IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME)
e-ISSN: 2320–7388,p-ISSN: 2320–737X Volume 5, Issue 6 Ver. II (Nov. - Dec. 2015), PP 36-43
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 36 | Page
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at
Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
Jitendra Shreemali, Amit Jangir, Dinesh Kumar, Mayank Soni,
1
Assoc. Professor, Sir Padampat Singhania University
2
II year MBA Student, Sir Padampat Singhania University;
3,4
IV Year Integrated MBA Student, Sir Padampat Singhania University; and
Abstract: This research study aims at highlighting areas that institutions of higher education need to focus on
based on student’s perspective for colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan. It gets educational quality inputs
at the point of contact with students. This study is a descriptive research using a positivistic approach of
collecting (primary) data using the survey method with convenience sampling. College level students at the
under graduate and post graduate level were surveyed for this research. A structured questionnaireusing five
point scale was developed and data collected was statistically analyzed for a level of significance (α) of 5%
using a five point Likert scale. A total of 72 student responses from three institutions of higher education were
received. The study identified sixteen parameters/features important to students studying in colleges. On as
many as eight of the sixteen parameters, majority of students are not satisfied with college education. These
include: (a) Facilities for medical emergencies; (b) Industry exposure; (c) Placement support; (d) All round
development; (e) Opportunities for co-curricular activities; and (f) Facilities for sports. Besides these areas, the
following areas also require attention on priority: (a) Overall experience of students; and (b) Practical
knowledge of subjects taught. These represent the challenges that must be addressed by institutions of higher
education to enhance student perception of education quality.
Key Words: Higher Education, Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Employability
I. Introduction
FICCI‟s Higher Education Summit 2013 noted that while capacity enhancement has been a great
achievement as regards Indian higher education, India lags behind in quality of higher education. The concern
areas include, besides others, an outdated curriculum and inadequate autonomy to educational institutions due to
centralized control and standardization. The higher education sector also happened to be one with great
opportunities on account of large number of graduating students (could reach upto 25% of numbers graduating
across the world) and large R & D spending. The PwC report of 2012 lists expansion, inclusion and rapid
quality improvement through higher and technical education as core focus areas in the five year plan from 2007
to 2012 (11th
five year plan). Despite allocation for higher/technical education in the 11th
five year plan being
close to 9 times that in the 10th
plan (USD 18.8 Billion in the 11th
plan against USD 2.1 Billion in the 10th
plan),
the estimated requirement is much higher leaving little option but to allow private sector participation in
education at different levels. This is one of the factors that have led to permitting 100% FDI in higher education.
However, the “not-for-profit principle” has not encouraged foreign universities to consider setting up campuses
in India. Increased support in the 11th
Five Year Plan may take time before its positive impact is felt due to long
financial neglect of higher education. Planning Commission‟s draft report of the working group on higher
education demonstrates that through the total of plan and non-plan budgetary support to university/higher
education based on total of revenue account of the center and states in the first three years of 10th
five year plan
(i.e. from 2002 to 2005). Even in nominal terms the total public expenditure/student in university/higher
education has shown a fall reaching upto a value of just above Rs.10,000. When measured in real terms, the fall
was continuous over a much longer period, during the 1990‟s and extended upto 2004-05, with the result that
index of real public expenditure in higher education fell to 79 points in 2003-04 with 1993-94 as the base year.
Indian higher education, therefore, is in dire need for support and attention if it has to remain at acceptable
quality levels.
As reported by a Indian national daily, The Hindu (2013) as many as 47% Indian graduates are not
employable in any industry role. Based on a report by Aspiring Minds, The Hindu reported on 26th
June 2013 a
variation in percentage employability of graduates from 2.2% for roles such as corporate
communications/content development, about 2.6% for accounting jobs, about 15.9% for sales functions, about
21.4% for BPOs/ITES jobs and about 36% for clerical/secretarial jobs. Further, close to 84% of graduates were
lacking in cognitive abilities required for an analyst‟s job and 90% did not possess required proficiency for
English communication. As regards students studying for an MBA, The Times of India reported on 12th
January
2015 that less than 35000 management graduates out of about three lac management graduates produced every
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 37 | Page
year are employable. While The Times of India reporting was based on the opinion of experts, a press release by
Aspiring Minds based on National Employability Report – MBA Graduates, Annual Report 2012. Based on a
sample of over 32000 MBA students from 220+ B-Schools across several states in India, the report found MBA
employability to be below 10% for functional roles in HR, Marketing or Finance with employability being as
low as 2.52% in the area of business consulting.The figure below gives the employability status as regards
MBAs in India:
Figure 1: Area-wise Employability of MBA Graduates in India
Source: Press Release: Employability of MBA Graduates at Dismal Low. Retrieved from
http://www.aspiringminds.in/press_doc/employability_of_mba_graduates_at_dismal_low.pdf
Figures for technical graduates don‟t look much better. Based on a study of technical graduates
numbering over 40000 and including engineering graduates and MCAs across 12 states in 2010, Aspiring Minds
reported that the employability at IT product companies was as low as 4.22%, employability in IT Service
companies being close to 18%, that in KPOs at about 9.5%, for BPOs at over 38% and for technical support jobs
at about 25.9%. The findings clearly point to a need for educational institutions to focus more on employability.
This research study aim at highlighting areas that institutions of higher education could focus on based
on a survey of students studying in colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan. Much research has been done on
the macro view of education and need to improve access to education as measured by Gross Enrollment Ration
(GER). However, there is a relative dearth of research at the institution level as regards higher education in India
at the point of contact with students. This study aims to survey the quality of higher education from student‟s
perspective with focus upon aspects of education requiring correction at the institution level. It will add to the
body of knowledge available on institution level studies and provide useful inputs for improving education
offered. It involves identifying features of college education that students value and their assessment of colleges
on those parameters.
