Abstract
Universities’ sustainability commitments frequently outpace their systemic implementation. This paper addresses that gap by proposing the Sustainability Integration Framework (SIF), a mechanism-based, readiness-gated model for verifiable progression from symbolic adoption to institutionalized practice. Using a design science research approach, the study integrates institutional theory, resource-based theory, and responsible leadership to explain how external pressures, leadership interpretation, and internal capabilities shape sustainability integration. The framework is operationalized through a six-component institutional architecture, an Input–Process–Output logic model with auditable indicators, and a five-domain Readiness and Maturity Index (RMI). A six-stage mechanism—pressure, interpretation, resource reconfiguration, routinization, feedback closure, and coupling or decoupling—is supported by PDCA-gated progression, with Institutional Equity and data/AI Governance as cross-cutting levers. A dual-rater protocol, reliability thresholds, and an External Composite Readiness Index support transparent, comparable assessment across institutions. A single-rater demonstration at the American University of Beirut returns a domain profile of three defined domains (Leadership and Governance, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Operations) and two ad hoc domains (Strategy, Metrics and Data), summarized as an indicative RMI of 1.60 at the lower edge of the Intermediate stratum, indicating substantial external visibility alongside partial internal embedding. The contribution is a design proposal in the design science sense: an integrated theorized mechanism and an evidence-gated maturity model aligned with leading sustainability standards, intended to give administrators a replicable, audit-ready pathway for coordinating governance, curriculum, operations, and data systems once validated. The RMI and IPO tools remain conceptual artifacts. The demonstration establishes operability, with reliability, sensitivity, and generalizability reserved for a staged validation program comprising inter-rater reliability testing, a single-institution pilot, and multi-site and longitudinal testing.