Estimado Sr. Soto
Le escribo desde la Universidad de Valencia, soy Juanjo Martí investigador en el área de responsabilidad social.
Agradeciendo su atención.
Responsabilidad Social Universitaria
De Estudios sobre Responsabilidad Social Universitaria
(Redirigido desde
Página Principal)
Portal
destinado a recopilar estudios y experiencias en responsabilidad social
universitaria; y a la promoción del desarrollo de investigaciones y
deliberaciones sobre la conceptualización e implicaciones en la
educación superior.
[editar] El contexto iberoamericano
En recientes búsquedas de iniciativas interuniversitarias, en estos
momentos (13/05/2010), la única constancia de proyecto en activo en un
rastreo web es la promovida por la Red AUSJAL en RSU a nivel internacional. El proyecto interuniversitario Universidad Construye País según consultas recientes, no tiene actividad manifiesta en su web, aunque destacamos los documentos publicados en el marco de la iniciativa:
Asumiendo el País: RSU
La Universidad Construye País
Educando para la Responsabilidad Social
Tres años construyendo País
Observando la RSU
Una manera de ser Universidad
Para consultas sobre marco teórico, una aproximación a los trabajos de François Vallaeys puede descargarse aquí
[editar] El contexto español de la investigación en RSU
La Responsabilidad Social Universitaria está contemplada en las políticas del Ministerio de Educación español en la Estrategia Universidad 2015 junto a la formación e investigación, constituye la tercera misión de la Universidad. Manifiesta que se contempla aprobar un eje central de trabajo dedicado a la responsabilidad social universitaria, diseñado
en estrecho contacto con las propias universidades y con las
principales partes interesadas en esta materia. Un objetivo de la
EU2015 es que en su horizonte temporal todas las universidades tengan
un proyecto de RSU aprobado por el Consejo de Gobierno y Consejo Social
y que sea difundido y conocido en el ámbito de su comunidad
universitaria. (cita de la web)
Desde el Consejo Estatal de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial
(CERSE), del Ministerio de Trabajo, también se está trabajando el
ámbito de formación y el grupo de trabajo ha elaborado un primer
borrador de documento, que según se comenta en diario responsable
consideran los autores que será necesario "incorporar al sistema de
educación y formación en todos sus niveles y etapas los principios y
valores del desarrollo sostenible y la responsabilidad, con el objetivo
general de que todas las personas puedan desarrollar un modo de pensar
abierto y libre, y adquirir los valores, conocimientos y capacidades
que les permitan encontrar las soluciones a los problemas que les
afectan."
Puede descargarse el documento desde la web de la Fundación ETNOR miembro del foro de expertos de la sociedad civil del CERSE. Documento.
El Club de Excelencia en Sostenibilidad con el apoyo del Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración en su dirección de RSE desarrollaron el estudio sobre análisis de la RSE en el sistema educativo español. El informe Una aproximación al estado de la RSE en la enseñanza en España abarca la totalidad del sistema educativo y señala los avances en el estado de la cuestión.
La investigación de la RSU en España
En España encontramos dos líneas de trabajo. Una corresponde a
los criterios de responsabilidad social de la Universiad como
institución, por la cual las Universidad de Compostela [1] y la UNED [2]presentan memorias sobre su acción.
El foro de consejos sociales de las universidades públicas andaluzas [3]están
promoviendo una serie de actividades de reflexión sobre el concepto y
aplicaciones, con la importancia añadida de coordinar la labor de
diferentes centros. La publicación del artículo [4] supone un análisis de la presencia de la RS en las web de las universidades andaluzas.
Principalmente de una búsqueda on-line de artículos publicados,
encontramos los trabajos que desde la Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
y la Universidad Complutense han culminado con una tesis doctoral que investiga el modelo de la UFV
Y en base a un trabajo con perspectiva integral de la universidad,
constituye ahora la experiencia más desarrollada la propuesta por la Factoria de Responsabilidad Social de la Universidad de Valladolid
Por otra parte, en colaboración con entidades del tercer sector la
Universidad de Zaragoza también ha avanzado alguna inciativa [5].
