INTRODUCTION
The Peaks to Prairies Pollution Prevention Center is an EPA-funded project
operated by the Montana State University Extension Service. The Center serves
as a pollution prevention information clearinghouse for Colorado, Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. In cooperation with U.S. EPA Region
8 states, Peaks to Prairies looks for ways to encourage adoption of pollution
prevention practices by citizens, businesses, educational institutions and government
agencies. The Center networks with state and local pollution prevention service
providers by offering access to current information and contacts, encouraging
collaboration and leveraging of resources, and facilitating communication about
activities and projects.
APPROACH
A survey of vocational and technical schools in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming was conducted in the spring and summer of 2002.
The purpose of the survey was to determine how waste minimization, source reduction,
and pollution prevention concepts are being included in vocational training
programs. We also wanted to determine how schools preferred to receive information
about these topics. With the results, we hoped to publicize examples of how
curriculums are currently teaching this information as well as identify opportunities
for more integration. Survey results have been made available to help schools
refine existing programs and identify partnerships for future collaborations.
A cover letter was sent with the survey describing the goals and explaining
the role of the Peaks to Prairies Center. An incentive to complete the survey
was offered in the form of an attractive pollution prevention coffee mug.
Survey recipients were given six weeks to reply to the initial request for
information. Those who did not reply by that time were contacted by telephone.
Either hard copy or email copies of the survey were resent upon request. The
Peaks to Prairies Center continues to accept surveys.
SURVEY CONTENT
The survey included four sections:
- Contact Information
- Definition of Terms
- Curriculum
- General Institutional Management and Organization
Section 1. Contact Information – gathers information about how to further
contact the recipient if needed. It also gives them the options to keep information
confidential, allow information to be written as a case study and receive results
of the survey.
Section 2. Definition of Terms – defines pollution prevention and provides
example and defines environmental/regulatory compliance for the purpose of this
survey
Section 3. Curriculum – asks six questions with follow-up details to
determine if pollution prevention and compliance information are included in
the learning programs, how schools are receiving or would like to receive the
information used in classes, and how curriculum changes are managed at their
school.
Section 4. General Institutional Management and Organization – briefly
addresses campus operations – monitoring and managing waste and technical
assistance offered.
A copy of the survey instrument is included as attachment
A (Links to a pdf file. Use back button to return here.)
SURVEY
RECIPIENTS
Seventy-two public and private, nonprofit vocational and technical schools
in U.S. EPA Region 8 states (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah, Wyoming) were identified using the National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) database and list of regional tribal colleges.
Schools offered a variety of programs classified into the following twenty-five
categories by NCES:
1. Ag Business and Production
2. Agricultural Sciences
3. Area Ethnic & Cultural Studies
4. Business Mgmt & Services
5. Computer & Info Sciences
6. Communications Technology
7. Cons. & Renewable Resources
8. Construction Trades
9. Education
10. Engineering-Related Tech.
11. Health Professions & Related
12. Liberal/General Studies & Humanities
13. Library Science |
14. Marketing Op. & Distribution
15. Mechanics and Repairers
16. Multi-/Inter disciplinary Studies
17. Parks, Recreation, Leisure...
18. Personal & Misc. Services
19. Precision Production Trades
20. Protective Services
21. Public Admin. & Services
22. Science Technologies
23. Trans. & Material Moving
24. Visual and Performing Arts
25. Vocational Home Economics |
The schools were distributed among the states as follows:
Colorado – 20
Montana – 16
North Dakota – 9
South Dakota – 9
Utah – 10
Wyoming – 8
An alphabetical list of schools contacted is included as attachment
B.
RESPONSE
RATE
This table shows a summary of responses at each step of the survey process:
Contact
Mode |
#
Contacts |
#
Responses
(surveys) |
#
Responses
(verbal) |
Response
Rate |
Initial Mailing |
72 |
3 |
. |
4.2% |
Follow-Up Calls |
69 |
. |
14 |
18.8% |
Follow-Up Mailing |
45 |
3 |
. |
6.7% |
Follow-Up Emails |
6 |
2 |
. |
33.3% |
Overall Total |
72 |
8 |
13 |
29.2% |
Of the 72 contacts in the initial mailing, one was returned undeliverable.
The follow-up call explained the purpose of the survey and asked for an appropriate
contact person. During follow-up calls, 13 contacts verbally responded that
their institutions either did not teach pollution prevention or regulatory compliance
topics, that this survey did not apply to them, or that they were not interested.
Exact data was not collected for this answer. Five of the phone calls made did
not result in a contact of any kind (no answer, etc.). The remaining 51 contacts
requested that a follow-up survey be mailed or emailed to them as shown above.
