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news
Improving
the campus using students' help
By Lauren Thompson
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
During the month
of March, 4,000 students picked at random were mailed a questionnaire
about their satisfaction with facilities of Cal State Long
Beach.
These surveys are being conducted at several California State
University campuses as part of a systemwide study on improving
campus services available to students. The results will be
delivered to the Chancellor's Office once the surveys are
tabulated.
"This survey has been around for three years," said
Van Novack, director of institutional research. "We have
had a pretty positive response when we have sent it out."
When the same survey was mailed to students last year, the
university received about 20 to 25 percent back.
In order to facilitate a better response, the university is
hoping to start distributing the questionnaires electronically
next year.
This year, the faculty received their questionnaires electronically
as a pilot test.
The electronic questionnaire would save money, Novack said.
Each survey costs about $1 to mail, including additional cards
to remind students to fill out the survey.
"Many more areas were addressed in previous surveys,"
Novack said. "Cost was a result of limiting them this
year."
Such questions that students were asked to address in the
surveys were about custodial services, room temperature, restrooms,
lighting and landscaping.
Though the responses from this year's survey are not tabulated
yet, Novack said that students have been pleased with the
facilities in the past. Tabulation will begin next week and
should be ready by the fall semester.
Of five divisions on campus, the division of administration
and finance was the only group to conduct the survey.
The division includes Physical Planning and Facilities Management,
University Police, Enrollment Services and parking.
"These are the peripheral services that make this college
better," Novack said.
The division wants to be able to measure the programs it puts
into effect. The managers of the division of administration
and finance are really committed to this effort, Novack said.
Management of this division has attended all-day training
sessions with consultants to push forward quality improvement
and better measure student satisfaction. The survey was a
voluntary act by CSULB.
"We are very interested in students satisfaction of services
used," Novack said.
Next year, the university hopes to conduct focus groups and
student interviews to include with the questionnaires.
"Students are the focus of most our efforts," Novack
said. "The campus is focused towards students more than
anyone else."
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