FACTORS IMPACTING STUDENT SATISFACTION IN MONASH UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

Nahian Ali(25651137)
Sarani Tilekaratne(25770888)
Anfaal Alkharusi(24728128)

Monash University Malaysia(2015)

INTRODUCTION
Background
The environment that higher educational institutions have operated in has changed dramatically over the years. Among the main precursors to these changes are alterations of the demographic structure, socio-economic changes, the development of new information and communication technologies, the new knowledge society and the debate over the role of education, of human capital and of scientific research in our societies (Fram & Camp, 1995). These changes together with a questioning of the functionality and performance of university institutions, an increase of society’s expectations with respect to the performance of public universities, as well as an increase in the demands of the various users of these services have resulted in a concern to improve the quality of teaching, research and all services that a university provides (Capelleras & Veciana, 2001). Higher education is increasingly recognized as a service industry, placing greater emphasis on meeting the expectations and needs of its participating customers, who are the students. According to Astin (1993), just like any form of business, factors related to satisfaction levels and students’ perceptions of quality will attract and retain students. Satisfaction is defined as being a consequence of the expectations and experiences of the subject and/or course. In academic settings, students’ satisfaction data helps colleges and universities make their curriculum more responsive to the needs of a changing marketplace (Eyck, Tews & Ballester, 2009; Witowski, 2008). Students’ satisfaction surveys are important in ascertaining whether colleges and universities are fulfilling their mission.