RESULTS
1. Response Profile
This list shows the 21 institutions responding either verbally or with a written
survey:
State |
Institution
|
Response |
CO
CO
CO
CO
CO
MT
MT
MT
MT
SD
SD
SD
UT
UT
UT
UT
UT
UT
WY
WY
WY |
Boulder College of Massage Therapy
Delta Montrose Area Vocational Technical Center
Pikes Peak Community College
T H Pickens Technical Center
Trinidad Sate Junior College
Chief Dull Knife College
Helena College of Technology
St. Patrick Hospital School of Radiological Technology
St. Vincent Health Care
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital School of Radiological Technology
Lake Area Technical Institute
Sioux Valley Hospital School of Radiological Technology
College of Eastern Utah
Davis Applied Technology College
Latter Day Saints Business College
Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College
Salt Lake Community College Skills Center
Snow College
Eastern Wyoming College
Lifelong Learning Center – Business Skills Institute
Northwest Community College |
Verbal
Verbal
Verbal
V erbal
V erbal
V erbal
Survey
Verbal
Survey
Verbal
Survey
Verbal
Survey
Survey
Verbal
Verbal
Verbal
Survey
Survey
Verbal
Survey
|
2. Curriculum Responses
Only one respondent indicated that their institution offered a stand-alone
course dealing with pollution prevention or environmental compliance.
Institution: Helena College of Technology
Course Title: Hazardous Materials
Text/Publisher: Surviving HazMat / OnGuard
Number of students who have taken the course: 100
Course first offered in: 1997 Frequency: 1/year
Seven respondents indicated that their institutions integrated pollution prevention/compliance
education into standard program or class offerings. (C = certificate program,
D = degree program)
Institution: Davis Applied Technical College
Program Name: Ag Business - C
Program Name: Construction Trades – C
Program Name: Transportation Trades/Technology – C
Program Name: Health Professions – C & D
Institution: Helena College of Technology
Program Name: Protective Services – D
Institution: Eastern Wyoming College
Program Name: Ag Sciences – D
Institution: Lake Area Technical Institute
Program Name: Ag Production – D
Program Name: Ag Business – D
Institution: Snow College
Program Name: Building Construction and Construction Mgmt
– D
Institution: Northwest College
Program Name: Agriculture – D
Program Name: Environmental Studies – (class)
Institution: College of Eastern Utah
Program Name: Life Sciences – D
Program Name: Mining – D
Program Name: Trucking & Heavy Equipment – C
Two institutions indicated they relied on government or private partners outside
the school to help teach these concepts.
Institution: Lake Area Technical Institute
Partner: Various
Institution: College of Eastern Utah
Partner: U.S. Department of Labor - Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA)
Six institutions who responded by survey indicated they were interested in
including pollution prevention and/or regulatory compliance concepts into their
courses or in augmenting the information they already offered. Below is a summary
of how they preferred to obtain this information.
|
Number
of respondents indicating preference |
Information
Source |
High
|
High-Med
|
Medium
|
Low-Med
|
Low |
Commercial text books |
. |
. |
4 |
. |
. |
Government publications |
1 |
3 |
2 |
. |
. |
Web sites |
5 |
1 |
. |
. |
. |
Email list serves |
. |
1 |
. |
1 |
1 |
Workshops |
2 |
. |
2 |
. |
. |
Conferences |
2 |
. |
2 |
. |
. |
Commercial consultants |
. |
. |
. |
2 |
1 |
Governmental/non-profit assistance providers |
2 |
2 |
. |
. |
. |
Combination of the above |
1 |
1 |
. |
. |
. |
Other |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
One respondent who did not indicate a preference for any of the above methods
of receiving information indicated that they used these two sources for this
type of information:
On-Guard – www.onguard.com
EPA web sites and publications – www.epa.gov
Three respondents indicated they had an individual or committee generally responsible
for developing, evaluating or modifying courses and course materials.
Snow College
Helena College of Technology
St. Vincent Health Care
3. General Institutional Management Responses
Six respondents indicated they had a person or office in charge of monitoring
and managing waste on campus.
College of Eastern Utah
Davis Applied Technical College
Northwest College
Snow College
Helena College of Technology
St. Vincent Health Care
No respondents indicated they offered technical assistance either to school
staff or the public.
CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Peaks to Prairies will continue to collect surveys to broaden results. Since
the survey instrument is relatively short, we will initiate telephone surveys
during the upcoming fiscal year to collect information by direct interview.
After identifying the appropriate person to ask these questions, we will describe
the purpose of the survey and tell them it will take approximately 10 minutes
to complete over the phone. Participants will be able to view the written form
on the web during the interview. We will add a short section at the beginning
of the survey instrument as follows:
If the interviewee does not wish to participate, is it because:
- No pollution prevention or regulatory compliance information offered
- No interest in offering this information in coursework
- Lack of time, perceived benefit, or other reason
It is also recommended that a question be added to find out what programs,
resources and methods their faculty use to renew teaching certificates.
|