University social responsibility from an environmental perspective
MELBA RITA VÁSQUEZ TOMÁS
Universidad Norbert Wiener
Av. Guardia Civil 851-Chorrillos-Lima
PERU
JUDITH SOLEDAD YANGALI VICENTE
Universidad Norbert Wiener
Av. 28 de julio 293 San Vicente de Cañete
PERU
MARUJA DIONISIA BALDEÓN DE LA CRUZ
Universidad Norbert Wiener
Chosica-Lima
PERU
DELSI MARIELA HUAITA ACHA
Universidad Norbert Wiener
Av. Andrés Tinoco 270-Surco-Lima
PERU
Abstract: - The environmental problem in our country is a reality that concerns the Peruvian State, especially
the education sector. For this reason, University Law 30220 [1] establishes that the USR must respond to the
demands of sustainable development and society welfare. In this sense, the purpose of the study was to analyze
the social responsibility policies of ten universities in Lima, in order to evaluate if the planned activities have
an environmental focus. Likewise, to know the level of approval of the students of the social responsibility
program that is executed within the four axes. Under the focus of a mixed study, the findings showed that there
were planned social responsibility projects and activities with an environmental focus which were planned
more frequently in private universities than public universities. Nevertheless, the purpose for both is to awaken
the interest and commitment of the university community in the preservation of the environment. Concerning
approval level, 75.6% of the surveyed students approve the implementation of social responsibility activities
and state that they agree with the social and citizen training axis in a 64.8%, followed by social participation
with 56.8%, social management of knowledge in a 56.4%, and sustainable campus with 47.2%. In conclusion,
the USR policies must address the environmental problems of the surroundings and must be informed to the
entire university community, ensuring institutional participation and commitment.
Key-words: - Sustainable campus, social participation, environmental culture, social management of
knowledge, social and citizen training, university social responsibility.
Received: June 23, 2022. Revised: January 17, 2023. Accepted: February 14, 2023. Published: March 1, 2023.
1. Introduction
Social responsibility is conceived as a policy
implemented by the university with the purpose to
address the impacts caused by the organization and
academic activities developed by the university
community (Vallaeys, 2014) [2]. These impacts
come from the university itself, its staff and
students, as a result of the interaction with their
environment, the execution of social, academic
activities and the transmission and generation of
knowledge through research. In this context,
university authorities are responsible for
implementing, within their policies of university
social responsibility (USR), actions that mitigate
the effects generated by the ecological footprint of
the university community Also, they are
responsible for ensuring the conservation of the
natural environment, ensuring the sustainable
development of society by strengthening the
environmental attitudes of future professionals. In
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
1
Volume 3, 2023
this sense, Aguilar (2006) claims that the person is
able to develop an environmental awareness when
it is related to life, knowledge and experiences to
interact with the environment in a responsible
manner, [3]. This commits the university
community to participate in the activities
implemented as part of the social responsibility
policies, aimed at reducing the effects produced by
the organization in its interaction with the
environment. Society requires competent
professionals in their specialty that respond to the
demands and standards of the labor market.
However, people with environmental responsibility
are also needed, people committed to the
sustainable management of the available resources
and environmental conservation. This
responsibility is put into practice by companies,
private and government organizations with the
purpose of reducing the ecological footprint of the
staff, contributing in the conservation of nature,
biodiversity and the sustainability of resources for
future generations (Fernandez, 2008, cited by
Velez-Romero & Cano-Lara, 2016) [4].
Universities comply with submitting their USR
policies, but they are not adequately disseminated
to the university community generating ignorance
and low participation. This is evidenced in the
studies of Condori & Reyna (2019)conducted in a
public university in central Peru, where 58% of
participants perceive that university social
responsibility is deficient, 69% said that research
training is adequate, while 59% indicated that there
is passivity in social participation and 60% showed
that organizational management is perceived as
deficient [5]. Along the same lines, Pérez & Calvo
(2021) found that 54% of Paraguayan university
students know the term USR as synonymous of
forming socially responsible citizens, 58% were in
complete agreement that the university promotes
USR activities, while 71% said that they actively
participate in these events proposed by the faculty,
concluding that the university fulfills its role of
promoting social responsibility actions [6].