Y a nivel de comunicación on-line de la RS de las universidades
españolas, este artículo ofrece un acercamiento sobre el tema y algunas
propuestas [6]
Los códigos éticos como herramienta de Responsabilidad Social
En el ámbito más específico, ya son varias las universidades las
que han elaborado un Código de Ética. Los códigos éticos recogen los
valores que rigen y deben regir el día a día de una institución y los
compromisos de los diferentes grupos de interés para hacer efectivos
esos valores. Aunque este tipo de herramientas ha sido desarrollado más
en el entrono empresarial, cada vez son más las instituciones públicas,
entre ellas las universidades, que han formalizado sus valores en este
documento.
Una de las primeras en desarrollar su Código Éticos en el ámbito español fue la Universidad de Cádiz. Otras de las universidades que ya poseen este documento son: la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela y recientemente la Universitat de Lleida, que ha sido elaborado por la Fundación ÉTNOR.
En este ámbito es también interesante consultar la Red de comisiones de ética de las Universidades Españolas(RECUE),
que recoge información de los distintos Comités o Comisiones, de ética
de la investigación o de bioética de las universidades españolas.
Red de RSU
Desde la perspectiva de la creación de una red de Universidades
trabajando por la RSU, los días 24 y 25 de mayo han tenido lugar las II Jornadas sobre RSU
en la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón. Se ha puesto en marcha un lugar
comun para intercambio de experiencias entre los participantes en las
jornadas y los interesados en el tema en este enlace
The
Social Responsibility at Universities (SRU) has begun to receive
attention since this first decade of this century. In fact, by
reference to the final declaration of the World Conference of Higher
Education of UNESCO in 1998
[1], some aspects related to the social mission of higher education organizations have been identified, such as, to ‘
educate
highly qualified graduates and responsible citizens, giving students
the opportunity to develop their own full abilities with a sense of
social responsibility (...)’, for which higher education should
increase its contribution to the development of the whole education
system, among other actions by developing curricula and educational
research. In the final conference declaration of 2009
[2],
UNESCO again reaffirms the duty of higher education not only to provide
skills, but also to contribute to the formation of citizens endowed
with ethical principles, committed to building peace, and defending
human rights and democratic values.
Both
conferences deserve our attention on the points raised, since it is a
remarkable duty to educate students in order to become responsible
professionals that are concerned about the future of society. It seems
necessary that universities include studies about the student profiles
of those entering Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and promote
research into how and in what way HEIs contribute to the
training/formation of the socially-oriented and ethical professional.
State of the art on Social Responsibility of Universities
Since
the beginning of the 21st century, some universities have begun to work
and develop the concept and implications of Social Responsibility of
Universities (SRU), either jointly or individually. It is worth
mentioning the case of the Talloires network
[3],
which includes universities in different countries and in their
statement (2005), focuses its commitment on promoting consciousness
among "a deep sense of social responsibility and a commitment to the
welfare of society."
In the field of SRU in Latin American universities, one of the most influential authors is François Vallaeys
[4], consultant in Ethics, Social Capital and Development, a chapter of IADB
[5];
whose model of USR is based on the impact that university management
has on society. His proposals are present in most university studies
and plans on SRU.
In terms of standout initiatives, the process of AUSJAL
[6],
developed internationally between member institutions of the Jesuit
university network, the Chilean national project ‘Universidad Construye
País
[7]’ (UCP), the regional initiative of the Social Councils forum of Andalusian public universities
[8], and the cases of Francisco de Vitoria University
[9], and the University of Valladolid
[10].
