This document discusses social responsibility in higher education institutions. It explores the concept of University Social Responsibility (USR), which focuses on the impacts of learning and research at universities. The study examines perceptions of social responsibility among students at a private university in Puerto Rico through a survey. USR is important for developing socially responsible professionals and strengthening the relationship between universities and their internal and external stakeholders. Universities can enhance quality of life by actively contributing to sustainable development in society through teaching, research, and engagement with communities.

1. Group 2
Social Responsibility

2. Objectives
Students(and possibly instructor(s)) will be able to:
• Gain knowledge or awareness about social
responsibility.
• Learn of its relevance.
• Realize how critical it is to society and their
personal development.
• Differentiate the effects of being taught and not
taught.
• Identify its pros and cons.

3. Introduction
Social Responsibility
refers to the concept of
individuals like students or
teachers, and organizations like
schools, businesses etc., to act
in a way that benefits their
society and environment while
improving their personal, social,
and ethical development.

4. Social Responsibility for Students
By Michael Cazeñas

5. Preface
The advantages for teaching responsibility to students would be
that they can learn skills from conflict resolution, gained understanding,
learn about our global interdependence—socially, economically, and
ecologically. But what if they weren’t educated about social
responsibility? What would happen then?

6. Poor Teamwork
Students would have trouble cooperating with each other as social responsibility
teaches them discipline, the degree of responsibility they hold, how helping their peers to
learn can contribute to better personal development.
“Conflicts among members stems from poor communication, unequal work distribution,
slacking or free riding happens often when a team member refuses to uphold
responsibility for their behavior” (Brooks & Ammons, 2003; Jassawalla, Malshe, &
Sashittal, 2008; Pieterse & Thompson, 2010).

7. Students Would Prefer Doing Tasks
Alone
When problems on a group arise due to not fulfilling their roles, some would prefer
to work alone. One reason was due to the pressure of completing a group activity alone
while the rest slacks off like it doesn’t matter. Such behavior could demotivate students who
do the work.
“Students would rather work on their own than in teams because of past or recent
negative group experiences” (Pieterse & Thompson, 2010; Tucker & Abbasi, 2016).

8. Always Got Swept By The Majority
What I meant here was the recent happening from social media about gossips,
false rumors, fake news or whatever you called it. The phrase “trust but verify” from those
times was not often applied, nobody cared about the truth. They might have thought that
opposing to such things could get them in trouble. Some are silent for that reason. Those
who instigated and fanned the flames could have been doing it out of spite to the person,
thing, or organization of the topic due to insecurities they were feeling, or to satiate their
vanity of “I was right, they were wrong” or “I’m better than them”.
“The rise of populism and the menace of fake news have come to demonstrate not only
the significance, but even the urgency of preparing students for their professional
activities as well as for their lives as critical and engaged citizens” (Coelho & Menezes,
2021).

9. Obstacles To Citizenship And Social
Responsibility In Schools
Social Responsibility could teach students to be a better version themselves.
Regrettably, it can’t be easily accepted since the process of learning may involve
participating in controversial public issues. To list a few more:
 Curricula that provide neither guidance on how to promote socially responsible
citizenship nor the time necessary for it.
 Administrators who may be more concerned with orderly classrooms than with the
substance of the teaching and learning that takes place in them.
 Teachers whose view of citizenship and social responsibility is confined to flag pledges,
voting, philanthropy, completing assignments and obedience. There are also those who
fear promoting active citizenship because if it reaches a sensitive matter, it may
endanger the students involved.
 Parents and community members who think a school's primary function is to get students
to memorize facts and score well on tests so they can get into college.

10. Conclusion
It can be surmised that social responsibility is beneficial for shaping a student’s social,
moral, ethical development. But it comes with a price that may endanger them or be denied
of their endeavor to become better, professional adults.
Though as much as the risks involved, there could be ways to avoid or possibly mitigate the
dangers social responsibility held, which are being worked on by educators and
researchers.

11. Recommendations
To clarify things, students aren’t lazy because they are uninterested, rather, they
don’t know and should be nurtured by their fellow members who understood the task at
hand. From what I’ve observed, students aren’t indifferent of their surroundings, they had
potential, but lack the means to realize it for they are limited to their own perspective, hence
they needed guidance. Some became complacent since they knew the ability of one of their
members who can handle tasks without them. Moreover, teachers giving lower
grades/evaluations and leaving these affected students also rids them of opportunities to
assess their flaws. Teachers held a major role in encouraging students for it is their social
and professional responsibility as an educator and adult. One more thing, social
responsibility can be learned when taught, but for it to be understood, experience would be
required.

