University Social Responsibility From an Environmental Perspective

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.