II. Literature Review
Assessing quality of higher educational institutions has always been a challenge. Haug (2009)
discusses limitations in evaluation of higher education institutions by external expert panel in countries from
European Higher Education Area (EHEA) wherein a self-evaluation by the institution is followed by a short
visit from the panel to gauge performance on pre-agreed criteria. During their short visit experts often find it
difficult to see beyond the data, precise sample elements providing the data may not be truly representative of
the population, critical staff members may not be permitted to interact with panel members and/or those meeting
panel members may be tutored making a panel visit an inadequate activity.
Alexander (2008) examined the conception of educational quality in the class room as well as its
measurement. The study points out limitations of defining quality through proxy indicators and need for
increased focus on pedagogy. The list of indicators includes those that carry a subjective element that could be
understood and measured differently depending upon who is doing so an example of such measure being „The
Learning Environment‟. While focus on pedagogy could be a useful value addition, it is not clear if
educationists have agreed upon an objective criteria for measuring education quality. Thus the problem appears
to be three fold: (a) Defining objective criteria or parameters to measure education quality to reduce dependence
on proxies; (b) Assessing these over an extended period of time since education impacts ones complete lifespan;
and (c) Agreeing upon the appropriate weightage to subjective parameters that are an inevitable part of service
quality measurement.
Materu (2007) brings out concerns relating to quality assurance in higher education in Sub-Saharan
Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa faces problems similar to those in India though to differing degree with the
challenges including low gross enrollment ration, rapid increasing in number of privately owned institutions of
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 38 | Page
higher education, declining budgets for higher education, change in labour markets and poor governance.The
challenges to effective quality assurance include: (a) lack of quality assurance policy framework; (b) insufficient
communication among institutions about external QA processes; and (c) inadequate competent teachers and
qualified professionals in QA agencies.
Heslop (2014) lists four challenges faced by Indian higher education as including: (a) Huge unmet
demand for higher education on account of lower enrollment in higher education in India at 18% as compared to
26% in China and 36% in Brazil. An enrollment of 30% by 2020 boils down to an increase of 14 million
university places within 6 years (2014 to 2020) through 800 additional universities and 40000 colleges in an
eight year period; (b) Poor quality of teaching and learning on account of a host of issues including shortage of
faculty, lack of accountability and quality assurance besides other reasons; (c) Low quality of research weak
ecosystem for innovation and industry association in research; and (d) Unequal enrollment across population
groups and geographies. The challenge posed by the increased demand for higher educational institutions can be
gauged by the table below that gives prevailing scenario in 2012.
Table 1: Higher Education Institutions in India
TYPE AND NUMBER OF INSTITUTION CENTRAL STATE PRIVATE TOTAL
University and university-level institutions 152 316 191 659
Colleges 669 13,024 19,930 33,023
Diploma-awarding institutions 0 3,207 9,541 12,748
Percentage enrolment in 2012 2.6% 38.6% 58.9% 100%
Source: „Higher education in India: twelfth five year plan and beyond‟, Ernst and Young (2012) cited by
Understanding India - The Future of Higher Education and Opportunities for International Cooperation at
http://www.britishcouncil.in/sites/britishcouncil.in2/files/understanding_india.pdf
The five year plans have evolved their focus as regards education.Planning Commission‟s draft report
of the working group on higher education highlights the thrust areas in the five year plans starting with the 5th
plan as shown in the Table below.
Table 2: Thrust Areas of 5th
to 9th
Five Year Plans
Plans Thrust Areas
Fifth  Construction of academic buildings, library, staff quarters, teachers‟ hostel, students‟ hostel, study homes,
non-resident students‟ center;
 purchase of books, journals, equipment;
 appointment of additional teaching staff, technical supporting staff etc;
Sixth  Improvement of standards;
 regulation of admission;
 restructuring of courses for practical orientation and greater relevance;
 centralization of instrumentation and repair facilities;
 make extension as an integral part of education;
(low priority was given to expansion of educational facilities by way of new universities, centers for postgraduate
studies, new department and to construction/extension of buildings involving brick and mortar.)
Seventh  Creation of research and other centralized facilities at selected centers for the benefit of a group of
institutions in the region/country,
 encouragement of academic mobility and cross-fertilization of ideas with a view to inculcating the feeling
of national integration by providing special assistance for faculty housing/complex and hostels,
 restructuring courses at first degree level so that they become relevant to the local needs and environment
and increase the area of employability of graduates;
 prioritisation of programs intended to achieve the national objectives;
 development of Centers of Excellence;
 Optimisation of use of the existing facilities in the universities/colleges specially physical facilities.
Eighth  Strengthening of existing postgraduate departments in terms of laboratories, workshops and library
services;
 Opening of new specialized courses and departments, In case of developed , with an inter-disciplinary
approach provided they could be sustained by existing facilities;
 In case of developing universities, new departments and courses only if the need is justified;
 Viability of courses, departments etc. so that those courses that have lost their relevance or are outdated
could be dispensed with and teachers in such subjects could be retrained.
Ninth Relevance and Quality of Education:
 Career development by encouraging the relevant courses with professional focus;
 Modification in traditional courses to make them application oriented;
 Encouragement to universities to develop basic theoretical understanding of discipline to ensure that the
theory and practice are blended and integrated;
 Focus on hands on experience; and
 Addressing the public concerns about downslide in the quality of education by focusing on the quality of
education rather than on quantitative expansion.
Access and Equity:
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 39 | Page
 Paying special attention to institutions of higher education in backward areas, hill areas and border areas
in order to remove regional imbalances;
 Addressing the higher education needs of under-represented social groups including the SC/STs, women,
handicapped and the minorities; and
 Focus not only on quantitative expansion but also on qualitative development of institutions of higher
education in the areas catering to the above groups.
