Can Universities Advance Equity Under Constraint?

SDG 4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education, yet universities across the Global North face contracting resources rather than expanding ones. The intuitive response is retrenchment. Some institutions, however, have advanced equity not despite constraint but through deliberate redesign. This article asks whether equity can advance under constraint, and if so, how. It identifies certain design requirements that distinguish institutions that narrow equity gaps from those that widen them. The article then examines how policy can support equity-advancing design, while recognising that policy cannot substitute for institutional commitment. When resources contract, whether equity advances or retreats depends on how institutions are designed.