Some university networks, (AUSJAL
[11], 2009; Universidad Construye País
[12],
2006), and some universities (De la Calle, 2010; Responsibility Factory
Member of the University of Valladolid, 2009) have started researching
on SRU, and it has began the development of methodologies and
assessment tools from a different perspective that nevertheless shares
common standards on the study of SRU. In addition, six universities in
Chile and the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria have introduced social
responsibility themes in the curricular content of the different
degrees they are offering.
We
focus attention on the UCP project, having been launched in 2001
amongst different universities, including public universities, private
(secular), and Catholic-oriented private schools, in order to expand
the concept and practice of social responsibility. It comprises the
only national experience of the longest-running study of SRU. Basic in
its development, according to the promoter of the project from the
Catholic University of Temuco, Ms. Jiménez de la Jara
[13]
(2007), was that in the process each university should be free to
carry-out their processes of understanding and analyses its social
responsibility with emphasis on the values and ethics, and that each
University had to explain their priorities and work in line with the
statement.
The
universities of UCP assume ‘University Social Responsibility as the
ability of the University as an institution to disseminate and
implement a set of principles and values, through four key processes:
management, teaching, research and extension (UCP, 2002)
[14]’.
Jiménez (2007) explains the importance in creating appropriate contexts
for people in order to develop an appropriate management of human
capital, since one of the fundamental ideas from this organizational
management approach is to build dialogic spaces, and the declaration of
the commitments undertaken.
Jiménez
(2007) says that this approach carries the implication that values are
learned from emotion-motivation, and that we experience or experiment
with them and then with thought and argument, and therefore
universities must identify and commit to the values are willing to live
and which are key to their development process since ‘The statements of
principles and values do not guarantee the generation of commitments.’
(UCP, 2006, p. 131) Jiménez highlights that "you cannot manage what you
do not communicate, communicate what is not measured, measure what is
not defined, and define what is not understood." (UCP, 2006, p.109)
From
this perspective, it takes into account the analysis presented by De la
Cuesta and Fernandez (2008) in the conclusions of the "I Jornada
Iberoamericana de Responsabilidad Social de la Universidad"
[15]
about the social responsibility of universities to the members of the
University community: Professors, Researchers, employees and students;
which highlighted the problem of representation of interest groups in
the governing councils of universities, and the low participation of
students. In regarding the lack of participation / representation of
students in the councils, De la Cuesta and Fernández mentioned that if
they are not participating it is because they probably don't feel part
of the university project, noting that it is necessary to detect and
analyze the expectations of the stakeholders of the university, with an
aim of clarifying and integrating into a common project with the whole
members of the university community.
Research of University Values: Challenges and Proposal for a Framework of an Empathetic University.
It
is a common issue in the universities that are working toward SRU, to
speak of values. In this sense if we consider the factor of low student
participation in representative bodies, and non-existence in
universities of a systematic assessment of the values that are acquired
during formation/education, we have a goal for research on how
universities are transmitting their values in the formation of students.
It
is possible to work from the scenario that the low participation of
students in representative bodies may be because students do not
identify as belonging to the university community; so regarding
individualistic values, the University may represent just a tool for
obtaining a degree, which in this case, harnessing the words of Jiménez
(2007), the university could not define their values without knowing
the values of its members, professors, employees and students.
Martí et al (2007)
[16],
has researched on the inclusion of Universities in volunteer
activities, from a participative action research methodology, and the
importance of the formation of research social communities from the
perspective that voluntary action must be reflective about its purpose
and implications.
Currently Martí and Martí (2010)
[17]
have initiated research focusing on the psychological variables that
influence a predisposition to social responsibility, picking up the
basis of work carried out by Navarro (2008)
[18],
who defined it as socially responsible behaviour that you have at the
roots of intention of mutual benefit. It would not be enough to talk
about social responsibility, if it is not exercised and realized
through moral conduct.
This
approach to social responsibility analyzed from the context of moral
psychology is approached from the study of values and ideals that can
provide governing beliefs about what should be done, and therefore,
attitudes and behaviour (Kristiansen and Hotte, 1996).