University and Social Change:
 Encouragement to universities to develop a greater emphasis on non-degree programs in order to meet the
expectations arising out of changes that are taking place in the society;
 These activities to be made the responsibility of every department; while the departments of adult and
continuing education would be the focal point for social change function and
 Major thrust to be given to program development for women studies and centre for women studies shall
be essentially inter-disciplinary.
Management of Education:
 Support for streaming the university management system;
 Assistance for academic, administrative and financial decentralization;
 Autonomy of the Departments;
 Autonomy of the affiliated colleges & institutions;
 Developing in-house training facilities for non-teaching staff, rationalization of posts; increasing use of
information technology in management; and
 Establishment of College Development Council, workshops for college Principals, and improvement in
backward and forward linkages.
Resource Mobilization:
 Focus on planning for internal and external resource mobilization;
 Differential fee structure;
 Enhancement in fees for foreign studies; and
 Generation of revenue through increased university-industry linkages.
Source: Planning Commission‟s Draft Report of Working Group On Higher Education 11TH
Five Year Plan
Zaki and Rashidi (2013) list the following factors as being instrumental in quality assurance in
academia: (a) Policies and Practices; (b) Learners Profile; (c) Faculty KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities); (d)
Institutional leadership; (e) Open system thinking; (f) Institutional design; (g) Curriculum; and (h) Resources.
Prasad and Stella list the seven NAAC criteria as: (a) Curricular aspects; (b) Teaching learning and
evaluation; (c) Research, consultancy and extension; (d) Infrastructure and learning resources; (e) Student
support and progression; (f) Organization and management; and (g) Healthy practices.Brusoni(2014) cites Brent
Ruben‟s book on excellence in American higher education and lists the following areas to define excellence in
higher education: (a)Leadership; (b) Purposes and plans; (c) Beneficiaries and constituencies; (d) Programs and
services; (e) Faculty/staff and workplace; (f) Assessment and information use; and (g) Outcomes and
achievements. Using a 5 point Likert scale, Ruben‟s checklist designed to provide an introduction and starting
point to the EHE (Excellence in Higher Education) model includes the following parameters for self-
assessment:
1. Leadership: Leadership is assessed based on (a) Clearly defined and shared view of mission, vision,
values, plans and goals; (b) Clarify and build consensus on organizational directions and priorities; (c)
Encourage and use feedback as well as performance reviews to improveleadership and leadership
practices throughout the organization; and (d) Demonstrate responsiveness to public concerns and work
to develop region as well as the institution.
2. Strategic Planning: Strategic planning is assessed on the basis of: (a) Having formalized planning
process; (b) Having a written plan to translate organization‟s mission, vision and values into clearly
stated and measurable priorities as well as goals further broken into steps; (c) Involving faculty as well
as staff in developing/implementing organizational plans; and (d) Aligning plans of individual units
(departments/colleges) with that of the organization (college/university).
3. External focus: This requires assessing: (a) Formulating a systematic approach to understanding needs
and satisfaction levels of customers; (b) The systematic approach providing clear awareness of the
specific needs of customers; (c) Using information collected from customers to improve programs and
services offered; and (d) Demonstrating commitment to improving communication, relationships and
reputation with customersof various programs and services offered.
4. Information and Analysis: The higher education institution‟s assessment on this includes: (a)
Establishing a clear as well as shared vision on appropriate standards to assess effectiveness of the units
and its offerings; (b) Evolving an effective approach for collecting relevant data on organizational
outcomes and achievements as well as progress made on short/long term goals; (c) Using information
collected to improve performance; and (d) Obtaining and using information from peer/leading
organization to benchmark current effectiveness and progress towards goals.
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 40 | Page
5. Faculty/staff and Workplace Focus: Self assessing this requires assessing: (a) How well does the unit
help faculty/staff contribute to the unit‟s mission besides developing to their full potential; (b) How
well does the unit encourage excellence and professional development; (c) Prevalence of approach to
assessing and recognizing individual and group contributions; and (d) Prevalence of approach to
assessing workplace climate and faculty as well as staff satisfaction with it.
6. Process Effectiveness: Assessment of process effectiveness requires assessing: (a) Success in
maintaining high standards in programs/services; (b) Developing efficient and effective work
procedures; (c) Documenting and standardizing work procedures; and (d) Reviewing work procedures
regularly to ensure these improve.
7. Outcomes and Achievements: Achievements and outcomes are assessed based on: (a) Existence of
objective documentation on the unit‟s success in achieving long term goals as well as organizational
mission and vision; (b) Customers are satisfied with programs and services; (c) Work atmosphere is
positive; and (d) Our success in the three statements above compares favourably with other players and
market leaders.
While these researchers present an overview of what an organization requires to do for assessing and
improving its quality of education, these inputs are at a higher level of abstraction than the operational level.
Students often have a slightly differing view of quality as they are directly impacted by point-of-contact
services. There is a relative dearth of literature available on point-of-contact services and this study aims to
address that gap in so far as colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan are concerned.
III. Research Methodology
This study is a descriptive research using a positivistic approach of collecting (primary) data using the
survey method with convenience sampling. College level students at the under graduate and post graduate level
were surveyed for this research. The questionnaire was developed in stages wherein open ended questions and
student interviews formed the basis of the final questionnaire. A total of sixteen quality parameters were thus
determined. A structured questionnaire (Annexure 1) using five point scale was developed and data collected
was statistically analyzed for a level of significance (α) of 5% using a five point Likert scale. Students
approached for this survey were given the option of opting out if they felt uncomfortable giving their opinion on
their college. Respondents were assured of confidentiality of their identity and that of their institution. Student
responses were subjected to a basic sanity check and responses considered to be unfit for analysis were rejected.