Pumacayo, et al., (2020) affirms that the university
fulfills the mission of providing knowledge,
promoting research and social responsibility by
training competent professionals capable of
generating a positive impact on the environment
and society [7]. And it is through research, social
and citizen participation, driven by the university
that will favor the formation of professionals,
generators of change and with the ability to make
decisions in favor of their natural environment and
society (Sosa & Marquez, 2010) [8]. Another
aspect to consider is the need to implement a
national strategy to incorporate environmental
literacy in higher education curricula as a factor
that generates motivation in decision-making in
favor of a sustainable environment (Tala-Sasa, et
al., 2022), [9]. In this context, the purpose of the
study was to perform an analysis of the USR
policies and to verify that their activities respond to
the environmental approach in the organizational,
academic and social generation of knowledge. The
USR requires that the different parts of the
institution are articulated with the purpose of
implementing projects with the aim of promoting
sustainable social development, the production and
transmission of knowledge to contribute in the
formation of its students as responsible citizens
committed to their environment (Pérez, et al.,2018)
[10]. Also, it requires to know the level of approval
and participation of students in the responsibility
activities implemented by the university. The scope
of the research is to achieve the reflection of the
university community with the aim of paying
greater attention in the planning of RSU policies,
taking into account the environmental needs of the
faculty and the local environment. On the other
hand, the scope is to improve the dissemination
channels in order to involve the university
community to participate in the proposed activities.
2. Literature review
2.1 University social responsibility
The ISO 26000 standard, considers that the social
responsibility of an organization starts by taking
responsibility for the impacts generated towards
society and the environment, assuming the
commitment to mitigate their effects [11]. In this
sense, universities must ensure that their academic
and social activities do not alter the structure of
society and the environment. In the Latin American
context, some universities develop the USR for
solidarity purposes towards communities, leaving
aside the environmental reality, and focusing their
efforts on democratizing and providing access to
knowledge free of charge to the population.
However, the practice of a corporate social
responsibility should be oriented to the search for
the common good of the members of the host
communities (Yerima-Hamman, et al., 2022) [12].
The Organization of American States (OAS) and
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
(2007) define USR as a policy of ethical quality of
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
2
the performance of the university community
through the responsible management of the
educational, cognitive, labor and environmental
impacts that the university generates [13].
Therefore, the USR must be considered as a
comprehensive policy of institutional management
that forces and commits the stakeholders to
decrease the ecological footprint generated by the
university (Vallaeys, 2014) [2]. For Vallaeys, De la
Cruz & Sasia (2009), social responsibility reaches
four fields in the university [14]: (a) organizational
field, where policies should be oriented to address
the pollution generated by the carbon footprint left
by the university community. For this, it must
promote a sustainable university campus where the
practice of a culture of recycling and preservation
of green areas becomes an agreement to be fulfilled
by the parties involved, favoring their
environmental training. (b) educational field, where
the university's purpose is the professional and
ethical training of the individual. The curriculum,
teaching processes and educational practice should
prepare the future professional to respond to the
demands of the labor market, without neglecting
their professional ethics and of course their pro-
environmental attitudes. (c) of knowledge field,
where the university through research promotes the
production of knowledge in accordance with its
lines of research, which should be oriented to the
SDGs. (d) social field, where the university, being
part of society, should interact with the community
and the productive sectors. Therefore, it fulfilled
the mission of training intellectual capital in actors
committed to social and environmental issues.
Vallaeys (sf) proposes four management axes that
the university assumes as an organization in a
responsible manner: (i) Sustainable campus:
implementation of strategies and actions to ensure
good institutional practices in environmental
management issues on university campuses. (ii)
Social and citizen training: approaching citizenship
and social responsibility issues in the curriculum
(sustainable development, professional and civic
ethics), in addition to solidarity volunteering. (iii)
Social management of knowledge: promotion of
research oriented to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) and agreements with institutions to
conduct research in favor of the environment. (iv)
Social participation: active participation in the
community, integration of academic training with
social projection and the existence of agreements
with external actors for development programs
[15].
