Document Type
Thesis
First Faculty Advisor
Dr. Patalano
Second Faculty Advisor
Dr. Tlachac
Keywords
sustainability; analytics; sentiment analysis; Python
Publisher
Bryant University
Rights Management
CC-BY
Abstract
This research examines student, faculty, and staff perspectives on sustainability at Bryant University, with the goal of understanding how individual values align with the university's environmental initiatives. The objective is to assess perceptions of Bryant's current sustainability practices, explore how effectively these efforts are communicated across campus, and identify potential gaps between institutional action and community awareness. To achieve this, the study gathers qualitative data through an open-ended survey and applies sentiment analysis to interpret student attitudes toward sustainability. By analyzing these responses alongside Bryant's sustainability marketing efforts, this research will identify gaps between student engagement and institutional messaging The results revealed that while many respondents expressed positive attitudes toward sustainability and demonstrated a general understanding of its importance, there were also signs of limited awareness regarding Bryant's specific sustainability initiatives. The sentiment analysis highlighted a gap between institutional efforts and student perceptions, suggesting opportunities for the university to strengthen its communication strategies and better align its outreach with the values of its community.
Comments
This research was conducted as part of the Bryant University Honors Program and serves as the author’s senior thesis project in fulfillment of graduation requirements. It was carried out with the support of faculty advisors and the Office of Sustainability, and has not been previously published.