A total of 72 student responses from three institutions of higher education were accepted. The study was aimed
at testing the following hypotheses:
1. Majority of students believe that their college course curriculum is well designed and contemporary;
2. Majority of students believe that their college teachers are highly qualified & competent to teach;
3. Majority of students believe that their college examination system is very fair & measures meritorious
performance accurately;
4. Majority of students believe that their college has excellent infrastructure for education/development;
5. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent practical knowledge;
6. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent industry experience;
7. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent global exposure;
8. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent e-learning and library facilities;
9. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent placement support;
10. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent facilities for sports related activities;
11. Majority of students believe their college provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities;
12. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent facilities for medical emergencies;
13. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent support for all round development;
14. Majority of students believe that their college provides a very safe and secure environment;
15. Majority of students believe that their overall experience at the college was excellent; and
16. Majority of students said they would unhesitatingly recommend their college to friends/relations;
These represent 16 hypotheses numbered from H01 to H16.
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 41 | Page
IV. Data Analysis And Conclusions
Data collected from respondents can be summarised as below:
Agree or
Strongly
Agree
Neither Agree
nor Disagree
Disagree or
Strongly
Disagree
Course curriculum at my college is well designed & contemporary 72.2% 16.7% 11.1%
Teachers at my college are highly qualified & competent to teach 76.4% 12.5% 11.1%
My college has an examination system that is very fair & measures meritorious
performance accurately
66.2% 25.4% 08.5%
College has excellent infrastructure for education & development 62.5% 26.4% 11.1%
Course provides excellent practical knowledge of my subject 45.7% 34.3% 20.0%
Course provides excellent industry experience 26.4% 26.4% 47.2%
College provides me excellent global exposure 31.0% 25.4% 43.7%
College provides excellent e-learning & library facilities 57.7% 26.8% 15.5%
College provides excellent placement support 27.8% 37.5% 34.7%
College provides excellent facilities for sports related activities 31.9% 23.6% 44.4%
College provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities 31.9% 27.8% 40.3%
College provides excellent medical facilities for emergencies 23.2% 24.6% 52.2%
College provides excellent support for all round development 29.2% 47.2% 23.6%
College provides a highly safe & secure environment to students 76.1% 12.7% 11.3%
My overall experience at college is excellent 43.7% 35.2% 21.1%
Will unhesitatingly recommend my college to my relations/friends 30.0% 37.1% 32.9%
Based on the above data the following can be concluded for the different hypotheses:
Hypotheses: Majority of students at the college believe that p value Conclusion on the Hypotheses
H01: Course curriculum is well designed & contemporary >>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H02: Teachers are highly qualified & competent to teach >>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H03: The examination system is very fair & measures meritorious performance
accurately
>>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H04: College has excellent infrastructure for education & development >>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H05: Course provides excellent practical knowledge of my subject 0.24 Cannot be rejected
H06: Course provides excellent industry experience ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H07: College provides me excellent global exposure ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H08: College provides excellent e-learning & library facilities >>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H09: College provides excellent placement support ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H10: College provides excellent facilities for sports related activities ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H11: College provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H12: College provides excellent medical facilities for emergencies ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H13: College provides excellent support for all round development ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
H14: College provides a highly safe & secure environment to students >>0.05 Data not in rejection region
H15: My overall experience at college is excellent 0.14 Cannot be rejected
H16: Will unhesitatingly recommend my college to my relations/friends ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected
Course curriculum, qualification of teachers,safety and security of students on campuses, rigour in the
examination system,infrastructure and library facilities emerge as relative strengths as perceived by students
undergoing college education.The key concern areas for college students are: (a) Facilities to deal with medical
emergencies; (b) Industry exposure; (c) Placement support; (d) All round development of students; (e)
Opportunities for co-curricular activities; and (f) Facilities for sports related activities. Besides these areas, the
following areas also require attention on priority: (a) Overall experience of students at the college; and (b)
Practical knowledge of subjects taught. In all, eight out of sixteen hypotheses were rejected. The sample data
shows that only a small percentage of students state they would unhesitatingly recommend their college to
friends and relatives meaning that students who could potentially be ambassadors of the college are likely to
remain either neutral (lukewarm) towards the college or even antagonistic by advising those close to them
against studying at the same college.
V. Recommendations And Limitations Of The Study
The study clearly points out concern areas from the point of view of students undergoing tertiary
education. It is not a study that loses itself in slogans or sloganeering relating to teacher-centric or student
centric teaching. Instead it derives parameters based on interaction with students and survey of literature on
quality in college education. It seeks to measure what students‟ value and finds that a very large fraction of
students are disappointed or disillusioned with their own colleges and the education provided. The satisfaction
level of students studying at colleges is low. Further colleges are not seen to focus on softer issues like –
encouraging all round development, providing opportunities for co-curricular/sports related activities. Nor do
colleges provide industry exposure, placement support or practical knowledge on subjects taught. The low
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 42 | Page
employability of graduates, therefore, comes as no surprise. It is recommended that higher educational
institutions be prodded to focus on these areas so that graduating students can hope to build a better career for
themselves.
The study received responses from just three colleges. Despite rigorous statistical analysis of data
collected, a sample data from only three colleges needs further validation before it can be accepted on a larger
scale. This them presents itself as the main limitation of this study and presents itself as an opportunity for
further investigation for a subsequent research study.
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http://oqi.wisc.edu/resourcelibrary/uploads/resources/Excellence%20in%20Higher%20Education%20Organizational%20Checklist.
pdf.
[13]. The Hindu, dated 26th
June 2013, “Nearly 47 per cent graduates in India unemployable, says report”. Retrieved from:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/nearly-47-per-cent-graduates-in-india-unemployable-says-report/article4850167.ece.
[14]. The Times of India, dated 12th
Jan. 2015, “Only 10% MBA graduates employable, say experts”. Retrieved from:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/Only-10-MBA-graduates-employable-say-experts/articleshow/45846637.cms.
[15]. Zaki, S. and Rashidi, M.Z. (2013). Parameters of Quality in Higher Education: A Theoretical Framework. International J. Soc. Sci.
