The Power of Communication: Assessing the Role of Effective Information Dissemination in Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education

Higher education institutions play a crucial role in promoting sustainability, yet the effectiveness of information dissemination in fostering awareness, engagement, and behavioral change remains underexplored. Many universities implement sustainability initiatives, but gaps persist in understanding how well these efforts reach students, faculty, and staff. This study seeks to examine the impact of information dissemination on sustainability engagement, identify the most effective communication channels, and assess the role of transparency in promoting sustainable practices. This quantitative study employed a descriptive research design, utilizing a structured survey questionnaire distributed to 358 stratified random selected university respondents from different roles and departments. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s rho correlation, were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that awareness, effectiveness, and transparency were strongly correlated, indicating that higher awareness led to more positive perceptions of sustainability initiatives. However, barriers to engagement persisted, suggesting that merely increasing awareness is insufficient to ensure participation. Microsoft Teams was the most used communication platform, yet the effectiveness of messaging played a greater role than the choice of medium. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge by emphasizing the importance of transparency, strategic communication, and barrier reduction in advancing sustainability efforts. A key recommendation is for universities to establish a centralized sustainability portal to improve access to information, enhance engagement, and ensure continuous participation in sustainability initiatives.