Development and validation of a university social responsibility scale based on students' perceptions for operationalizing equity in higher Education

Abstract

Higher education systems are undergoing rapid digital and institutional transformation, intensifying concerns about equity, inclusion, and sustainable learning conditions. Although University Social Responsibility (USR) has increasingly been linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4, the literature still lacks robust measurement instruments to assess how students perceive institutional conditions associated with equitable and inclusive university environments. In response, this study develops and validates a multidimensional scale grounded in students' perceptions of institutional practices associated with USR-oriented equity in higher Education. The instrument was developed through a sequential mixed- method design. First, a literature-informed conceptual scoping stage identified the principal institutional domains associated with USR and educational equity. Second, qualitative data from five student focus groups (n = 40) were analyzed to refine these domains and generate an initial pool of items. Third, content validity was assessed by a panel of five experts in higher education management and psychometrics. Fourth, a pilot study with undergraduate students (n = 154) enabled exploratory factor analysis. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using survey data from Generation Z students (n = 583) enrolled in business programs at a public university in northern Mexico. Results support a seven-factor structure encompassing learning infrastructure, health and wellbeing, institutional benefits, professional development, social and environmental engagement, integral formation and inclusion, and identity and belonging. The model demonstrated satisfactory fit, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. By capturing students' perceptions of institutional conditions linked to USR and educational equity, the proposed scale offers universities a diagnostic tool to assess and strengthen more inclusive and sustainable learning environments.