Understanding Social Sustainability in Universities: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis of Students’ Perspectives

Abstract

 This study examines the structural relationships among three key pillars of social sustainability (SoSu)—equity and inclusion (EI), student well-being (SW), and community engagement (CE)—and the extent to which they explain SoSu from the perspective of Tanzanian university students. Guided by the Whole Institution Approach and Ecological Systems Theory, data were collected from 470 students via a closed-ended questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. Results showed moderate to high agreement across the pillars (mean scores > 3.5), with lower ratings for anti-discrimination (EI-6, M = 3.34), student voice (SW-6, M = 3.61), and volunteering (CE-3, M = 3.96). Significant positive correlations were found among the pillars (EI–SW: r = .47; SW– CE: r = .45; EI–CE: r = .33, p < .01). Student well-being emerged as the strongest predictor of social sustainability outcomes (SSO; β = .706, p < .001), followed by community engagement (β = .353) and equity and inclusion (β = .208). The three pillars jointly explained 67 % of the variance in SSO (R² = .666). The findings underscore the central role of student well-being in socially sustainable universities and the need for student-centred policies, stronger institutional support, and enhanced university– community linkages. Although the cross-sectional design limits causal inference, the study offers useful insights for integrating social sustainability indicators into higher education policy and practice in Tanzania, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.