& Education, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 1098-1105. Retrieved from http://ijsse.com/sites/default/files/issues/2013/v3i4/papers/Paper-24.pdf
Annexure 1
Customer Satisfaction with College Education
Note: This is to request you to please provide your views on the attributes listed. Your identity will be treated as
confidential & the information collected through this questionnaire will be used for Academic purposes only.
General Information (Optional)
1. Name :
2. Contact Number/mail id :
Specific Information (Request You To Answer All):
1. Course & College presently studying :
2. Joined college in (year) :
3. Please let us know the extent of your agreement with the following statements:
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neither Agree nor
Disagree
Disagree Strongly
Disagree
The course curriculum at our college is well
designed & contemporary
My teachers at my college are highly qualified &
competent to teach
My college has an examination system that is
very fair & measures meritorious performance
accurately
My college has excellent infrastructure for
education & student development
A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan
DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 43 | Page
My course provides excellent practical
knowledge of my subject
My course provides excellent industry
experience
My college provides me excellent global
exposure
My college provides excellent e-learning &
library facilities
My college provides excellent placement support
My college provides excellent facilities for
sports related activities
My college provides excellent opportunities for
co-curricular activities
My college provides excellent medical facilities
for emergencies
My college provides excellent support for all
round development
The environment at my college is highly safe &
secure with no threats to students
My overall experience at college is excellent
I would unhesitatingly recommend my college to
my relations/friends
4. Name areas that you think are your college/university‟s great strengths.
5. Name areas that you think are your college/university‟s areas for improvement.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan

  • 1.
    IOSR Journal ofResearch & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME) e-ISSN: 2320–7388,p-ISSN: 2320–737X Volume 5, Issue 6 Ver. II (Nov. - Dec. 2015), PP 36-43 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 36 | Page A Study of Student Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan Jitendra Shreemali, Amit Jangir, Dinesh Kumar, Mayank Soni, 1 Assoc. Professor, Sir Padampat Singhania University 2 II year MBA Student, Sir Padampat Singhania University; 3,4 IV Year Integrated MBA Student, Sir Padampat Singhania University; and Abstract: This research study aims at highlighting areas that institutions of higher education need to focus on based on student’s perspective for colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan. It gets educational quality inputs at the point of contact with students. This study is a descriptive research using a positivistic approach of collecting (primary) data using the survey method with convenience sampling. College level students at the under graduate and post graduate level were surveyed for this research. A structured questionnaireusing five point scale was developed and data collected was statistically analyzed for a level of significance (α) of 5% using a five point Likert scale. A total of 72 student responses from three institutions of higher education were received. The study identified sixteen parameters/features important to students studying in colleges. On as many as eight of the sixteen parameters, majority of students are not satisfied with college education. These include: (a) Facilities for medical emergencies; (b) Industry exposure; (c) Placement support; (d) All round development; (e) Opportunities for co-curricular activities; and (f) Facilities for sports. Besides these areas, the following areas also require attention on priority: (a) Overall experience of students; and (b) Practical knowledge of subjects taught. These represent the challenges that must be addressed by institutions of higher education to enhance student perception of education quality. Key Words: Higher Education, Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Employability I. Introduction FICCI‟s Higher Education Summit 2013 noted that while capacity enhancement has been a great achievement as regards Indian higher education, India lags behind in quality of higher education. The concern areas include, besides others, an outdated curriculum and inadequate autonomy to educational institutions due to centralized control and standardization. The higher education sector also happened to be one with great opportunities on account of large number of graduating students (could reach upto 25% of numbers graduating across the world) and large R & D spending. The PwC report of 2012 lists expansion, inclusion and rapid quality improvement through higher and technical education as core focus areas in the five year plan from 2007 to 2012 (11th five year plan). Despite allocation for higher/technical education in the 11th five year plan being close to 9 times that in the 10th plan (USD 18.8 Billion in the 11th plan against USD 2.1 Billion in the 10th plan), the estimated requirement is much higher leaving little option but to allow private sector participation in education at different levels. This is one of the factors that have led to permitting 100% FDI in higher education. However, the “not-for-profit principle” has not encouraged foreign universities to consider setting up campuses in India. Increased support in the 11th Five Year Plan may take time before its positive impact is felt due to long financial neglect of higher education. Planning Commission‟s draft report of the working group on higher education demonstrates that through the total of plan and non-plan budgetary support to university/higher education based on total of revenue account of the center and states in the first three years of 10th five year plan (i.e. from 2002 to 2005). Even in nominal terms the total public expenditure/student in university/higher education has shown a fall reaching upto a value of just above Rs.10,000. When measured in real terms, the fall was continuous over a much longer period, during the 1990‟s and extended upto 2004-05, with the result that index of real public expenditure in higher education fell to 79 points in 2003-04 with 1993-94 as the base year. Indian higher education, therefore, is in dire need for support and attention if it has to remain at acceptable quality levels. As reported by a Indian national daily, The Hindu (2013) as many as 47% Indian graduates are not employable in any industry role. Based on a report by Aspiring Minds, The Hindu reported on 26th June 2013 a variation in percentage employability of graduates from 2.2% for roles such as corporate communications/content development, about 2.6% for accounting jobs, about 15.9% for sales functions, about 21.4% for BPOs/ITES jobs and about 36% for clerical/secretarial jobs. Further, close to 84% of graduates were lacking in cognitive abilities required for an analyst‟s job and 90% did not possess required proficiency for English communication. As regards students studying for an MBA, The Times of India reported on 12th January 2015 that less than 35000 management graduates out of about three lac management graduates produced every
