Social Responsibility: A University Commitment or Obligation

The article purports to analyze social responsibility from the perspective of the commitment or obligation university organizations have in relation to the society in which they interact. The work is supported by authors such as Guedez (2006), Pelekais et al (2007), Pelekais and Aguirre (2008) and Carneiro (2004), among others. Using a qualitative paradigm, research was documentary and analytical with a bibliographic design. The technique was documentary observation through the review of texts and other documents, as well as electronic sources, needed to conceptualize the category under study. Results demonstrate that universities are making efforts to comply with social responsibility actions that benefit both internal and external communities; however, they lack financial resources for the plans and scheduled projects due to budget reshaping. In conclusion, universities are based on ethical pillars supported by the commitment to teaching, research and extension. Therefore, it is not enough for universities to merely transfer theoretical or technical knowledge; they should exercise social responsibility from a perspective of commitment to its principles and dimensions, connecting them to the coherence of individual ethical behavior as the capacity for interrelating personnel both within and outside it, so that a university - society - company link is generated, creating a triangulation for responsible well-being of the collectivity to ensure the scope of sustainable good.