agriculture and Nat. Resources | 9% | 3% | 3% |
| Fine Arts | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Business | 8% | 14% | 7% |
| CLAS | 48% | 52% | 61% |
| Engineering | 9% | 7% | 9% |
| Nursing or Pharmacy | 3% | 9% | 7% |
| Other/Undecided | 21% | 13% | 8% |
20) To the best of your knowledge, what is your current GPA? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | |
| 3.7 - 4.0 | 18% | 40% |
| 2.7 - 3.6 | 72% | 52% |
| 1.7 - 2.6 | 8% | 4% |
| 0.7 - 1.6 | 0% | 0% |
| 0.0 - 0.6 | 0% | 0% |
| Blank | 2% | 4% |
21) Do you currently live on or off campus? (See the Graph)
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | |
| On-campus | 81% | 52% | 75% |
| Off-campus | 18% | 46% | 25% |
| Blank | 1% | 2% | N/A |
22) Are you male or female? (See the Graph)
| Year | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 |
| Male | 48% | 35% | 31% |
| Female | 50% | 61% | 69% |
| Blank | 2% | 4% | N/A |
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