Ecological Literacy Evaluation of The University of Iceland Faculty, Staff, and Students; Implications for a University Sustainability Policy

• Main Author: Davidson, Mary Frances, 1985-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði; Háskóli Íslands; Sjálfbærni; Vistfræði; Jarðfræði; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/5524

In celebration of its centennial in 2011, the University of Iceland will introduce a new policy. As the world recognizes the need to transition toward a more sustainable society, many higher education institutions are aiming to become models of sustainability. One step in creating a policy is to assess cultural values and attitudes on campus. This thesis explores the levels of ecological literacy of the University of Iceland community, and suggests ways this information can be used when creating and implementing the new sustainability policy. As David Orr (1992) explains, ecological literacy is a term used to describe the art of living well on our spaces. This ability is based on our knowledge, values, behaviors, and on our general understanding of how our actions impact larger systems. Data was collected through an email survey of the University of Iceland community. In general, environmental values were positive, while behavior and background knowledge about sustainability issues need improvement. The data also shows trends of ecological literacy in different groups on campus. With this information about the culture at the university, policymakers are better equipped to design a policy and implementation strategy that meets the specific needs of the campus community at the University of Iceland. If ecological literacy improvement is the goal, then implementing education for sustainability is a tool to achieve the goal. The University of Iceland can learn from existing programs and strategies from other universities to integrate education for sustainability into its educational framework./ Í tilefni af aldarafmæli sínu árið 2011 mun Háskóli Íslands koma á fót nýrri sjálfsbærnistefnu. Á tímum þar sem nauðsyn þess að skapa sjálfbærara samfélag er viðurkennd leitast menntastofnanir við að leggja línurnar hvað sjálfbærni varðar. Stórt skref í sköpun árangursríkrar sjálfbærnistefnu er að móta hana í takt við núverandi viðhorf og gildi í háskólasamfélaginu. Meistararitgerðin kannar vistfræðilegan skilning í samfélagi ...