Annual Student Survey Results 2009
USU & Unitec Student Satisfaction Survey
This year in May USU and Unitec ran the annual Student Satisfaction Survey to find out what you thought about services at Unitec. At the time the survey was conducted there were 14,552 students enrolled at Unitec. Between 2,100 and 2,629 responded to the survey (this number fluctuates throughout the survey as some participants drop out of the survey before completing it), making the response rate approximately 18%. The survey itself reflects how the students who participated viewed the services on offer at Unitec and indicates their usage of the services, whether they were satisfied and whether they believed the services were important.
Student Satisfaction Survey 09 - Full Report
Summary of the findings
STUDENT SATISFACTION
The majority (79%) of students who took part in the 2009 Student Satisfaction Survey reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their student experience at Unitec. This overall opinion closely mirrored the satisfaction rating of all 35 services surveyed, which gained an average of 78% for student satisfaction. Seven percent of students surveyed reported that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their experience.
Services that students were most satisfied with:
1. MAIA Maori Development Centre (90%)
2. The Sports Centre (90%)
3. The Centre for Pacific Development and Support (CPDS) (89%)
4. USU Events and Activities (88%)
5. Course Information & Campus Help (88%)
The services that the students surveyed were most dissatisfied with were:
1. Student Accommodation Village (42% dissatisfaction)
2. Food and Drink outlets (19% dissatisfaction)
3. Early Learning Provision (18% dissatisfaction – mostly with waiting lists rather than service delivery or service quality).
4. Facilities - Common Space (17% dissatisfaction – particularly at the north end of campus)
IMPORTANCE
Services students thought were most important:
1. The Library (96%)
2. Course Information & Campus Help (89%)
3. StudyLink (89%)
4. Food and Drink outlets (88%)
5. USU Student Job Search (SJS) (88%)
Importantly, Studylink, USU Student Job Search (SJS) and Food and Drink outlets also featured in the top 10 services that students were most dissatisfied with. This is worrying as any services with very high importance for students need to perform at a high level. The overall average for importance of services offered at Unitec was 69% which may indicate that some services might not be relevant to many students.
AWARENESS
Students were most aware of:
1. The Library (99%)
2. Food and Drink outlets (95%)
3. USU Website (95%)
4. USU Events Programme (95%)
5. USU’s In Unison (93%)
The overall average for awareness of services offered at Unitec was 74%. Te Puna Ako rated the lowest of all services for awareness amongst those students surveyed, at 36%.
CONCLUSION
Students surveyed seemed satisfied with Unitec overall, in terms of service provision, with areas of excellence in some pastoral services. Negative hot-spots have been identified in this report in high-profile service areas such as facilities and externally contracted services, indicating that greater knowledge and care of student focused provision is required. Communication and coordination across all the services surveyed is markedly inconsistent, perhaps indicating that services may be currently under-utilized and in need of a more over-arching vision.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SURVEY
The recommendations below are the overall recommendations for Unitec to consider as a result of the survey’s findings. 1. That Unitec conduct an external review of the Student Residential Village due to serious health and safety issues. 2. That Unitec take immediate action to remedy the poor quality of facilities identified by students studying at the North End of the Mt Albert campus, and that a plan of action is communicated to students as soon as possible. 3. That Unitec develops a unified student service strategy that measures all service areas, including external contractors and those missing services identified in our methodology. 4. That Unitec review the internal communication and promotion of student services on campus. 5. That Unitec implements a student satisfaction component to new and existing contracts between Unitec and contractors, with a termination clause for poor performance. Unitec has written a letter of response to these key recommendations:
USU Students’ Association response to the survey
USU Students’ Association at Unitec rated consistently highly in the awareness and satisfied categories however the importance ratings could be higher, highlighting the need to deliver services that are important to a wider range of students and to ensure better service is provided in the area of gaining employment – a core reason for attending Unitec. We as an organisation will accept all recommendations outlined in the survey. Overarching recommendations for USU: 1. That USU conduct an immediate review of its Student Job Search 2. That USU focus on catering for a wider demographic of students, which is consistent with the wider Unitec student demographic. 3. That USU put in place measures and systems to ensure that no student enquiries get lost in the system. Strategic Solutions: • USU publish its 2008 careers research project and conduct more research into career expectations on campus. We will ensure a more direct relationship with the SJS national student organisation creating a more responsive and better service. Outcomes: Research project and 15% increase in satisfaction in 2010. • USU will research a full current and future Unitec demographic profile in order to better serve and predict the service needs of our students. Outcomes: Demographic profile that influences 2010 USU business plan. • USU will develop a better student referral and internal communications programme. Outcomes: No comments about lost student inquiries in 2010 survey. USU has written a more in-depth response to the results of the survey: