Satisfaction Survey Provides Key Data
For Improving Recruitment and Retention

The first results are now available from what is probably the most extensive survey of student satisfaction ever at UC.

Using the Web and the assistance of dozens of faculty, staff and administrators, the Student Satisfaction Survey was administered both online and in classrooms across all UC campuses and in all 17 colleges last spring. Over 2,300 surveys were completed, and nearly 4,500 additional comments to open-ended questions had to be analyzed.

"The response was good and we asked a hundred questions, so the amount of data was overwhelming," said Brenda LeMaster, Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and chair of the steering committee which administered and analyzed the survey.

When the data was analyzed, there were several clear trends. UC students are highly satisfied with the quality of faculty here and the availability of faculty members outside class. On the other end of the spectrum, the cost and availability of parking remains a serious concern for students commuting to the main and medical campuses.

"It is easy to dismiss parking since it is an issue on almost every major campus. But student satisfaction with parking can impact recruitment and retention. So we have to look at issues related to parking, including convenience and cost," insisted LeMaster.

One of the most encouraging findings in the survey involved safety. Students on the main and medical campuses reported feeling safe at UC, whether they were in their dorms, waiting for shuttles, or inside the parking garages. "The people who are here don't have serious concerns about their safety," summed up LeMaster.

Lawrence Johnson, Dean of the College of Education and member of the Student Satisfaction Survey Advisory Committee, noted that the detailed information contained in the survey must now be reviewed individually by various colleges, departments and units before the survey can have a real impact at UC.

"We want to turn these data over the administrative and academic units and allow them to respond to what the students are saying," said Johnson.

Other areas of concern included basic student services such as financial aid, billing and the ability to transfer from one program or college to another. UC has already taken several steps toward addressing some of those concerns through the Collaboration for Student Success and the construction of a One-Stop student services center. However, LeMaster said the student surveys will help the university move forward more quickly and effectively to meet student needs.

"We need to monitor our progress. That means finding a regular way to repeat the survey or pieces of it, and obviously, we will monitor areas of concerns more frequently."

The Student Satisfaction Survey was presented formally to UC's deans and provosts Wednesday, April 25. Jon Mays in Institutional Research is also working on a web version to make the results more widely available.

Ann Millacci was the project coordinator in UC's Evaluation Services Center with assistance from: Krishnakanth Allika, Michael Cannon, Shyamsundar Gururaj, Nina Llobrera, Kelly Maples, Prathap Ramachandra, Tammora Walker, and Susan Williams.

Other members of the Student Satisfaction Advisory Committee were: Stanley Henderson, associate vice president for Enrollment Management; Thomas Hadley, associate vice president for Student Affairs and Human Resources; Randal Morris, past chair of the Faculty Senate; Lou Ann Emerson, associate dean in the College of Nursing; Joseph Scanio, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; Lillian Santa-Maria, University Ombuds; and Cary Brewer, former director of Institutional Planning and Research.