Measuring customer satisfaction in higher education
| Date | 01 December 1998 |
| Published date | 01 December 1998 |
| Pages | 197-204 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684889810242182 |
| Author | Susan Aldridge,Jennifer Rowley |
Context and management objectives
This article describes a methodology which
used a Student Charter as the basis for a
questionnaire-based survey.
The methodology was tested and devel-
oped as an operational tool and not as a dis-
tinct research project. The Student Satisfac-
tion Sub-group was charged with the respon-
sibility for the development of an operational
methodology that would complement existing
quality assurance processes, tools and systems
already in operation within the college. The
team was, however, concerned that their
practice should be informed by current
debates concerning the measurement of
educational and service quality. In addition it
was deemed appropriate that the survey
should be embedded in the increasingly elec-
tronic environment that has been created
within the college over the past few years. The
methodology also needed to be efficient and
be operational within tight resource con-
straints.
A brief profile of Edge Hill University
College may serve to contextualise the pro-
ject. Edge Hill University College is a medi-
um-sized higher education institution offer-
ing undergraduate and postgraduate courses
to over 6,000 full- and part-time students. It
is located on three sites, the main site in
Ormskirk, the School of Health Studies at
Fazakerley and the in-service part of the
School of Education on the Woodlands site.
Computer networking covers all sites, but
good access to these facilities is more recent
on the Fazakerley and Woodlands sites than
on the Ormskirk site.
There is a major challenge in designing an
evaluation methodology which is suitable for
the college’s diverse student body. Students
may enjoy varying levels of experience with
information technology, attend the college
for different lengths of time, attend in part-
time or full-time mode, and, in general, seek
different “benefits” packages from the
college.
The survey was designed to supplement
the current arrangements for feedback from
students on their course experience and their
general satisfaction with services and facili-
ties. This is currently collected through four
main channels:
(1)Through module evaluations focusing on
module delivery and content. These are
presented in summary form to subject
197
Quality Assurance in Education
Volume 6 · Number 4 · 1998 · pp. 197–204
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0968-4883
Measuring customer
satisfaction in higher
education
Susan Aldridge and
Jennifer Rowley
The author
Susan Aldridge is Head of Student Services and
Jennifer Rowley is Head of the School of Management
and Social Sciences, both at Edge Hill University College,
Ormskirk, UK.
Abstract
Evaluates a methodology which was developed to mea-
sure student satisfaction with significant components of
the service experience delivered to students at Edge Hill
University College. Uses a questionnaire-based survey to
collect information on student satisfaction. The methodol-
ogy has two unique features: the Student Charter informed
the survey design; and student responses were collected
electronically through on-screen questionnaires accessible
over an intranet. Outcomes suggest that there remains
some resistance to the completion of an electronic ques-
tionnaire and both paper and electronic versions are likely
to continue to be necessary in order to achieve optimum
response rates. The methodology has identified specific
aspects of the service experience where there was either
an absence of student satisfaction or the level of student
satisfaction was variable. These aspects have been further
explored with focus groups and fed into the quality plan
for the college. A “negative quality” model is proposed
which may offer a framework for response to different
types of feedback from students.
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