The Hub is a Research and Design unit dedicated to the development of equitable and innovative models of education.

We engage in this work to establish new paradigms for how higher education can play a more significant role in supporting social mobility.

Why EQUITY? INNOVATION? GEORGETOWN?

Higher education is increasingly a driver of social and economic inequity in our society. The growing economic divide threatens our society and demands action from us. The emergent challenge for colleges and universities is to better serve individuals, families and communities from educationally and economically disadvantaged segments of society in greater numbers. This moment is one in which the pressures of our society and of our own historical reckonings as privileged educational institutions demand decisive action.

Transforming and extending our educational responsibility will require new approaches that are evidence-based, bold in their vision, scalable in their design, and financially sustainable. These new approaches will require a mindset of innovation – of creative and rigorous research and design – that purposefully imagines and tests new models that advance the goal of equitable access and experience for all students. Thus, the work of The Hub is undertaken in close partnership with the Designing the Future(s) Initiative at Georgetown University.

Georgetown has a unique role to play in this work because of its reputation as an innovator in education and its moral responsibility as a Catholic and Jesuit institution. It captures our commitment to the civic imagination, and our weighty legacy of slavery and reconciliation gives an institutional specificity to a broader agenda of equity and justice.

Georgetown University seeks in numerous ways – both on our campus and through community engagement – to increase access and success for first generation, low and middle income students, and students from underrepresented groups. The long-term commitment to and success of this work has established Georgetown as a leader among our peer institutions.

WHY THE HUB?

We have adopted the moniker of The Hub – like the hub and spokes of a wagon wheel – because we seek to create synergy among individuals and organizations on our campus, across higher education, and in society who are committed to achieving greater equity in education.

Our work with campus partners seeks transformation of structural practices at Georgetown.

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We work with a broad group of researchers and practitioners at Georgetown University who are responsible for our strong track record of support for student access and success, curricular and pedagogical innovation, educational and workforce scholarship, and social action. We focus on better understanding the consequences of our current practices and designing and testing new models of action and impact. We are supporting efforts to grow the diversity of students who have access to Georgetown and to build a more equitable community that both better supports and learns from this expanded pool of excellence.

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We collaborate with diverse partners in higher education, whose work on equity research and new models of education aligns with our efforts. Our efforts focus on using data and research to inform the nexus of equity and innovation in higher education. With our partners we seek to build communities of practice through hosting convenings, networking, and collaborative scholarship.

Our work seeks to connect with diverse insitutional partners to transform higher eduction.

Our work must look beyond the hilltop to engage with communities to transform society.

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In collaboration with community partners, we seek opportunities to re-imagine ways in which Georgetown can more widely expand the educational capital of individuals, families and communities. We build on our significant experience working locally and globally with community partners to establish shared ownership of community outcomes. The scope of this challenge will require scalable solutions beyond Georgetown’s capacity, and we pursue this work with the goal of launching a new movement in higher education that embraces an expanded sense our societal responsibility and provides tested examples for others to follow.