In recent years, the imperative of sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs) has garnered increasing scholarly and practical attention. This trend reflects a growing realization that universities play a crucial role not only as centers of knowledge production but also as pivotal actors in shaping sustainable societies. Despite heightened global interest, the engagement of internal stakeholders—particularly faculty members—in advancing sustainability agendas remains underexplored, especially in regions like the Middle East. A pioneering investigation into Saudi Arabian universities now seeks to illuminate faculty perspectives on campus sustainability, addressing notable research gaps and institutional challenges.
Universities are complex ecosystems where faculty members serve as a critical nexus of academic knowledge, institutional insight, and community liaison. Their unique positioning affords them the ability to assess the multidimensional realities of sustainability practices on campus with both rigor and nuance. Prior studies emphasize that without active stakeholder participation—including faculty, students, and administrative staff—sustainable transformation within universities is unattainable. However, much of the existing literature disproportionately focuses on Western contexts, leaving underrepresented regions like Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East largely absent from the discourse.
The recent study investigating three major Saudi universities represents a deliberate effort to fill this void by focusing exclusively on faculty members, whose scientific expertise and institutional awareness equip them to offer invaluable evaluations of sustainability initiatives. This approach counters previous research that often prioritized student perspectives, considering that faculty members are better positioned to critically appraise operational realities and strategic governance from an informed standpoint. Moreover, contextualized within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, the research holds significant relevance for national and regional sustainability ambitions.
Methodologically, the study engaged a substantial population sample, encompassing 12,503 faculty members across the participating universities. Employing Krejcie and Morgan’s statistical formula to determine the minimum adequate sample size, researchers targeted 373 respondents to ensure robust, representative data. Ultimately, 691 valid responses were collected via a carefully structured simple random sampling approach that utilized official institutional channels and personal follow-ups to maximize participation and mitigate non-response bias. This sizeable dataset enhances the reliability of the study’s findings and supports advanced statistical analysis.
The investigation explored two primary demographic variables: university affiliation and college type. These categories were strategically selected given their potential influence on faculty perceptions regarding sustainability. Differences among universities in resources, faculty competencies, and research infrastructure likely shape attitudes toward sustainability policies and practices. Meanwhile, the distinction between college types—humanities and theoretical versus scientific and applied disciplines—reflects variations in educational paradigms and methodological orientations that could impact engagement with sustainability.
Central to the study is an examination of four core dimensions of university sustainability: learning and teaching; research and development; organizational governance, culture, and operations; and external leadership. This comprehensive framework enables a holistic analysis of sustainability practices that accounts for instructional content, innovation activities, institutional policy, and leadership dynamics within and beyond the academy. Through this lens, faculty members’ perspectives reveal critical strengths and weaknesses, offering actionable insights into where sustainability efforts succeed or falter.
Initial findings underscore the complex interplay between structural constraints and cultural readiness in shaping sustainability outcomes on Saudi campuses. While certain universities demonstrate commendable commitment to integrating sustainability into curricula and research agendas, pervasive challenges persist—particularly related to bureaucratic centralization and limited stakeholder involvement. Faculty members highlighted that decision-making processes often occur without sufficient consultation or empowerment of internal actors, resulting in initiatives that lack ownership and practical efficacy.
Moreover, disparities between colleges emerged as a salient theme. Faculties in scientific and applied colleges exhibited greater familiarity and engagement with sustainability topics, likely owing to disciplinary alignments with environmental sciences, engineering, and technology. Conversely, counterparts in humanities and theoretical colleges displayed more tentative awareness and involvement, suggesting a need for tailored capacity-building and cross-disciplinary integration. These differences hint at opportunities for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to broaden the university-wide sustainability ethos.
The study also brings to the fore the pivotal role of external leadership, encompassing government policies, industry partnerships, and community engagement. Faculty members generally acknowledged the importance of these external drivers but noted inconsistent alignment between institutional priorities and regional sustainability agendas. This misalignment constrains universities’ ability to leverage broader resources and incentives, underscoring the necessity of coherent governance frameworks that synchronize campus initiatives with national environmental objectives.
Crucially, the research highlights the potential of faculty members as change agents within their institutions. Their scholarly expertise, combined with daily operational experience, positions them to champion sustainability reforms from multiple vantage points—educational, administrative, and societal. Empowering faculty through inclusive governance, capacity enhancement, and recognition of sustainability contributions emerges as a key recommendation to catalyze a shift from peripheral awareness to systemic integration.
The implications of these findings reverberate beyond Saudi Arabia, offering insightful lessons for developing countries striving to embed sustainability in higher education. The challenges of centralization, resource disparities, and variable stakeholder engagement are common barriers that require context-sensitive strategies. The study advocates for participatory governance models that democratize sustainability decision-making and foster a culture of shared responsibility among internal actors.
Furthermore, the research contributes to the burgeoning scientific discourse by providing empirical data from a Middle Eastern perspective, a region often marginalized in global sustainability narratives. It adds depth to understanding how cultural, political, and institutional factors influence sustainability in HEIs, thereby enriching comparative analyses and policy development. By aligning with national initiatives like the Saudi Green Initiative, the study ensures its relevance to ongoing environmental and developmental priorities.
The comprehensive nature of the sample and the rigorous methodological design enhance the credibility and applicability of the conclusions. These factors lay a foundation for subsequent research, including comparative studies involving student perceptions and evaluations of sustainability practices. Such longitudinal and multidimensional inquiries are essential to capturing evolving attitudes and institutional responses within rapidly transforming educational landscapes.
In summation, this investigation into faculty perspectives in Saudi universities pioneers an important dialogue on the institutional underpinnings of campus sustainability in a region confronting unique environmental and sociocultural challenges. It underscores the critical need for inclusive, evidence-based approaches that harness the expertise and commitment of faculty members to advance sustainable development goals within higher education. The study’s contributions resonate as both a scholarly resource and a strategic tool for policymakers, educators, and sustainability practitioners seeking effective pathways forward.
Subject of Research: Faculty perspectives on campus sustainability and institutional challenges in Saudi universities.
Article Title: Assessing campus sustainability in Saudi universities: faculty perspectives and institutional challenges—a case study of three leading universities.
Article References:
Alshammari, A. Assessing campus sustainability in Saudi universities: faculty perspectives and institutional challenges—a case study of three leading universities. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1398 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05768-x
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