Are you satisfied?

Student Services hopes to shed light on student experience

Tessa Vanderhart Staff

Student services has released data from the Student Affairs Research Reports to highlight the successes and shortcomings of the University of Manitoba, according to executive director Lynn Smith.

New data from the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium (CUSC) is released at the beginning of each month until May, collected from 12,800 students at 28 universities.

The March edition of the study notes the commuter culture of the U of M, as students are more likely (65 per cent as opposed to 56 per cent) to use university parking facilities but about ten per cent less likely to use other university ancillary services like academic advising, facilities for student organizations, campus medical services, and residences.

The study also notes that students are largely (about two-thirds) satisfied with student services, with the exceptions of parking and food services — students are only 39 and 62 per cent satisfied with those services, respectively. However, satisfaction with residence services at the U of M increased from 73 per cent in 2002 to 92 per cent in 2005.

“It’s the people aspect: what are people telling us about this place?” said Smith. She noted the reexamination of Aramark’s provision of food services has come from the statistically noted dissatisfaction.

U of M students have become significantly more satisfied with registration services, increasing from 15 per cent in 1999 to 17 per cent in 2002, now above average at 35 per cent.

Smith said that the reports are not used for direct comparisons with other universities, unlike the university rankings publicly provided in Maclean’s magazine each year, the data for which is provided by the university’s office of institutional analysis. Though there is little collaboration between the departments now, they may both contribute to Nesse, an American study that evaluates student community engagement and satisfaction.

Smith said that involvement in new studies like this is one of the best ways for the university to improve the way it serves students — which is why she is hoping to participate in another new survey.

“Rather than reading Maclean’s and seeing: okay, Maclean’s says this about Bishop’s, and this about UBC, what this would one would do is say to the student at home at their computer: put in what you want at your university, and we’ll give you some matches,” she said.

Smith added that there have been increasing demands for data from different university departments, to improve services — as exemplified in the undergraduate study, which shows Engineering students, for example, are less satisfied with the quality of education than students in other faculties.

At the March Board of Governors meeting, Vice-Provost (Student Affairs) David Morphy presented an analysis of classroom space at the university, which suggested resources could best be used with a student population of 26,000 as opposed to the university’s over 28,000 students — providing new challenges for analyzing the university’s direction.

As for student satisfaction, Smith said that there is always room for improvement, particularly with the research being conducted.

“Sometimes, though, the numbers aren’t very helpful; sometimes I think students are too kind to us,” explained Smith.

“Sometimes I think we should expect more than they report.”