Mentoring for Social Responsibility in Higher Ed: New Review of Practices and Impacts

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Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., & Suyo-Vega, J. A. (2025). Mentoring and university social responsibility: A systematic review of strategies and impacts in higher education. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1625433. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1625433

Introduction

University Social Responsibility (USR) has gained momentum as higher education institutions confront inequities, sustainability challenges, and demands for civic accountability. Ocupa-Cabrera and colleagues (2025) argue that mentoring may be a crucial but underexamined mechanism for embedding USR into university life, helping students develop ethical, civic, and social competencies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors highlight a persistent gap: USR is often treated as extracurricular rather than integrated into teaching, research, and community engagement, limiting its transformative power.

Methods

Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, Ocupa-Cabrera and colleagues (2025) conducted a systematic review of studies published between 2019–2024. Searches across SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO used structured Boolean terms combining mentoring/tutoring with USR/social responsibility. Fifteen open-access studies (English/Spanish) met inclusion criteria, representing literature reviews (6), qualitative (5), quantitative (3), and mixed-methods research (1). Data were extracted via a coding matrix and synthesized thematically.

Results

Across contexts, USR was widely recognized as ethically essential but inconsistently implemented. Mentoring emerged as a central strategy for advancing USR by strengthening belonging, civic participation, solidarity, and ethical development. However, USR efforts frequently remained fragmented, disconnected from curricula and research, and poorly evaluated—often limited to “social aid” or extension activities. Institutional barriers included limited faculty preparation, weak interdepartmental coordination, and lack of impact measurement tools aligned with the SDGs.

Discussion

The authors positions mentoring as both a developmental support and a governance tool: when intentionally aligned with USR, mentoring can support student formation and institutional contributions to social transformation. Yet, the authors stress that mentoring cannot reach full potential without policy commitment, curricular reform, participatory methodologies, and systematic assessment of outcomes. The study calls for research designs that test causal pathways and compare approaches across regions.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs in higher education should be designed as USR infrastructure, not optional support. Programs can: embed mentoring in coursework, integrate service-learning, train mentors to foster ethical reasoning and civic competence, and adopt SDG-aligned measures of impact. Mentoring becomes most powerful when it links student growth to community benefit.

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