Student satisfaction levels continue to rise.
Student satisfaction levels at Massey have risen for the second year running, with only a tiny minority of students rating student services at the University anything less than satisfactory, good or very good.
And the biggest area of improvement and overall performance is in the satisfaction of extramural students.
Every year Massey invites about 20,000 students by email to participate in its satisfaction surveys aimed at improving service delivery.
About 4500 respond to the on-line survey run by AC Neilson containing 108 questions on all aspects of student services other than teaching, which is measured in a separate survey.
Last year 64 per cent of respondents rated the services good or very good, an increase from 62 per cent in 2004. This year it rose to 67 per cent.
When those who rated the services as satisfactory were added, the percentage rises to 95 and for extramural students, just over 96 per cent.
Dr Sandi Shillington, who is responsible for student services on the Palmerston North campus and for all extramural student services, says the marked improvement in satisfaction levels particularly for extramural students shows the efforts made to be responsive to previous surveys were valuable.
“We have introduced a new suite of services to students and I believe that’s starting to show,” Dr Shillington says.
“The overall rating of ‘good’ and ‘very good’ have gone from 68 per cent last year for extramural students to 73 per cent this year, with just on 3 per cent rating our services ‘poor’ and less than 1 per cent ‘very poor’.” She says the surveys show extramural students are much more likely than others to recommend Massey to potential students.
The introduction of “Extraconnect” an email a problem-solving service for students has contributed to the sense that Massey is doing a good job of resolving problems if and when they arise.
Massey University Students Association president Paul Falloon says it is good that Massey is one of the few or possibly the only university in New Zealand to annually gauge student satisfaction levels.
“The University can chop things up between student services and academic, grounds and all aspects of what it provides but the student experience is a combination of all of those things.” |
