The results of a recent benchmarking survey of nearly 8500 university students have revealed valuable insights into student satisfaction, usage, future usage and channel preferences for Student Administration and Support services. Conducted earlier this year, the survey highlights the experiences and expectations of both domestic and international students, uncovering areas of success as well as opportunities for improvement.
Diverse Experiences: Over one Fifth of Students Dissatisfied with Student Administration and Support Services
Overall Satisfaction and Ease of interacting with university services was measured across both Administration and Support Services. Students rated satisfaction with Administration Services an average of 7.6 out of 10, while Support Services received a slightly higher average rating of 7.8. Ease of interacting with these services revealed similar trends, with ratings of 7.5 and 7.7 respectively.
Despite these relatively positive ratings, a significant portion of students, over one fifth, were dissatisfied. These students rated their satisfaction between 0 and 6. Specifically, 22% of students were dissatisfied with Administration and 21% with Support Services.
Students who provided high ratings cited the helpfulness of staff, ease of accessing services, and effective resolution as key factors. On the other hand, dissatisfied students pointed to long wait times, unresolved issues, lack of staff at their location, and a lack of coordination within the university as major concerns.
A closer analysis does reveal a noticeable gap between student groups. Domestic and undergraduate students expressed lower satisfaction compared to their international and postgraduate counterparts.
Awareness, Usage, and Future Demand
One of the key findings revealed was the discrepancy between students’ awareness of services and their actual usage. While awareness was generally high, many services had a lower-than-expected current usage rate. Interestingly, future demand for most services is expected to surpass current usage, indicating a potential requirement for universities to expand and enhance their offerings to meet student needs by service and channel.
Channel Choices: Student Preferences for Service Access
The insights also shed light on how students prefer to access university services. Almost half of the students (46%) favoured online channels, followed by 38% who preferred face-to-face interactions and 15% who opted for phone services. International students stood out, with 58% favouring face-to-face interactions, a significant contrast to domestic students.
Students who preferred online services appreciated the ease and comfort of use, as well as the ability to avoid long wait times. Long wait times are perceived as common in face-to-face and phone channels. Those who preferred telephone or face-to-face channels valued the quicker response times to their requests and better outcomes.
Channel preferences also varied depending on the type of service. For example, 70% of students favoured online channels for accessing financial support. In contrast and perhaps unsurprisingly, services such as health had a much higher preference for face-to-face interactions, with 67% of students opting for in-person support.
Expanding Access: Growing Need for After-Hours University Services
Another notable finding was students’ preferred times to access services.
While over two-thirds of students indicated they wanted access services during standard business hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), there was a growing demand for after-hours and weekend availability. This was particularly in relation to counselling services.
Enhancing Support: Addressing Needs for Career, Guidance, and Campus Services
When asked about additional services their universities could provide, students commonly mentioned the need for better career pathways beyond university, a stronger connection or peer group within the university, more guidance on succeeding in their courses and better orientation.
Maximising Retention by Elevating the Student Experience Beyond Academics
Universities may be able to point to providing excellent academic programs, but the student experience goes far beyond lectures. The quality of student administration and support services is a crucial aspect of university life. Institutions invest heavily in attracting students, but this investment is short lived if they are not maintaining student engagement and satisfaction.
Retention rates are not only an indicator of academic success but also a reflection of how effectively universities support their students throughout their journey. By focusing more on the non-academic elements of the student experience, universities can create a more enriching and supportive environment, ultimately boosting student satisfaction and in turn, retention and referral.
