Study Highlights the Influences on Student Satisfaction in Undergraduate Business Programs

What's the single best predictor of overall satisfaction with undergraduate business programs? According to recent survey findings, it's satisfaction with the quality of instruction in major classes.
 

T A B L E 1 :

Major Predictors
(in order of importance)
of Overall Student
Satisfaction in
Undergraduate
Business Programs

  • Quality of Faculty and Instruction for Courses in Student' Majors
     

  • Quality of Placement and Career Services
     

  • Academic Quality, Camaraderie among and Interaction with Classmates
     
  • Breadth of the Curriculum (e.g., International Perspective, Social Responsibility and Ethics, Technology, Practical Applications)
     
  • Quality of Faculty and Instruction for Required Courses

Minor Predictors
(in order of importance)
of Overall Student
Satisfaction in
Undergraduate
Business Programs

  • Quality of Services by the Undergraduate Program Office
     
  • Student Organizations and Extracurricular Activities
     
  • Quality of Classroom and Instructional Facilities

     
  • Preparation for and Use of Computer Applications in the Classroom

     
  • Availability and Access to Computing Facilities

     
  • Students' Undergraduate Grade-Point-Average

     
  • Quality of Faculty and Non-Faculty Student Advising

Predictors That
Have NO Impact
on Overall Student
Satisfaction in
Undergraduate
Business Programs

  • Amount and Value of Student Teamwork

     
  • Extent of Duplication in the Curriculum

     
  • Average Number of Hours Worked by Students

     
  • Students' SAT/ACT Scores

     
  • Extent and Quality of Skills Training

     
  • Effectiveness of Course Sequencing

     
  • Size of Enrollments in Required Courses and Those for Students' Majors

     
  • Work Load for Required Courses

     
  • Work Load for Major Courses

The quality of placement and career services was the second most important indicator of overall undergraduate student satisfaction. This probably is consistent with most preconceptions about the centrality of such services for graduating students. For many undergraduate students, indeed virtually all of them who will not be attending graduate school, business placement is the critical end-state of the educational experience.

 

 

Business School Relative Emphasis on Teaching, Intellectual Contributions, and Service

      U.S.
Percent		 CA
Percent
Highest Emphasis Middle Emphasis Lowest Emphasis    
         
Teaching Intellectual Contributions Service 49.5% 7.4%
Intellectual Contributions Teaching Service 9.2% 18.5%
Teaching Service Intellectual Contributions 4.6% 7.4%
Equal Emphasis on Teaching and Intellectual Contributions Service 28.7% 63.0%
Teaching Equal Emphasis on Intellectual Contributions and Service 7.9% 3.7%
         
Source: AACSB Survey of 390 U.S. business schools and 27 Canadian business schools

 

 

From Old Dominion University AACSB Maintenance report

"Students in all programs are advised by faculty and staff who are highly involved in the program. The emphasis of faculty advising is to guide students to achieve their education and career goals by providing the students advice on course content and development and completion of degree plans. Staff advising focuses on keeping students on track so that students can complete their degree requirements in the shortest time possible. "

Referenced article to support role of advising in student retention.
McArthur, R. C. (2005). Faculty-based advising: An important factor in
community college retention. Community College Review, 32 (4): 1-19.

 

From Sonoma U Interim Report
"Our lowest scores were in the areas of student advising and administration.  In response to student concerns efforts were increased to make the MBA Coordinator and staff more accessible for advising.  An excellent web page was designed with extensive information about the program, and a handbook was developed.  In order to create more opportunities for students to network with other students and faculty, social hours and banquets have been held which students can attend free of charge."