Sustainability in Higher Education: The Impact of Justice and Relationships on Quality of Life and Well-Being

Minseong Kim, Nancy D. Albers, Tami L. Knotts () and Jihye Kim
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Minseong Kim: Department of Management & Marketing, College of Business, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
Nancy D. Albers: School of Business Administration, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC 29801, USA
Tami L. Knotts: Department of Management & Marketing, College of Business, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA
Jihye Kim: Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, College of Communication and Information, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Undeniably, COVID-19 disrupted higher education. The concepts of traditional learning were challenged, online learning was thrust into the mainstream in colleges and universities, and the student population was unavoidably affected. It became apparent that maintaining the status quo that existed prior to the pandemic was not the path to the future sustainability of higher education. As higher education institutions began the long road to recovery, important challenges emerged due to increased demand for online learning and emotional health concerns for students. The current research collected data from online undergraduates at private and public universities in the United States for multivariate data analyses to examine controllable elements in the online learning environment that can enhance student quality of life and psychological well-being. These elements relate to perseverance for students and may promote the sustainability of higher education institutions. The focus of this study is to emphasize the importance of reinforcing online students’ emotional health as an important sustainability strategy for higher education. The findings confirm that higher education institutions can facilitate online students’ quality of life and psychological well-being by implementing elements into the classroom that create procedural and interpersonal justice, which enhances the formation of social and structural bonds.

Keywords: sustainable education; psychological well-being; quality of life; perceived justice; relational bonds; online learning; online student (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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