On the criteria of a university’s social responsibility

Abstract

The purpose of the essay is twofold. Firstly, to formulate a definition of a university’s social responsibility (which takes into account social expectations of this institution and its internal determinants). The final result of this research is the definition built on two concepts. On the one hand, it is the stakeholder policy, on the other hand, the whistle-blower policy. These criteria make a university transparent and open to social criticism. Secondly, the essay tends to establish whether Polish universities – treated as dominant institutions of knowledge – can be seen as responsible partner(s) of civil society. From the perspective of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), the more responsible university, the better the dialogical relationships with its social environment. This leads to the question whether the relationships of Polish universities with stakeholders and whistle-blowers – taken as the eyes and ears of civil society – are intensive enough.