Universities in Japan are required to play a role in regional revitalization as core members of the local community. This study examines some of the ways in which University Social Responsibility (USR) influences social impact. The primary focus is on the case of Kochi University, which supports regional revitalization through its regional coordinators. Based on interviews with stakeholders in two local communities, a logic model of local cognition was constructed. Using the model made it possible to visualize the connections between the inputs of Kochi University and their local impacts. Such connections were difficult to establish prior to the construction of the model or when looking only at individual inputs. In situations where the social impacts of USR require a significant period before being realized, it is extremely difficult to selectively extract only the impact of the university’s contribution. Moreover, for populations that do not directly benefit from the USR or where the impact is spread thin and over a wide area, the local community may not fully recognize the university’s contributions.