Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz university's digital environmental Sustainability Messaging: A multimodal discourse analysis of it, innovation, and eco-credibility
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Abstract
This article examines how Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) constructs environmental sustainability as a digital, institutional, and credible public message. It applies multimodal discourse analysis to a desk-based corpus of official webpages and news items dealing with the Green University initiative, Vision 2030 initiatives, research and innovation, digital transformation, information-technology governance, SDG and ESG coordination, and public ranking narratives. The analysis asks how verbal claims, numbers, visual identity cues, interface design, national-policy references, and platform affordances combine to present the university as environmentally responsible and technologically modern. The article argues that PSAU's digital sustainability discourse is organized around three reinforcing modes: national alignment, operational measurability, and innovation-led transformation. These modes strengthen eco-credibility when they connect environmental claims to governance structures, quantifiable indicators, and stakeholder participation. At the same time, the analysis identifies risks that are common in institutional sustainability communication, including fragmentation across webpages, limited methodological explanation for some environmental metrics, and the need for more accessible longitudinal data. The article concludes by proposing a credibility-centered communication model for Saudi higher education institutions: claim with evidence, show governance, disclose measurement methods, connect digital transformation to environmental outcomes, and invite stakeholder dialogue.
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