  • 2.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 37 | Page year are employable. While The Times of India reporting was based on the opinion of experts, a press release by Aspiring Minds based on National Employability Report – MBA Graduates, Annual Report 2012. Based on a sample of over 32000 MBA students from 220+ B-Schools across several states in India, the report found MBA employability to be below 10% for functional roles in HR, Marketing or Finance with employability being as low as 2.52% in the area of business consulting.The figure below gives the employability status as regards MBAs in India: Figure 1: Area-wise Employability of MBA Graduates in India Source: Press Release: Employability of MBA Graduates at Dismal Low. Retrieved from http://www.aspiringminds.in/press_doc/employability_of_mba_graduates_at_dismal_low.pdf Figures for technical graduates don‟t look much better. Based on a study of technical graduates numbering over 40000 and including engineering graduates and MCAs across 12 states in 2010, Aspiring Minds reported that the employability at IT product companies was as low as 4.22%, employability in IT Service companies being close to 18%, that in KPOs at about 9.5%, for BPOs at over 38% and for technical support jobs at about 25.9%. The findings clearly point to a need for educational institutions to focus more on employability. This research study aim at highlighting areas that institutions of higher education could focus on based on a survey of students studying in colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan. Much research has been done on the macro view of education and need to improve access to education as measured by Gross Enrollment Ration (GER). However, there is a relative dearth of research at the institution level as regards higher education in India at the point of contact with students. This study aims to survey the quality of higher education from student‟s perspective with focus upon aspects of education requiring correction at the institution level. It will add to the body of knowledge available on institution level studies and provide useful inputs for improving education offered. It involves identifying features of college education that students value and their assessment of colleges on those parameters. II. Literature Review Assessing quality of higher educational institutions has always been a challenge. Haug (2009) discusses limitations in evaluation of higher education institutions by external expert panel in countries from European Higher Education Area (EHEA) wherein a self-evaluation by the institution is followed by a short visit from the panel to gauge performance on pre-agreed criteria. During their short visit experts often find it difficult to see beyond the data, precise sample elements providing the data may not be truly representative of the population, critical staff members may not be permitted to interact with panel members and/or those meeting panel members may be tutored making a panel visit an inadequate activity. Alexander (2008) examined the conception of educational quality in the class room as well as its measurement. The study points out limitations of defining quality through proxy indicators and need for increased focus on pedagogy. The list of indicators includes those that carry a subjective element that could be understood and measured differently depending upon who is doing so an example of such measure being „The Learning Environment‟. While focus on pedagogy could be a useful value addition, it is not clear if educationists have agreed upon an objective criteria for measuring education quality. Thus the problem appears to be three fold: (a) Defining objective criteria or parameters to measure education quality to reduce dependence on proxies; (b) Assessing these over an extended period of time since education impacts ones complete lifespan; and (c) Agreeing upon the appropriate weightage to subjective parameters that are an inevitable part of service quality measurement. Materu (2007) brings out concerns relating to quality assurance in higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa faces problems similar to those in India though to differing degree with the challenges including low gross enrollment ration, rapid increasing in number of privately owned institutions of
  • 3.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 38 | Page higher education, declining budgets for higher education, change in labour markets and poor governance.The challenges to effective quality assurance include: (a) lack of quality assurance policy framework; (b) insufficient communication among institutions about external QA processes; and (c) inadequate competent teachers and qualified professionals in QA agencies. Heslop (2014) lists four challenges faced by Indian higher education as including: (a) Huge unmet demand for higher education on account of lower enrollment in higher education in India at 18% as compared to 26% in China and 36% in Brazil. An enrollment of 30% by 2020 boils down to an increase of 14 million university places within 6 years (2014 to 2020) through 800 additional universities and 40000 colleges in an eight year period; (b) Poor quality of teaching and learning on account of a host of issues including shortage of faculty, lack of accountability and quality assurance besides other reasons; (c) Low quality of research weak ecosystem for innovation and industry association in research; and (d) Unequal enrollment across population groups and geographies. The challenge posed by the increased demand for higher educational institutions can be gauged by the table below that gives prevailing scenario in 2012. Table 1: Higher Education Institutions in India TYPE AND NUMBER OF INSTITUTION CENTRAL STATE PRIVATE TOTAL University and university-level institutions 152 316 191 659 Colleges 669 13,024 19,930 33,023 Diploma-awarding institutions 0 3,207 9,541 12,748 Percentage enrolment in 2012 2.6% 38.6% 58.9% 100% Source: „Higher education in India: twelfth five year plan and beyond‟, Ernst and Young (2012) cited by Understanding India - The Future of Higher Education and Opportunities for International Cooperation at http://www.britishcouncil.in/sites/britishcouncil.in2/files/understanding_india.pdf The five year plans have evolved their focus as regards education.Planning Commission‟s draft report of the working group on higher education highlights the thrust areas in the five year plans starting with the 5th plan as shown in the Table below. Table 2: Thrust Areas of 5th to 9th Five Year Plans Plans Thrust Areas Fifth  Construction of academic buildings, library, staff quarters, teachers‟ hostel, students‟ hostel, study homes, non-resident students‟ center;  purchase of books, journals, equipment;  appointment of additional teaching staff, technical supporting staff etc; Sixth  Improvement of standards;  regulation of admission;  restructuring of courses for practical orientation and