Assessing Student Satisfaction Marrissa Bryant Western Kentucky University

Introduction The purpose of this presentation is to inform viewers about the importance of assessing student satisfaction in higher education.

Objectives Importance and Implications Factors Techniques and methods

Importance and Implications “Unlike service industries, which hold satisfaction as a goal in and of itself, colleges and universities typically perceive satisfaction as a means to an end.” (Schreiner, 2009) Student motivation Retention Recruitment efforts Fundraising

Importance and Implications In Dr. Schreiner’s research, she explained that when students have a positive feeling about their experiences and would have chosen the institution they graduated from again, it helps the institution’s reputation which can contribute to the institution’s overall success. “A positive impact of satisfaction is reported upon purchase behavior, repurchase intent, positive word- of-mouth, customer retention and the continuous use of provided service.” (Andersen & Sullivan, 1993) (as cited in Azoury, Daou & El Khoury, 2013)

Factors Academic Advising and Counseling Admission Process Campus Life and Student Organizations Campus Services Financial Aid Process Faculty Interaction and Involvement Learning Environment Safety and Security Support Services

Factors Teaching Styles Classroom Environment Professor Relationships Skills Development (Thompson, 2014 )

Techniques and Methods Surveys Student Experiences Questionnaire (Pace, 1979) College Student Satisfaction Questionnaire (Betz, Menne, Starr, and Klingensmith, 1971) Student Satisfaction Inventory (Noel-Levitz, 1994) Focus Groups or Interviews Summative evaluation Formative evaluation Secret Shoppers (Upcraft & Schuh, 1996)

Techniques and Methods Static Measures Persistence Participation Rates Spending Patterns Membership Recruitment and Retention Programs Institutional Databases (Upcraft & Schuh, 1996)

Conclusion It is important for those working in higher education to assess student satisfaction because it can impact many aspects of higher education such as persistence, retention rates, graduation rates, how students spend their money, word of mouth and campus reputation, alumni contributions, and fundraising efforts. There are many factors that affect student satisfaction and it is important to consider them when choosing how to assess student satisfaction for higher education institutions. There are many ways to assess student satisfaction. It is important to choose the method or technique that will work for your institution. It is also important to keep in mind that there may be other factors besides student satisfaction that may influence the data you gather.

References Anderson, E.& Sullivan, M. (1993). The antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction for firms. Marketing Science, 12, Azoury, Nehme M.; Daou, Lindos E.; and El Khoury, Charbel M. (2013) "University Image and its Relationship to Student Satisfaction: Case of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon," Journal of Executive Education: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 4.Available at: Schreiner, L. (2009, January 1). Linking Student Satisfaction and Retention.. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from atis0809.pdf atis0809.pdf Thompson, V. (2014, January 1). What Factors Lead to Student Satisfaction?. Education. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from satisfaction-1554.htmlhttp://education.seattlepi.com/factors-lead-student- satisfaction-1554.html Upcraft, M., & Schuh, J. (1996). Assessing Student Satisfaction. Assessment in Student Affairs: A guide for practitioners (). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.