Regarding the environmental issue and under an
altruistic, awareness-raising and disseminating
perspective, the USR seeks to transform through
action, realities where environmental deterioration
has become evident generating a negative impact
on the population. The university is responsible for
the formation of future professionals in the ethical,
axiological and pro-environmental attitudes with
the ability to make decisions and respond to social
and environmental problems.
2.2 Environmental culture
The process and result of environmental influences
that are going to prepare the person to understand
and explain from a cognitive, practical and
axiological perspective the implication of
environmental conservation in improving the
quality of life and the sustainable development of
nature is what we understand as environmental
culture (Pérez de Villa, 2015) [16]. It is also
defined as the set of values, customs, thoughts and
actions that the person possesses, and demonstrates
it by using natural resources in a balanced and
sustainable way avoiding the deterioration and
pollution of the environment (Angeles, 2021) [17].
Environmental culture is deployed as a path
towards the conservation of environmental
ecosystems, projecting the sustainability of peoples
of the world. The deployment of values that it
demands, and the awareness that is generated
should be inculcated from home, with the example
shown by the family, through simple actions such
as sorting solid waste, recycling, reusing materials
and promoting green areas at home (Yangali, et al.,
2021) [18].
The environmental problems that afflict humanity
force higher educational institutions to become
involved as agents of change in the sustainable
behaviors of future professionals, and from the
classrooms, the implementation of research projects
for action in favor of the planet should be
encouraged. Sustainable behavior is defined as
effective, deliberate and anticipated actions that
result in the preservation of natural resources and
species, ensuring the individual and social welfare
of human generations (Corral-Verdugo & Queiroz,
2004) [19].
3. Method
The study was characterized by being of a mixed
approach, where the qualitative part preceded the
quantitative one, allowing the obtaining of
information, product of the execution of techniques
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
3
and application of instruments with the purpose of
carrying out a deeper analysis of the phenomenon
studied (Creswell, 2010 cited in Arispe et al., 2020)
[20]. The investigation began with the documentary
analysis of the social responsibility policies of ten
universities in Lima (Pacific University, San
Ignacio de Loyola, Pontifical Catholic University
of Peru, Norbert Wiener University, Major
University of San Marcos, University of Applied
Sciences, Southern Scientific University, National
University of Engineering, Cayetano Heredia
University and Federico Villarreal National
University), which were selected taking into
account the availability of information on the web
page of these universities Secondly, through visits
to these university campuses and the use of the
field diary as an instrument that favors the
systematization of information, reflection and
criticism of reality (Luna, et al., 2022) [21], it was
possible to record and describe the USR
experiences implemented in the university
campuses. For the descriptive part of the research,
through the survey and the application of a
questionnaire to 250 students of these universities,
it was possible to know the level of approval and
participation in the activities planned in each axis
of the USR such as sustainable campus, social and
citizen training, social management of knowledge
and social participation (Vallaeys, 2014) [2].
4. Results and Discussion
When analyzing the social responsibility policies,
the development of projects and initiatives with an
environmental focus was evidenced within the four
axis of the USR.
Sustainable university campuses, the universities
have deployed actions aimed at reducing the
consumption of electrical energy, for which they
have adopted measures such as: the installation of
energy-saving lighting, construction of modern
infrastructure that take advantage of natural light
and the use of solar panels. Initiatives such as the
development of the "Connected with the Planet”
program, which, in partnership with telephone
companies, installed solar recharging modules for
cell phones. Regarding management of
responsible water consumption, universities are
responsibly taking charge by using flow regulators
in the sinks, allowing savings of 50%, installing
toilets with devices that reduce water consumption
by 20% per flush, which optimizes the faucet
systems, organizing campaigns to promote the
proper closing of pipes and responsible
consumption. In waste and dumping
management, several initiatives were carried out,
such as the placement of containers and garbage
cans classified by color according to the type of
waste (paper, plastic, organic, glass) on campus,
recycling campaigns for plastic bottles, paper,
batteries, batteries, electrical and electronic waste,
the latter in partnership with media companies.
