According to the results of a national survey, student satisfaction with the PLU experience continues to well exceed the national average on nine out of 12 scales.
The national Student Satisfaction Inventory measures student satisfaction and allows students to identify the issues that are most important to them. It is the primary tool used by PLU – and many other universities – to assess campus services. PLU has administered the survey eight times since 1996. The most recent results were gathered in October 2008 from 1,005 PLU students in 39 undergraduate courses.
Vice President for Student Life Laura Majovski said the university attributes the high ratings to “very dedicated, deliberate work and a significant investment of resources by a broad group of people on campus.”
In previous years, surveys helped the university identify areas that needed improvement, and PLU dedicated time, energy and money to enhance the student experience through better student services and programming, as well as capital improvements, she said.
“The university is committed to obtaining and listening to student opinions and to providing the best PLU experience it can,” Majovski said.
The most recent survey responses were compared to data gathered during the 2006-07 and 2004-05 academic years, and data gathered nationally from 400 four-year private institutions. According to these results, PLU students rated the following categories above the national average: instructional effectiveness, registration effectiveness, service excellence, student centeredness, campus climate, campus life, campus support services, concern for the individual and recruitment and financial aid.
The most important and positively rated items were concentrated in three areas: the faculty and academic experience, the atmosphere of campus, and support services such as approachable and helpful staff across campus and knowledgeable counselors in the admission, financial aid and registrar’s offices. The university has focused on improving areas of campus life that received neutral or negative ratings in past years. Those efforts proved to be successful as students rated a number of those items higher this year.
The completed major renovations to the University Center dining facility and a number of residence hall improvements over the past several years were well received with ratings by students of higher than the national mean.
Academic advising was rated at the national average this year. This area will continue to receive attention to return student satisfaction to above the national mean. Majovski said that over the past few years, the university has added more professional advisors, improved advisor training, continued mandatory advising appointments for freshmen and sophomores and improved communication to students about how to use advisors. Work will continue to make the advising system even more productive and helpful for students.
PLU was also rated at the national mean on responsiveness to diverse populations. This scale refers to PLU’s commitment to specific groups of students, such as under-represented populations and students with disabilities, both of which were rated above the national mean. Commitment to commuters, part-time and older, returning learners was rated at the national mean.
Safety and Security was rated more positively than in previous years by PLU students. However, the safety and security category remains the only scale rated below the national average. This category has four items and assesses parking and the overall safety of campus, as well as the responsiveness of safety personnel. Within the category, Campus Safety officers and their response to emergencies consistently receive high marks. PLU students rated their overall perception of safety and security on campus higher than in previous years.
In the past several years, the university installed a video camera surveillance system with 43 cameras that monitor parking lots 24 hours a day. In addition, Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies have increased their patrols of the campus perimeter, and Campus Safety’s safe ride/walk escort service has increased its capacity and expanded its boundaries.
“The results are positive and encouraging,” Majovski said. “Where deficiencies have been identified, the university is committed to improvement.”
Questions?
Student Life 253-535-7191
slif@plu.edu
