Organizing a social responsibility activity that influences the selection of higher education institutions for the students of Mahidol University Salaya Campus

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study approaches to organizing social responsibility activities that influenced undergraduate students’ decisions to pursue graduate studies at Mahidol University, Salaya Campus. This study employed a quantitative research design. The sample group consisted of 500 undergraduate students at Mahidol University, Salaya Campus. Data were collected using questionnaires, and statistical analysis was conducted using frequency, percentage, and standard deviation.

The findings revealed that students believed the university should primarily focus on organizing environmental conservation activities, followed by socially beneficial activities, volunteer service activities, community economic development activities for sustainability, educational capacity-building activities in schools, and activities that promote ethical behavior and interactions among students, staff, and the community, respectively.

With regard to the influence of social responsibility activities on students’ decisions to pursue graduate studies, the results showed that students were most motivated when such activities provided the greatest benefit to society. Other influential factors included the institution’s willingness to acknowledge and address students’ demands, responsiveness to students’ needs, and sharing positive contributions with society, for example, donating useful items or providing knowledge that can be further applied to sustainable career development. Additionally, the institution’s clear image in conducting social responsibility activities, effective promotion of such activities to students from other institutions, and ensuring that these activities did not harm the quality of life of communities and society were also important considerations. Furthermore, students indicated they would recommend the university to peers at other institutions based on its commitment to social responsibility.