La responsabilidad social de la universidad: el papel de los estudios generales

Abstract

There has been much debate in recent times of social responsibility as an ethical dimension that every organization or institution must have as its vision and must promote in their daily business (Vallaeys, 2008). More so, it is expected that Universities, complex and diverse establishments, comply with their social commitment; not fulfilling their own interests but rather taking into consideration the social necessities of its community (Sánchez Martínez, 2010). Therefore, an integrated educational system must possess a balance between diverse human realities and the different environments that promote and enable people to be educated. This implies a process of recuperating the role of higher learning institutions as it relates to autonomy, democracy, accessibility, and human emancipation. These are all components of curriculum that emphasizes in the general studies, in order to promote social responsibility. In this article we will discuss how important it is for the University to provide an education that forms autonomous individuals that are critical and freethinking. Ultimately, that it constructs an individual within the university that reflects upon their social responsibility, one that is framed on the ethics and solidarity that is expected from the university citizen.