greater relevance;  centralization of instrumentation and repair facilities;  make extension as an integral part of education; (low priority was given to expansion of educational facilities by way of new universities, centers for postgraduate studies, new department and to construction/extension of buildings involving brick and mortar.) Seventh  Creation of research and other centralized facilities at selected centers for the benefit of a group of institutions in the region/country,  encouragement of academic mobility and cross-fertilization of ideas with a view to inculcating the feeling of national integration by providing special assistance for faculty housing/complex and hostels,  restructuring courses at first degree level so that they become relevant to the local needs and environment and increase the area of employability of graduates;  prioritisation of programs intended to achieve the national objectives;  development of Centers of Excellence;  Optimisation of use of the existing facilities in the universities/colleges specially physical facilities. Eighth  Strengthening of existing postgraduate departments in terms of laboratories, workshops and library services;  Opening of new specialized courses and departments, In case of developed , with an inter-disciplinary approach provided they could be sustained by existing facilities;  In case of developing universities, new departments and courses only if the need is justified;  Viability of courses, departments etc. so that those courses that have lost their relevance or are outdated could be dispensed with and teachers in such subjects could be retrained. Ninth Relevance and Quality of Education:  Career development by encouraging the relevant courses with professional focus;  Modification in traditional courses to make them application oriented;  Encouragement to universities to develop basic theoretical understanding of discipline to ensure that the theory and practice are blended and integrated;  Focus on hands on experience; and  Addressing the public concerns about downslide in the quality of education by focusing on the quality of education rather than on quantitative expansion. Access and Equity:
  • 4.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 39 | Page  Paying special attention to institutions of higher education in backward areas, hill areas and border areas in order to remove regional imbalances;  Addressing the higher education needs of under-represented social groups including the SC/STs, women, handicapped and the minorities; and  Focus not only on quantitative expansion but also on qualitative development of institutions of higher education in the areas catering to the above groups. University and Social Change:  Encouragement to universities to develop a greater emphasis on non-degree programs in order to meet the expectations arising out of changes that are taking place in the society;  These activities to be made the responsibility of every department; while the departments of adult and continuing education would be the focal point for social change function and  Major thrust to be given to program development for women studies and centre for women studies shall be essentially inter-disciplinary. Management of Education:  Support for streaming the university management system;  Assistance for academic, administrative and financial decentralization;  Autonomy of the Departments;  Autonomy of the affiliated colleges & institutions;  Developing in-house training facilities for non-teaching staff, rationalization of posts; increasing use of information technology in management; and  Establishment of College Development Council, workshops for college Principals, and improvement in backward and forward linkages. Resource Mobilization:  Focus on planning for internal and external resource mobilization;  Differential fee structure;  Enhancement in fees for foreign studies; and  Generation of revenue through increased university-industry linkages. Source: Planning Commission‟s Draft Report of Working Group On Higher Education 11TH Five Year Plan Zaki and Rashidi (2013) list the following factors as being instrumental in quality assurance in academia: (a) Policies and Practices; (b) Learners Profile; (c) Faculty KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities); (d) Institutional leadership; (e) Open system thinking; (f) Institutional design; (g) Curriculum; and (h) Resources. Prasad and Stella list the seven NAAC criteria as: (a) Curricular aspects; (b) Teaching learning and evaluation; (c) Research, consultancy and extension; (d) Infrastructure and learning resources; (e) Student support and progression; (f) Organization and management; and (g) Healthy practices.Brusoni(2014) cites Brent Ruben‟s book on excellence in American higher education and lists the following areas to define excellence in higher education: (a)Leadership; (b) Purposes and plans; (c) Beneficiaries and constituencies; (d) Programs and services; (e) Faculty/staff and workplace; (f) Assessment and information use; and (g) Outcomes and achievements. Using a 5 point Likert scale, Ruben‟s checklist designed to provide an introduction and starting point to the EHE (Excellence in Higher Education) model includes the following parameters for self- assessment: 1. Leadership: Leadership is assessed based on (a) Clearly defined and shared view of mission, vision, values, plans and goals; (b) Clarify and build consensus on organizational directions and priorities; (c) Encourage and use feedback as well as performance reviews to improveleadership and leadership practices throughout the organization; and (d) Demonstrate responsiveness to public concerns and work to develop region as well as the institution. 2. Strategic Planning: Strategic planning is assessed on the basis of: (a) Having formalized planning process; (b) Having a written plan to translate organization‟s mission, vision and values into clearly stated and measurable priorities as well as goals further broken into steps; (c) Involving faculty as well as staff in developing/implementing organizational plans; and (d) Aligning plans of individual units (departments/colleges) with that of the organization (college/university). 3. External focus: This requires assessing: (a) Formulating a systematic approach to understanding needs and satisfaction levels of customers; (b) The systematic approach providing clear awareness of the specific needs of customers; (c) Using information collected from customers to improve programs and services offered; and (d) Demonstrating commitment to improving communication, relationships and reputation with customersof various programs and services offered. 4. Information and Analysis: The higher education institution‟s assessment on this includes: (a) Establishing a clear as well as shared vision on appropriate standards to assess effectiveness of the units and its offerings; (b) Evolving an effective approach for collecting relevant data on organizational outcomes and achievements as well as progress made on short/long term goals; (c) Using information collected to improve performance; and (d) Obtaining and using information from peer/leading organization to benchmark current effectiveness and progress towards goals.
