Compact with Texans

Customer Service Principles and Objectives

Objectives

1. Continually seek to improve the quality of the education and services offered to students by TWU personnel.
2. Value, recognize, and reward customer service efforts by TWU personnel.
3. Annually use assessment tools and evaluation systems that will assess student expectations from the educational experience.
4. Develop an approach to service based on user-friendliness that is designed for convenience, ease of communication, and prompt response.
5. Use multiple communication sources to deliver information that is timely and relevant.
6. Conduct regular evaluation of complaint procedures for effectiveness and user-friendliness.

Principles

1. Facilities: The facilities used by students and their families shall be well maintained, clean, properly presented, and accessible.
2. Faculty, Staff, Administration: The TWU staff members who provide services are dedicated to quality customer service. Training programs, which promote customer service, are available to all employees and required for some. Frontline staff are expected to be readily identifiable through nameplates or tags.
3. Communications (Printed and Electronic): Communications with customers shall be courteous, accurate, and efficient. A toll-free number is provided for use by new students and their families. Directories to campus offices and services are widely available. The Student Handbook, Catalogs, Course Schedules, and the TWU Internet web pages clearly communicate the various formats and procedures for communication with various services and programs.
4. Timely Service: The University and its staff will respond to each customer in a timely manner as described below:
• A response to email inquiries will be provided within two working days or less.
• A response to written inquiries will be provided within five working days or less.
• A response to telephone inquiries will be provided by the next working day.
• In-person inquiries will be handled immediately whenever possible, with any necessary follow-up to be completed within two working days or less.
5. Printed Information: Printed materials from TWU will be accurate, timely, and informative.

Customer Service Procedures

Complaints

Academic and student service-related complaint procedures are provided annually in the digital catalog available here: https://catalog.twu.edu/undergraduate/academic-information/standards/complaints-appeals/ . The Office of Student Life may advise students who are uncertain about approach procedures.

Customer Service evaluation forms are available in each "front line" service office. These forms can be completed and submitted directly to the supervising Vice President. Customer service complaints may be reported verbally, in writing or by email to Dr. Monica Mendez-Grant, Vice President for Student Life. Customers filing a complaint can expect a summary report within five working days.

Surveys

In addition to the complaint process, customer satisfaction surveys are conducted regularly. Results of these surveys are used in training and university planning for continuous improvement. TWU is committed to assessing and improving customer satisfaction. Since 2017, a student satisfaction survey has been regularly administered to collect feedback and measure the level of satisfaction of undergraduate students at TWU.

The Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) is a commercial survey instrument produced by Noel-Levitz (RNL) that is designed to measure students' satisfaction with their college experience. Administration of the SSI at TWU is on a triannual rotation. While universities measure student satisfaction for many reasons, according to Noel-Levitz, “chief among them is that student satisfaction plays an important role in student engagement, learning and success. Institutions that measure satisfaction can understand this role, can systematically improve the quality of their undergraduate experience,” and can meet the “demands for accreditation and accountability.”

Description of Survey Methods

The SSI was last administered to Texas Woman's University undergraduate customers during the Fall 2021 semester under the supervision of the Vice Provost for Institutional Research and Improvement. The survey was made available online to all undergraduate students enrolled at TWU.

The SSI is designed to collect feedback on 73 items about student / customer expectations with 10 items added by TWU. For each item, respondents rate both the importance of the specific expectation as well as their satisfaction with how well that expectation is being met. RNL then provides a national sample of responses of the 73 general expectation items from four-year public universities to which results from the TWU survey are compared.

Results

These results first examine the 2021 Student Satisfaction Inventory to identify areas where TWU students report the university is meeting its expectations, and where the university has room for improvement. The report goes on to compare the TWU sample to national average scores.

Strengths

Students report eighteen (18) items as strengths. RNL defines strengths as items having high importance and high satisfaction. Here, the strengths are listed in descending order of importance, as rated by TWU students from the present sample.

1. Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their field.
2. Security staff respond quickly in emergencies.
3. The campus is safe and secure for all students.
4. I am able to experience intellectual growth here.
5. Major requirements are clear and reasonable.
6. There is a good variety of courses provided on this campus.
7. There is a commitment to academic excellence on this campus.
8. There is a strong commitment to racial harmony on this campus.
9. Students are made to feel welcome on this campus.
10. Freedom of expression is protected on campus.
11. Library resources and services are adequate.
12. Faculty are usually available after class and during office hours.
13. On the whole, the campus is well-maintained.
14. Student disciplinary procedures are fair.
15. Computer labs are adequate and accessible.
16. This institution has a good reputation within the community.
17. The assessment and course placement procedures are reasonable.
18. Class change (drop/add) policies are reasonable.

Challenges

Students report twelve (12) items as challenges. RNL defines challenges as items having high importance and low satisfaction or a large performance gap. Here, the challenges are listed in descending order of importance, as rated by TWU students from the present sample.

1. My academic advisor is concerned about my success as an individual.
2. Faculty take into consideration student differences as they teach a course.
3. Financial aid awards are announced to students in time to be helpful in college planning.
4. Parking lots are well-lighted and secure.
5. Adequate financial aid is available for most students.
6. Faculty provide timely feedback about student progress in a course.
7. This institution shows concern for students as individuals.
8. Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment.
9. The instruction in my major field is excellent.
10. The quality of instruction I receive in most of my classes is excellent.
11. Campus item: TWU has helped me develop the skills related to my desired profession.
12. Campus item: My courses have helped me to learn the skills I need to be successful in my profession.

Comparison to the National Sample

The SSI provides a positive view of student satisfaction at TWU. Students consistently reported greater overall satisfaction than the national sample. Of the 73 SSI items, TWU responses on 37 of the items showed statistically higher satisfaction than the national sample of four-year public universities.

Conclusions

Results of the 2021 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory are used in training and university planning for continuous improvement and inform TWU strategic planning. Challenges, as highlighted by the SSI, are areas where student expectations are rated high on importance and low on satisfaction. In areas where customers expressed challenges, this represents data-informed opportunities for growth and direction in training and university strategic planning. Strengths, as highlighted by the SSI survey, are areas where student expectations are rated high on importance and high on satisfaction. In areas where TWU is ‘strong’ this customer feedback reinforces current priorities and actions.

Students report challenges in academic support and resources, including timely feedback from faculty, development of skills related to their desired profession, and acquisition of skills for professional success. Financial aid and facilities are also noted, encompassing financial aid availability and announcements, the perception of tuition as a worthwhile investment, and well-lighted and secure parking lots. Creating a student-centered environment is highlighted by the students, with emphasis on the institution's concern for students as individuals, the quality of instruction across most classes, and the university's contribution to personal and professional growth. By shifting institutional focus to these areas, customer satisfaction may be increased.

Students report strengths in academic quality, such as faculty expertise, intellectual growth, and assessment and course placement practices. Additionally, the campus environment and safety are highlighted, including a well-maintained campus and quick emergency response, fostering a sense of welcome and security among students. Furthermore, the availability of faculty, library resources, computer labs, fair disciplinary procedures, and reasonable class change policies contribute to students feeling supported and welcomed on the TWU campus.

Page last updated 9:06 AM, April 26, 2024