Clients’ access to and utilization of services in COPRISA tertiary institutions: Their influence on their level of satisfaction with the quality services

Abstract

Introduction of the Study

Our society today particularly in the academic communities all over the world aspire to be a premier institution who would be able to cater quality services for their clients.

Over the past years records show that there were expressed feeling of dissatisfaction with the performance of higher education institutions. It has been observed that several institutions are declining in terms of delivering learning activities to the students. This down trend has been attributed to incompetent faculty and staff members, traditional and uncommitted administration, meaningless and unchallenging student life, obsolete library resources, outmoded laboratory facilities and inconvenient, and dilapidated venues of learning. All these would contribute to poor and substandard quality of education.

The problem experienced by these academic institutions could not be blamed solely on the way these institutions are run but also on the financial aspects. However, despite this problem the schools have really to face these need, in order that quality services could be provided.

In the Philippines, the need for quality education has been acknowledged when in fact given priority for development. Both public and private academic institutions are now moving toward accreditation while several other schools are already in their accredited status. This indicates that these learning institutions are gearding into becoming a world - class institution providing quality, goods and services that can bring satisfaction to the clients.

When institutions provide services that adequately and effectively meet the needs of the students, the client will be satisfied. Satisfied students, faculty and staff as well as parents are evidences of quality education.

Realizing the need for quality of service in different areas, this study on the level of satisfaction of clients of higher education institutions was conducted. Their satisfaction level is considered the true measure of quality of service. Studies on client’s satisfaction with services particularly in HEI’s are still very limited. There are some studies on satisfaction but they are not in line with the services provided by the academic institutions.

Major Findings

The majority of the students were 20-21 years old, female single in the fourth year level and from accredited schools. On the other hand, most of the faculty members were in their late twenties or early thirties and holders of bachelor’s degrees.

As to the accessibility to the services, the student respondents had high accessibility to all services. The most accessible to them were the services of the business unit and student records. For the faculty respondents all the school services were also highly accessible and the most accessible were also the services business and student records units. The least access service to both students and faculty members was the medical-dental unit.

In terms of utilization of services, the students reported that the service which was most utilized was the library-EMRC service, while the least utilized was the medical dental unit. As to the faculty respondents, the utilized was the student records service, while the medical-dental unit was also the most least utilized.

With regards to the level of satisfaction on the services, the students indicated that counseling was very satisfying to them, while medical-dental unit was least satisfying. For the faculty members’ the most satisfying was the business services, but they were satisfied. They had least satisfaction with the services of the medical-dental unit.

Extent of access to services was found to significantly vary according to age in the areas of library-EMRC and medical-dental services, however, no significant age variation was noted in their access to student records, counseling and business services.

As to the access to services, sex of the student respondents is significant in business, student records, medical-dental and counseling services but not significant in library-EMRC services. With regards to the civil status, it has no bearing to all types of services. Meanwhile, the academic qualification is significant in student records, counseling and medical-dental services but not in the business and library-EMRC services. In relation to accreditation status, it is significant in business and library-EMRC services but not in student records, counseling, and medical-dental services.

On the other hand, as to the faculty members’ access to services, sex is not significant to all services. It is also true with the civil status. In the academic qualification, only in the student records where it is not significant but with the rest of the services, it is significant. However, in the accreditation status, all types of the services are significant.

In terms of students’ extent utilization of services, there was a significant age difference only in medical-dental areas but not in the services of business, student records, counseling, and library-EMRC units. As to the faculty members’ age, it indicated significant difference in library-EMRC, and medical-dental units but not in student records, business and counseling units.

As to the utilization of services, sex of the student respondents is significant in business and library-EMRC services but not in student records, counseling and medical dental services. As to the civil status, it is not significant in all types of services. With regards, to the academic qualification, it is significant in student records, counseling, and medical-dental services but not in business and library-EMRC services. In the accreditation status, it is significant to all types of services except in medical-dental services.

Sex and civil status of the faculty members are not significant to all services. With regards to the academic qualification, it is significant in business, library-EMRC and counseling services but not in student records and medical-dental services. However, in the accreditation status, it is significant to all services except library-EMRC.

With regards to the level of satisfaction, the students’ age resulted no significant difference to all types of services, however, the age of faculty members was found to have no significant bearing on the level of satisfaction with the services of counseling services but gave significant difference with business, library-EMRC student records, and medical-dental services.

As to the level of satisfaction on the services, sex and civil status of the student respondents are not significant in all services. With regards to the academic qualification, it is significant in all services, however, in terms of accreditation status, it is significant in business and library-EMRC units but not in student records, counseling and medical-dental services.

Sex and civil status of the faculty member respondents had similar findings with that of the student respondents that these variables had no significance in all types of services. With regards to academic qualification, it is significant in all types of services except in student records services, however, in accreditation status, it is significant in all areas of services.

The relationship between level of satisfaction with services and access to services by student and faculty member respondents revealed that the access to the various service areas was high and very satisfying to both the students and faculty member respondents. It indicates a positive relationship that supports the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between access to the services and the level of satisfaction.

