Practices and Outcomes of Social Responsibility Governance in Higher Education Institutions. The Portuguese Case

Abstract

The study of social responsibility has gained high interest and extended its field of action to higher education institutions (HEIs) which, as entities, whether profit or non-profit, play a relevant role in the community in which they operate. The purpose of this article is to determine whether this role is visible and performed by HEIs. If so, the purpose of the article is to determine which HEIs are active in these practices and their specificity. Finally, the objective of this article is to determine the main results of such practices under the dimensions of university social responsibility created by Vallaeys et al. (2009): responsible campus, professional and citizen training, social management of knowledge and social participation. The methodology used focused on a qualitative, questionnaire-based survey study carried out on a sample of HEIs in the Porto region (Portugal) consisting of 27 HEIs divided between universities and polytechnic institutes. Data collection was carried out by e-mail and 14 answers were obtained, from which it was possible to perceive that the 14 HEIs respondents are aware of the concept and understanding of SUW. Executed practices vary between HEIs, with the majority comprising the economic, environmental and social areas. As results in the four domains of action the HEIs bet on lectures and seminars, social welfare, improvement of living conditions and social inclusion of professionals and students, the surrounding community, social justice, human rights and social cohesion, ethical respect, environmental sustainability and training of professionals able to grasp and apply this knowledge in the community among others.