Rethinking Student Services: Assessing and Improving Service Quality

ABSTRACT

Recruitment and retention of students are critical challenges facing university administrators. Similar problems related to attracting and retaining customers plague other service industries as well. While the benefits of enhanced service quality have helped many service industries address recruitment and retention problems, limited attention has been given to exploring opportunities provided by the service quality concept within the educational field. This manuscript describes a methodology which may be used to identify service quality improvement opportunities within an educational environment. Results of an investigation of the quality of services provided by four student enrollment services administrative subunits are presented. Specific changes relevant to improving the service delivery system are identified and implementation issues critical to successful management of needed transitions are discussed.