From the universities studied, three of them have
agreements with non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) such as "SOS Children's Villages Peru "
and " Burned Child Aid Association
(ANIQUEM)", who support these campaigns to
collect unused solid material and then manage an
adequate and safe recycling process. Another
campaign carried out by the private university since
2018 is "Recycling: I take care of the environment”
which consists of collecting plastic bottles (PET),
and as an incentive a cloth bag is given for every
20 bottles, thus encouraging the segregation of
solid waste and the disuse of plastic bags. The solid
waste generated in the university institutions must
be managed in accordance with the National
Environmental Action Plan (2011), which aims to
reduce waste generation, improve segregation
through selective collection, recycling, and reuse of
electronic and electrical waste [22]. As for
greywater treatment, we can point to the experience
of the National University of Engineering, which
developed the project "quantification,
characterization, treatment and reuse of
graywater”. Regarding the preservation of green
areas on university campuses, we can mention
initiatives such as the promotion of tree planting in
their facilities, the placement of plants in offices,
organization of "Green Campus" campaigns that
seek to engage students in the care of these living
spaces that contribute to mitigate the effects of
global warming. Gray water treatment projects
ensure sufficient irrigation of green areas, reducing
water consumption. Another experience carried out
as part of Pacific university USR program is the
Akapacha Fest is a sustainability festival: An
initiative that aims to promote sustainable
development goals and raise awareness among
students, teachers and administrative staff.
For the social and university training axis: The
university authorities had to rethink the curriculum,
subjects such as: environmental law and social
responsibility, natural resource management,
strategic management of social responsibility,
sustainable management of exportable supply,
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
4
business project, environmental sustainability and
social responsibility, environmental culture, among
others related to the subject to be developed in a
mandatory manner in undergraduate and
postgraduate courses. Students participate in
academic events in agreement with national and
international organizations in order to share their
research and experiences put into practice in the
care of the environment. There are also campaigns
and programs aimed at employees and students to
strengthen the permanent respect for the planet,
conducting awareness workshops for the formation
of environmental leaders. In 2021, an interesting
experience was the organization of the Musuq
Wayra festival, where socio-environmental
initiatives of students and teachers seeking to
transform the problematic reality of the country
were disseminated. Likewise, the volunteer
programs of the universities gained great relevance
for training and supporting actions that strengthen
values, generate commitment and selfless work of
students such as beach cleanup campaigns.
In social management of knowledge, Peruvian
university law N°30220 [1], establishes
professional training and research as functions of
the university, the latter is developed taking into
account the lines of research. In this sense,
universities have contemplated incorporating
within them: climate change and health,
environmental management, sustainable
development, environmental education, among
others related to the SDG. Among the relevant
experiences in this area, we can point out the
collaboration of a private university for 20 years
with the "United Nations Environment Program"
(UNEP), through the research area of natural
resources and environmental economics. Research
efforts are focused on the identification and
analysis of environmental topics with an impact on
the country and the Latin American region.
Likewise, the organization of "social responsibility
initiative contests" aimed at students with the
objective of presenting projects that contribute to
the development of society has been well received.
Regarding social participation, the universities
carried out actions that favored the development of
communities, signing agreements with
municipalities, local governments and
environmental NGOs for waste management and
support in the event of natural disasters. In this
context, some institutions joined international
initiatives that promote the SDGs: the Global
Compact and the Principles for Responsible
Management Education (PRME). The Water,
Climate and Development Program, implemented
by Global Water Partnership South America in the
context of the “The Coastal Child” phenomenon
that affected several communities in the Lima
region. In this sense, the private university
proposed to meet the needs of the affected
population through volunteer work. Currently,
research is being carried out in these communities
with the intention of providing alternative solutions
to this problem that occurs every year,
demonstrating public commitment. Likewise,
contests such as "Actions that inspire" are held to
promote a culture of social and environmental
responsibility, sustainability, innovation and
entrepreneurship through initiatives that can be
presented by students and collaborators, where the
winners receive a small seed capital to implement
their proposals for environmental improvement.
