A framework for measuring student and staff satisfaction with university campus facilities

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to evaluate and discuss the extent of the satisfaction as perceived by the students and staff towards university facilities and services in two campuses in Finland. The aim is to analyse which facility-related factors have the greatest impacts on students’ and staff’s overall satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The extensive survey was conducted to investigate how the university students and staff assess the university campus and facility services. A framework was developed to prioritise the satisfaction factors towards the facilities in two campuses in the both groups. The study was executed with the statistical assessment method, which combines each question’s mean value and how it affects overall satisfaction. Findings – The findings show that there are differences in the main features of the satisfaction as assessed by the groups and between the two campuses. Student satisfaction consist of factors related to comfortable learning environment, where public spaces and campus accessibility play vital roles. Staff satisfaction can be characterised as a comprehensive campus experience and where laboratory and teaching facilities create value to the staff. In general, results show that the factors related to the research and teaching spaces have the greatest impacts on the overall satisfaction in the both groups. The improvement of the quality of these spaces will then directly assist staff and students in achieving their objectives. Practical implications – The measurement method developed in the study helps campus facilities’ management to prioritise satisfaction factors and identify the areas of the quality improvements. This information can be used widely, for instance, in the campus development, facilities management and improvement of the university services. Originality/value – The framework analyses which factors of the facilities have the greatest impacts on the overall satisfaction as perceived by the students and staff. The outcome of the study will improve the knowledge of which aspects of the facilities created value to the universities’ core functions.