On the other hand, the relationship between level of satisfaction with services and utilization of services, student respondents indicated that although they had low utilization of the services but were very satisfied of the services. It resulted a negative no relationship. It therefore rejects the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between the utilization of services and level of satisfaction on these services. However, with regards to the relationship between level of satisfaction with these services and utilization of services among the faculty member respondents, it indicated that there was high utilization of the services and were also very satisfied with its utilization. It also indicated a positive relationship that support the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between the utilization of services and level of satisfaction these services. Conclusions

Based on the findings of this study the following conclusions are drawn.

1. The students and faculty members have high accessibility to all types of services, especially to business and student record units. They had least accessibility to medical-dental services.

2. The students and faculty members have high utilization of all types of services especially library-EMRC for student respondents and student records for the faculty member respondents and had least utilization of medical-dental services.

3. The student and faculty member respondents have expressed a very high satisfaction with the school services especially with counseling services for the students and business services for the faculty members. Both students and faculty were least satisfied with the service of the medical-dental unit.

4. The age of students has no bearing on the extent of access to all types of services. The age of faculty members has also no significant bearing also on their access to services, except in library-EMRC and medical-dental services.

5. The age of student did not significantly influence their extent of utilization of the services in all areas, except in the medical-dental unit, however, the age of faculty members has significant influence on the extent of utilization of the services, except of student records, counseling and services.

6. The age of the student respondents has no bearing on the level of satisfaction in all types of services but the age of faculty member respondents has bearing level of satisfaction with the services except student records, business and counseling services.

7. The sex of student respondents has significant difference with access to services especially business, student records medical-dental and counseling units but among faculty members’ age is not significant in all areas of services.

8. The civil status of both student and faculty member respondent has no significant difference with access to all types of services.

9. The academic qualification of student respondents has significant difference in access to services especially student records, counseling and medical-dental units and faculty member respondents is significant in all services except student records.

10. Among students, schools which are accredited have significant difference in the access to services especially business and library-EMRC which is also true to schools which are accredited where faculty members are teaching.

11. The sex of student respondents has significant difference with the utilization of services particularly in business and library-EMRC but among the faculty member respondents, sex is not significant in all service areas.

12. The civil status of the student and faculty member respondents has no significant difference in all service areas.

13. The academic qualification of the students has significant difference in the services particularly in student records, counseling and medical-dental units while among faculty member respondents, it has significant difference particularly in business, library-EMRC and counseling services.

14. Students enrolled in accredited schools, the accreditation status of the schools has significant difference in the utilization of services in all areas except medical-dental unit, however, among faculty member respondents teaching in accredited school, accreditation status has significant difference in all areas of service.

15. The sex of both student and faculty member respondents has no significant difference in all service areas.

16. The civil status of both student and faculty member respondents has no significant differences in all types of areas in the service units.

17. The academic qualification of student respondents has significant difference in all the areas except in medical-dental unit but among faculty member respondents, it has significant difference in all services except student records.

18. Among students enrolled in accredited school, the accreditation status of school has significant difference in all service areas particularly in business and library-EMRC while among faculty members, teaching in accredited schools, accreditation status has significant difference in all the service areas.

19. There is a significant relationship between the level of satisfaction with the services and access to services in all areas among student and faculty member respondents.

20. The level of satisfaction has negative significant relationship with utilization of services among student respondents but has significant relationship with utilization of services among faculty member respondents.

Recommendations

In the light of the findings and conclusions drawn from the study, the following recommendations for the improvement and development of the COPRISA tertiary institutions are made:

Administrators should:

a. continuously seek for the development and improvement of their institutions in various services to come up towards a quality institution.

b. upgrade further the services particularly in the medical-dental units to cope with the modern trend of delivering quality in health services for the students and faculty members.

c. give maximum attention to the accreditation process as a vehicle for a continuous development and improvement of all service areas.

Faculty members should:

a. be aware on what is going in these service areas in order to identify the weaknesses which stagnate or hamper development and strengthen those which are useful and provide better to accommodate more students to study in their institutions.

b. Assist students in the use, assessment and giving out of feedbacks in their access to and utilization of these services.

Staff Members should:

a. Be aware what is happening in their respective area of services in terms of the access to and utilization of these services

b. Undergo training and/or upgrading on how to improve the system in the conduct of services provided to the clients.

c. Orient faculty members and students regarding the system and procedure being followed, usage of facilities and equipment and policies covering the service areas.

Students should:

a. attend, to the various orientation programs given by the different service areas in order that they will be aware on matters on systems and procedures, usage of facilities/equipment and policies covering the access to ad utilization of services.

Future Researchers should:

a. undergo a parallel study to include other higher institutions of learning in order to have a wider basis for making more conclusive findings to further pursue its intention towards quality education. b. consider that whenever another study will be conducted the respondents should include parents, alumni and the wider community who are catering the services of these institutions.

c. Also further include other services such as housing, food, transportation, student scholarship, assistance, etc. to have a holistic view of these services.