SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Sustainability has been defined as the intersection of decision making that accounts for conserving our use of the environment, the need for social equity, and the needs for economic growth (Hooey et al., 2017). Social sustainability has become an increasingly more crucial area of focus. One of the key resources that promotes social equity and helps close the gaps between different communities is through higher education. This report will explore the intersectionality of higher educational equity and social sustainability within the last decade to inform venture and organization creation in this space. The guiding research question for this report is: What are best practices for promoting social equity in higher education within America? It will include new findings that are guiding the college and university system today, as well as detail accounts of databacked recommendations that will guide the future of education. Many researchers across the country are examining the trends of different communities in the higher educational attainment space, and this document will synthesize and display the most pertinent information about equity for advocates of higher education to understand. The goal of this thesis is to translate insights from case studies and academic research into best practices that institutions can adopt.