Fig. 1: Approval of USR by university students
The findings found in figure 1, affirm that 65.20%
of the surveyed students agree that university social
responsibility with an environmental focus should
be developed on university campuses in such a way
that it strengthens the attitudes and values,
therefore, the environmental awareness of students,
promoting their commitment and participation in
projects aimed at environmental conservation.
0
80
163
7
0 %
32,00%
65,20%
2.8%
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Do not agree Partially agree Agree Totally agree
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
5
Fig. 2: Approval of the USR axes
Figure 2 shows that students agree with the
development of the USR axes with an
environmental approach in universities. 64.8% of
the participants agree with the axis of social and
university education, justifying the need to include
subjects related to environmental education and
training in the curricula. Also, volunteering is an
available resource that the university has to involve
its students in environmental conservation projects.
Regarding the sustainable campus axis, 47.2% of
those surveyed consider that they agree with the
activities developed in the university faculty, the
most common being the recycling campaigns and
the use of containers classified by color. However,
when analyzing the social responsibility policies, it
was found that few environmental sustainability
activities are put into practice in each university
and in others, there is a lack of interest in having an
environmentally responsible and sustainable space.
56.8% agree with the social participation for the
wellbeing of the communities through the
establishment of agreements with private
institutions, municipalities and non-governmental
organizations that contribute to the realization of
events that mobilize the community to collaborate
in the care of ecosystems. Other results showed that
56.4% agree with the social management of
knowledge axis, recognizing that the university
offers them the opportunity to carry out research
within the line of research related to the
environmental approach and the objectives of
sustainable development with the purpose of
addressing the environmental problems of their
locality.
Table 1. Level of approval of the USR in the
universities of Lima
Frequency
Percentage
Accumulated
Percentage
Level
Low
6
2.4
2.4
Medium
189
75.6
78.0
High
55
22.0
100.0
Total
250
100.0
Source: the author
Table 1 describes the level of approval of
University social responsibility, where 189 students
expressed their agreement, representing 75.6% of
the total number of those surveyed, reaching a
medium level. While 22% considered their
approval to be at a high level. These results show
that there is still a need for greater dissemination of
the activities promoted by the university as part of
the planning of USR policies, with the aim of
inviting volunteer students and the university
community in general to be actors in the
environmental preservation of the campus and its
local environment, and not mere observers.
Table 2. Levels of distribution of the dimensions of
University Social Responsibility
Low
Medium
High
Total
n
%
n
%
n
%
n
%
Sustainable
campus
25
10.00
148
59.20
77
30.80
250
100
Social and
citizen training
10
4.00
140
56.00
100
40.00
250
100
Social
Management of
knowledge
6
2.40
114
45.60
130
52.00
250
100
Social
participation
19
7.60
143
57.20
88
35.20
250
100
Source: the author
Table 2 shows the level of approval of the axes of
social responsibility, the findings are encouraging
for the universities participating in the study. In
sustainable campus, 59.20% was obtained at the
medium level, followed by social participation with
57.20%, and social and citizen training with 56%.
However, it is necessary to review and update the
USR plans in these axes, taking into account the
environmental reality of the campus and its local
environment, in order to motivate the participation
of the university community. The social
management of knowledge axis reached a high
2% 0,4% 0,8% 1,6%
42,4%
30,0%
26,4%
34,0%
47,2%
64,8%
56,4% 56,8%
8,4%
4,8%
16,4%
7,6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Sustainable
campus
Social and
university
training
Social
management of
knowledge
Social
participation
Do not agree Partially agree Agree Totally agree
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
6
level with 52%, which leads us to infer that studies
are being generated within the line of research
related to the objectives of sustainable development
and environmental culture.
