SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE URSULA RSU MODEL: an approach centered on participatory evaluation

Abstract

University Social Responsibility (USR) is a theme that has gained space and become relevant in debates about the role of higher education institutions in promoting actions that contribute to the development of society in multiple aspects. There are models in the literature that seek to guide institutions in the task of putting social responsibility into action. This article aims to discuss university social responsibility based on the model published by the Latin American University Social Responsibility Union (URSULA), which has an institutional self-diagnosis methodology aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Organizations (SDGs), understanding it as a method that focuses on participatory evaluation. Pervading the understanding of university social responsibility not as a social commitment, but rather as an obligation, where the accountability of the responsible subject is required, who must be questioned and held accountable for their attitudes, addressing the concept and importance of university social responsibility, presenting the model and discussing participant-centered assessment. To this end, bibliographical research on the topic was carried out on the basis of accessible scientific publications and documentary sources such as reports and manuals. It was concluded that, despite being new, the model emphasizes sustainability and the internal and external relations of institutions and its focus on participatory evaluation allows the institution to develop throughout the evaluation and when institutions propose to adopt it, they reveal their commitment to improving its dynamics, analyzing points to be improved and enhancing transformations in institutional strategies and policies.