The
relationship between values focusing on socially responsible behaviour
can be studied from Schwartz (1992), who defines values as ‘desirable
transnational goals, of varying importance that serve as guiding
principles in the life of a person or other social entity’, identifying
10 motivational types of values, organized into two dimensions:
self-promotion (individualistic behaviours) versus self-transcendence
(collectivist behaviours), and openness versus conservation. Schwartz
(1992, 2009) characterizes values as beliefs linked inextricably to
affect, that motivate action, transcend specific actions and
situations, and guide the selection or evaluation of actions and
policies.
Assuming
the validity of the perspective that values are converging emotions and
cognitions, prior to action, we hypothesize that behind the values we
can relate to empathy, which is receiving attention from various
fields, and was defined by Davis (1983) as the set of constructs
included in the observed experiences of another, including affective
and non-affective responses. Davis's work on empathy is of particular
interest to the study of social responsibility because focusing on its
emotional and cognitive variables opens the way to teach empathy.
Navarro
(UCP; 2006) has indicated that empathy is part of socially responsible
behaviour. Therefore, we believe that empathy can be the basis of
social responsibility and should be a matter of research in order to
know if that low empathy or not having training empathic skills could
involve less orientation towards society and its problems, which can
convert the university into a simple tool for personal achievement
goals and self-promotion, rather than a community-oriented professional
development to improve society.
On research about university, values and empathy, Helkama & Miiry (2001)
[19]
reported that empathy is related to the Human Values Model of Schwartz,
and that values of universalism varies with students from different
studies, thus noting that differences over empathy and values are quite
present.
From the
base of the study from neuroscience, Vignemont and Singer (2006)
indicated that people empathise with others when there is a state that
is isomorphic to the emotional state of others, and may have been
elicited by observing or imagining the other person's affective state.
Socially responsible actions reasoned from empathy can be performed
without the proximity of those targeted, using imagination or adoption
of perspective; empathy also refers to socially-responsible behaviours
in regards the environment as referred to by Sevillano (2006).
With this state-of-the-art study, from the interdepartmental Ph.D. ‘Personal development and social participation’
[20],
we have begun the ‘Study on University Social Responsibility, Values
and Empathy from the perspective of the gender role,’ whose purpose is
to establish whether empathy and values are the variables to be
considered in the higher education system when promoting social
responsibility.
This
research is open to participation of new universities, will have the
participation of universities in Colombia, Chile and Peru to
cross-culturally research the effect of the interrelationship between
education, students' values and empathy.
The
question being asked is whether university management is performed with
any cognition and emotion whatsoever, and if so, to what extent? Can
we speak about a university empathetic toward itself and to society?
We
start the research with an overall theme such as Universities Social
Responsibility, which must be worked into the specific context of each
university and faculty. This requires dialogue, as pointed out by
Jiménez (2007), and so we have set a collaborative wiki
[21] space hosted in universidades-responsables.org and a virtual classroom
[22] with research tools for our research proposal.
Innovation
in research of conceptualization and development of methodological
approaches will require new spaces for dialogue, and Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) may be the most appropriate structuring
tool.
Marti
Juanjo Noguera. Degree in psychology. Conducts research at the
interdepartmental doctoral program ‘Personal Development and Social
Participation’ of the University of Valencia. He has worked in local
government administration in the area of social services and programs
funded by the European Union (EU) and subsequently developed a career
as a manager of international cooperation programs on the local and
regional development levels. His knowledge of institutional
functioning on a local, regional, and international level has
facilitated his role as a consultant on interregional cooperation
programs, since at least 2007, with different public and private
entities. He promotes Research & development, and Innovation in
the social responsibility of the university, taking into account the
sustainable growth perspective and having, as a base concern, the
development of people as promoters of socially-responsible
organisations.
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