5. Discussion
We analyzed the social responsibility action plans
of ten universities in Lima in order to evaluate that
they have an environmental approach in the
organizational, academic, knowledge generation
and social participation areas. The information
consulted in the documents confirmed that the four
axes are favorably attended in these last years,
which would be in accordance with what is
stipulated in the University law 30220 [1], the ISO
26000 [11] and Vallaeys (2014) [2] who specify
that the USR policies must be implemented in the
university campuses under an impact approach.
With regard to knowing the percentage of approval,
65.20% of students agree that universities work
with orientation to policies and actions that
promote USR at all levels, since this allows the
entire educational community to be part of them;
which coincides with Aguilar & Velásquez (2018)
who state that it is able to develop environmental
awareness from a commitment assumed with the
natural environment. Likewise, an average level of
approval of 75.6% was reached with the activities
implemented by the university as part of the USR
policies. These results would evidence the lack of
knowledge of a sector of the student population
with this planning [23]. The university
community, being environmentally aware, is
capable of making decisions in this area, becoming
an extraordinary potential that society needs for the
conservation of the environment and the
sustainable use of resources, proposing a
comprehensive environmental program with
environmental care and education policies that
reorient the mission of the universities, establishing
the institutional commitment to generate
environmental knowledge and research (Bernal &
Díaz, 2020) [24].
In the sustainable university campus field, the
documentary review corroborated that the
evaluated universities mostly promote actions
within their facilities in order to optimize and
preserve natural resources, extending the
participation to stakeholders, who are the
individuals that affect and can be affected by the
activities developed in the university (AA1000
Standard, 2011) [25]. However, the engagement of
these groups (teachers, students, administrative
staff and the community) is relevant for the
organization, if it wishes to achieve its objectives.
The results indicated that 47.2% of the students
surveyed agree with the activities carried out for
the environment within the university. These
statistical data obtained are consistent with the
findings of Lopez & Ahumada (2018), who in their
research with students at the Autonomous
University of Baja California, 61% stated that they
agreed with the 4R practices on campus and to
reward the best environmental care initiatives in the
cloister [26]. We were concerned with the results of
Mendoza et al., (2019), in a study with 15395, it
was found that 80% of students indicated they had
a lack of knowledge about environmental values,
63.5% did not recognize the commitment of their
alma mater with environmental culture, recycling
campaigns reach 30% of acceptance and the
environmental practices with the highest demand
are saving water and energy consumption [27].
In the field of social and citizen training, the
university entities under analysis have made
changes in their curricula, especially in subjects
related to the environment and social responsibility,
which should be compulsory in undergraduate and
postgraduate courses. Likewise, activities that
actively promote the participation of students and
teachers through volunteering or festivals are
carried out, which seek to awaken interest in
preserving the environment. 64.8% of the students
who took part in the study agreed with this
approach because they considered that it
contributes to improving their training as
professionals. In this regard, Condori & Reyna
(2019) found that 70% of university students
consider that training with SR approach is adequate
in their campus [5]. For Pegalajar et al., (2021),
university academic training should contemplate
aspects of social responsibility that allow the
development of knowledge and attitudes in
accordance with the social commitment that the
future professional should assume with the natural
environment [28]. In this line, Pérez et al., (2018)
refers that in order to promote sustainable social
development, there must be articulation between all
areas of an institution which allows implementing
projects under the mentioned approach [10].
Regarding the third axis, social management of
knowledge, students expressed agreement with this
axis in a 56.4%, considering that the USR plans of
the universities consulted show that they carry out
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
7
strategies to create and disseminate knowledge,
some have agreements with international entities,
most of them hold congresses, symposiums,
conferences, among others; They are committed to
competitions in which students and teachers
participate by presenting projects incorporating
social responsibility issues, they offer bonuses to
promote research, which is consistent with Condori
& Reyna (2021) since 69% of university students
indicated that research training with a SR approach
is adequate [5]; all this is also aligned with
University Law 30220 [1], which is emphatic in
stating that the university's main functions are to
train professionals and research, the latter including
lines of research consistent with the needs or
demands of society. In this regard, it should be
specified that promoting scientific research means
aligning with the development of the curriculum
and evaluation, for which the link between the
subjects where social projects are developed with
an academic proposal that addresses social
problems should be evidenced (Rubio et al., 2020)
[29]. As research increases in the institutions,
social responsibility will be greater. In this sense,
research practice favors the formation of principles
and values of students (La Cruz et al., 2022) [30].
