Institutions of higher education have increasingly focused on data-driven decision-making and assessments of their sustainability goals. Yet, there is no agreement on what constitutes sustainability literacy and culture (SLAC) at colleges and universities, even though promoting these types of campus population-level changes is often seen as key to the greening of higher education. It remains unclear what motivates institutions to measure these constructs, the barriers they face in doing so, and how they use these assessments to improve sustainability outcomes. In order to understand how universities are conducting SLAC assessments and for what purpose, we carried out an analysis of a subgroup of institutions–doctoral universities with very high research activity (R1)–with respect to institutional organizational learning (OL). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators of 20 R1 universities that reported SLAC assessments (2017–2020) in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's STARS rating system. As anticipated, R1 universities reported conducting SLAC assessments for STARS points, but they also are motivated by the potential for the data to inform campus programs. Challenges in conducting assessments included: lack of institutional prioritization, difficulty conducting the surveys, inadequate resources, institutional barriers, and perceived methodological inadequacies. While very few of the higher OL institutions pointed to lack of institutional prioritization as a problem, more than half of lower OL universities did. Institutional support, having a dedicated office, and using survey incentives served as facilitators. This is one of the first studies to relate higher education OL to sustainability assessments. OL is likely to be an important construct in furthering an understanding of the institutional capacities required for implementation of assessments and their effectiveness in evidence-based decision-making.

This brief provides data for policy changes on the intersection of polluting industrial facilities, marginalized communities, and the dearth of air-quality monitors in those communities of South Chicago. The allocation of air-quality monitors is determined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Our data demonstrate that the air quality and subsequent health of Chicago's marginalized communities are chronically threatened by the expansion of polluting industries coupled with inadequate air-quality monitoring. The methods of data analysis presented here can be similarly applied to analyze air-quality disparities in communities beyond Chicago, including those that have been victims of environmental injustice stemming from redlining. Such data can be used to support Environmental Justice (EJ) advocacy and goals by informing remedial actions and policies of regulatory bodies, such as the IEPA, to reduce disproportionate air-quality burdens through increased monitoring. The generated maps may be used to direct plans for assessing and mitigating the effects of air pollution on human health.

There is significant support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among global stakeholders in higher education, covering important areas of research and scholarly communication. As a group of volunteers from across the academic publishing spectrum, Higher Education Sustainability Initiative [HESI] SDG Publishers Compact Fellows aim to address key policy issues and help stakeholders across research and publishing to better support the aims and objectives of the SDGs. This article provides details about the work of the Fellows, focusing on top action tips for researchers, authors, and publishers. These top action tips provide practical advice to key stakeholders on translating research into practice in the area of sustainable development.