12. References
WallStreetMojo. (2023). Social Responsibility Definition. Retrieved from Social Responsibility - Definition,
Examples, Business, What is It? (wallstreetmojo.com).
Shapiro, A. (2011, July 23). Teaching Social Responsibility. Morningside Center. Retrieved from Teaching Social
Responsibility | Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility.
Ayish, N. & Deveci, T. (2019). The Relationship between Personal Responsibility and Learning. Student
Perceptions of Responsibility for Their Own Learning and for Supporting Peers’ Learning in a Project-based
Learning Environment. Retrieved from EJ1224347.pdf (ed.gov).
Coelho, M. & Menezes, I. (2021, February 25). Introduction. University Social Responsibility, Service Learning, and
Students' Personal, Professional, and Civic Education. Retrieved from Frontiers | University Social Responsibility,
Service Learning, and Students' Personal, Professional, and Civic Education (frontiersin.org).
Shapiro, A. (2011, July 23). Obstacles to citizenship and social responsibility in schools. Teaching Social
Responsibility. Retrieved from Teaching Social Responsibility | Morningside Center for Teaching Social
Responsibility.
Wormeli, R. (n.d.). Teaching Students Responsibility. Amle. Retrieved from Teaching Students Responsibility –
AMLE.

13. Social Responsibility in Higher
Educational Institutions
By Gwyn Danielle Jacolo

14. Introduction
The concept of social responsibility,
often associated with corporations, companies,
and non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
extends to higher educational institutions.
Universities, as influential entities in society,
bear the responsibility for the impact their
operations have on their various stakeholders,
the wider community, and the environment.

15. Purpose
This study delves into the
realm of University Social
Responsibility (USR), a concept that
emerged in Hispanic America but
remains relatively unexplored in
other parts of the world. USR
differentiates itself from Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) as it
focuses on the unique impacts
generated by learning and research
activities within educational
institutions (Nejati et al. 2011;
Gomez and Vargas-Preciado 2013).

16. Goal
The primary aim of this chapter is to identify and analyze
attitudes and perceptions regarding social responsibility among
certain internal stakeholders of a private university in Puerto Rico.
This exploratory study adopts the methodology introduced by
Vallaeys et al. (2009), who provided initial guidelines for universities
to engage in social responsibility practices. The study's framework
recognizes two key impact areas: educational and cognitive.
Educational impacts pertain to the teaching and learning
processes, as well as the development of the curriculum. Cognitive
impacts encompass theoretical approaches, research initiatives,
knowledge production, and dissemination, and how they contribute
to the overall quality of life in society.

17. Method
This study employs a
quantitative approach, primarily based
on survey administration, to gauge the
attitudes and perceptions of internal
stakeholders. The survey participants,
constituting the most important internal
stakeholder group within universities,
are the students. A total of 356 students
participated in the survey, which boasts
a margin of error of 5% and a
confidence level of 95%.

18. Role
Higher educational institutions assume a pivotal role in fostering social
responsibility and sustainable development among future professionals. The practice of
USR hinges on the symbiotic relationship between universities and their internal and
external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are integral components in facilitating a
responsible learning process, which necessitates the engagement of external stakeholders
such as local communities, governmental bodies, and alumni. In essence, the curriculum,
learning methods, teaching practices, and research endeavors are enriched through the
feedback and active participation of external stakeholders. This dynamic is vital because
universities must actively contribute to the sustainable development of society, ultimately
enhancing the quality of life for all the stakeholders they serve.

19. Conclusion
University Social Responsibility is an emerging concept with significant
potential for transforming higher educational institutions into more responsible and
responsive entities within society. This exploratory study sheds light on the attitudes
and perceptions of internal stakeholders, particularly students, regarding social
responsibility in a private university in Puerto Rico. By recognizing the impact of
educational and cognitive factors on social responsibility, this study contributes to
the broader understanding of how universities can play a central role in sustainable
development and the betterment of society. Further research and collaboration are
essential to realize the full potential of USR and its impact on society.

20. References
Gomez, L., Pujols, A. & Vargas, L. (2017, August 1). Abstract. Social Responsibility in
Higher Educational Institutions: An Exploratory Study. Retrieved from Social Responsibility
in Higher Educational Institutions: An Exploratory Study | SpringerLink.

21. Poverty
• In fall 2022, the World Bank will updatethe International Poverty
Line from $1.90 to $2.15. This means anyone living on less than
$2.15 is in “extreme poverty.” Why the change? Increases in the
costs of food, clothing, and shelter between 2011-2017 make
the “real value of $2.15 in 2017 prices equal to $1.90 in 2011
prices. As for the World Bank’s goal to reduce extreme poverty
to 3% or less by 2030, the pandemic has made it even harder.
Extreme poverty isn’t the only poverty we have to contend with
62% of the global population lives on less than $10/day

22. Climate change
• The IPCC released its sixth report in 2022. In its summary for
policy-makers, the report’s authors outlined a series of near-
term, mid-term, and long-term risks. If global warming reaches
1.5°C in the near term (2021-2040), it would cause
“unavoidable increases in multiple climate hazards,” as well as
“multiple risks to ecosystems and humans.” In the long term,
climate change will present major health issues, premature
deaths, risks to cities and settlements, and other dangers

23. COVID-19
• The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2022. It will
continue to be a major issue for the world. The WEF’s risk
report 2022d discuss COVID’s effect at length including major
economic recovery disparities and social erosion