The student as stakeholder: how the altruism of university social responsibility (USR) campaigns impacts student relationships

Purpose The purpose of this study is to expand corporate social responsibility research in communication management by understanding the dynamics of university social responsibility (USR). The COVID-19 pandemic and social justice protests of 2020 provide a context to study communication about universities’ dual roles as economic engines and social activists. Messaging from a university about its social responsibility goals can impact student perceptions. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted of 493 students enrolled at a major university in 2020. Students were asked about two real campaigns at their university, one about healthy behavior and one about racial justice on campus. Findings Altruism positively predicted reputation, trust and donation intent, while distrust was inversely predicted. Message credibility and believability were mediators of these relationships, but only source credibility mediated altruism for the social justice campaign. For universities, this study demonstrates the importance of communicating social responsibility messages with students. As an important and overlooked stakeholder group in USR, students may respond positively to these messages, which have implications for their potential willingness to donate after graduation. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by merging variables from public relations and marketing with theory development in higher education management to provide a new perspective on ethical organizational communication.