Finally, regarding the fourth axis of social
participation, 56.8% of the students indicated that
they agree with social participation for the welfare
of the communities. This is related to what was also
found in the analysis of the policies of this axis in
the universities of the sample, where it is evident
that most of them have established agreements with
NGOs, or in other cases with private institutions,
municipalities, regional governments, who work
hand in hand trying to establish solutions to
problems that afflict the communities, promoting in
this sense the participation of the entire community,
as well as students, teachers and researchers, in
order to care for and improve the environment.
This is also related to the study by Pérez & Calvo
(2021), since the authors found that 58% of
university students in Paraguay were in complete
agreement with the promotion of USR activities,
and 71% indicated that they participate
permanently and actively in the activities proposed
by the university [6]; as mentioned by Corral &
Queiroz (2004), who argue that sustainable
behavior is the various actions that are deployed in
order to preserve natural resources, seeking
individual and collective well-being [19].
The main beneficiary of promoting USR policies or
practices is society, considering that all its activities
are aimed at improving its development; in this
sense, they should ensure that the activities they
carry out are aimed at strengthening all its
components in order to achieve a good positioning
of the university (La Cruz et al., 2022) [30]. The
findings in the study denote the need for
universities to pay more attention to USR policies,
planning and programming of activities that
contribute to the formation of an environmental
culture. In this regard Yangali et al., (2021) argue
that the development of this culture has a
transformative mission in students because it seeks
to promote the conservation of environmental
ecosystems, from their participation and civic
engagement [18].
6. Conclusions
The findings revealed that the students agree in
64.8%, with the activities that are implemented in
the social and civic education axis, 56.8% with
Social Participation, 56.4% with Social Knowledge
Management and 47, 2% with a sustainable
campus. These results invite universities to reflect
on the need to reformulate RSU policies as a
response to the social and environmental problems
of the community, based on the implementation of
projects related to the SDGs. Likewise, improve
dissemination channels in order to encourage the
participation and training of volunteer groups on
university campuses. Regarding knowledge
management, universities must consider within
their lines of research, those that are directed to
environmental education with the purpose of
executing initiatives and projects that contribute to
the preservation of the environment on their
campus and for the benefit of their community
region. In addition to establishing agreements with
public and private institutions to implement
projects of a social and environmental nature for
the benefit of the university community and
society. It is a reality that global environmental
problems need to be addressed from various sectors
and it is the universities that assume the
responsibility of training professionals committed
to sustainable development and environmental
protection. For this reason, the university cloisters
from their mission, vision, profiles and curriculum
must be aligned with the environmental approach.
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
8
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Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
10
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dex
Contribution of Individual Authors to the
Creation of a Scientific Article (Ghostwriting
Policy)
-Melba Vásquez Tomás was the researcher
responsible for the study and team leader. She
conceived the research subject, methodological
design of the study and writing of the article.
-Judith Yangali Vicente reviewed and analyzed the
documentation.
-Maruja Baldeón De la Cruz reviewed and
analyzed the documentation.
-Delsi Huaita Acha was responsible for the
quantitative data collection and processing.
Sources of Funding for Research Presented in a
Scientific Article or Scientific Article Itself
This research has been self-funded by the authors.
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)
This article is published under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.e
n_US
EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS
DOI: 10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
Melba Rita Vásquez Tomás,
Judith Soledad Yangali Vicente,
Maruja Dionisia Baldeón De La Cruz,
Delsi Mariela Huaita Acha
E-ISSN: 2944-9006
11
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare
that are relevant to the content of this article.