  • 5.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 40 | Page 5. Faculty/staff and Workplace Focus: Self assessing this requires assessing: (a) How well does the unit help faculty/staff contribute to the unit‟s mission besides developing to their full potential; (b) How well does the unit encourage excellence and professional development; (c) Prevalence of approach to assessing and recognizing individual and group contributions; and (d) Prevalence of approach to assessing workplace climate and faculty as well as staff satisfaction with it. 6. Process Effectiveness: Assessment of process effectiveness requires assessing: (a) Success in maintaining high standards in programs/services; (b) Developing efficient and effective work procedures; (c) Documenting and standardizing work procedures; and (d) Reviewing work procedures regularly to ensure these improve. 7. Outcomes and Achievements: Achievements and outcomes are assessed based on: (a) Existence of objective documentation on the unit‟s success in achieving long term goals as well as organizational mission and vision; (b) Customers are satisfied with programs and services; (c) Work atmosphere is positive; and (d) Our success in the three statements above compares favourably with other players and market leaders. While these researchers present an overview of what an organization requires to do for assessing and improving its quality of education, these inputs are at a higher level of abstraction than the operational level. Students often have a slightly differing view of quality as they are directly impacted by point-of-contact services. There is a relative dearth of literature available on point-of-contact services and this study aims to address that gap in so far as colleges in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan are concerned. III. Research Methodology This study is a descriptive research using a positivistic approach of collecting (primary) data using the survey method with convenience sampling. College level students at the under graduate and post graduate level were surveyed for this research. The questionnaire was developed in stages wherein open ended questions and student interviews formed the basis of the final questionnaire. A total of sixteen quality parameters were thus determined. A structured questionnaire (Annexure 1) using five point scale was developed and data collected was statistically analyzed for a level of significance (α) of 5% using a five point Likert scale. Students approached for this survey were given the option of opting out if they felt uncomfortable giving their opinion on their college. Respondents were assured of confidentiality of their identity and that of their institution. Student responses were subjected to a basic sanity check and responses considered to be unfit for analysis were rejected. A total of 72 student responses from three institutions of higher education were accepted. The study was aimed at testing the following hypotheses: 1. Majority of students believe that their college course curriculum is well designed and contemporary; 2. Majority of students believe that their college teachers are highly qualified & competent to teach; 3. Majority of students believe that their college examination system is very fair & measures meritorious performance accurately; 4. Majority of students believe that their college has excellent infrastructure for education/development; 5. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent practical knowledge; 6. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent industry experience; 7. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent global exposure; 8. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent e-learning and library facilities; 9. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent placement support; 10. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent facilities for sports related activities; 11. Majority of students believe their college provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities; 12. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent facilities for medical emergencies; 13. Majority of students believe that their college provides excellent support for all round development; 14. Majority of students believe that their college provides a very safe and secure environment; 15. Majority of students believe that their overall experience at the college was excellent; and 16. Majority of students said they would unhesitatingly recommend their college to friends/relations; These represent 16 hypotheses numbered from H01 to H16.
  • 6.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 41 | Page IV. Data Analysis And Conclusions Data collected from respondents can be summarised as below: Agree or Strongly Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree or Strongly Disagree Course curriculum at my college is well designed & contemporary 72.2% 16.7% 11.1% Teachers at my college are highly qualified & competent to teach 76.4% 12.5% 11.1% My college has an examination system that is very fair & measures meritorious performance accurately 66.2% 25.4% 08.5% College has excellent infrastructure for education & development 62.5% 26.4% 11.1% Course provides excellent practical knowledge of my subject 45.7% 34.3% 20.0% Course provides excellent industry experience 26.4% 26.4% 47.2% College provides me excellent global exposure 31.0% 25.4% 43.7% College provides excellent e-learning & library facilities 57.7% 26.8% 15.5% College provides excellent placement support 27.8% 37.5% 34.7% College provides excellent facilities for sports related activities 31.9% 23.6% 44.4% College provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities 31.9% 27.8% 40.3% College provides excellent medical facilities for emergencies 23.2% 24.6% 52.2% College provides excellent support for all round development 29.2% 47.2% 23.6% College provides a highly safe & secure environment to students 76.1% 12.7% 11.3% My overall experience at college is excellent 43.7% 35.2% 21.1% Will unhesitatingly recommend my college to my relations/friends 30.0% 37.1% 32.9% Based on the above data the following can be concluded for the different hypotheses: Hypotheses: Majority of students at the college believe that p value Conclusion on the Hypotheses H01: Course curriculum is well designed & contemporary >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H02: Teachers are highly qualified & competent to teach >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H03: The examination system is very fair & measures meritorious performance accurately >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H04: College has excellent infrastructure for education & development >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H05: Course provides excellent practical knowledge of my subject 0.24 Cannot be rejected H06: Course provides excellent industry experience ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H07: College provides me excellent global exposure ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H08: College provides excellent e-learning & library facilities >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H09: College provides excellent placement support ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H10: College provides excellent facilities for sports related activities ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H11: College provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H12: College provides excellent medical facilities for emergencies ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H13: College provides excellent support for all round development ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected H14: College provides a highly safe & secure environment to students >>0.05 Data not in rejection region H15: My overall experience at college is excellent 0.14 Cannot be rejected H16: Will unhesitatingly recommend my college to my relations/friends ~ 0 Hypothesis rejected Course curriculum, qualification of teachers,safety and security of students on campuses, rigour in the examination system,infrastructure and library facilities emerge as relative strengths as perceived by students undergoing college education.The key concern areas for college students are: (a) Facilities to deal with medical emergencies; (b) Industry exposure; (c) Placement support; (d) All round development of students; (e) Opportunities for co-curricular activities; and (f) Facilities for sports related activities. Besides these areas, the following areas also require attention on priority: (a) Overall experience of students at the college; and (b) Practical knowledge of subjects taught. In all, eight out of sixteen hypotheses were rejected. The sample data shows that only a small percentage of students state they would unhesitatingly recommend their college to friends and relatives meaning that students who could potentially be ambassadors of the college are likely to remain either neutral (lukewarm) towards the college or even antagonistic by advising those close to them against studying at the same college. V. Recommendations And Limitations Of The Study The study clearly points out concern areas from the point of view of students undergoing tertiary education. It is not a study that loses itself in slogans or sloganeering relating to teacher-centric or student centric teaching. Instead it derives parameters based on interaction with students and survey of literature on quality in college education. It seeks to measure what students‟ value and finds that a very large fraction of students are disappointed or disillusioned with their own colleges and the education provided. The satisfaction level of students studying at colleges is low. Further colleges are not seen to focus on softer issues like – encouraging all round development, providing opportunities for co-curricular/sports related activities. Nor do colleges provide industry exposure, placement support or practical knowledge on subjects taught. The low
  • 7.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 42 | Page employability of graduates, therefore, comes as no surprise. It is recommended that higher educational institutions be prodded to focus on these areas so that graduating students can hope to build a better career for themselves. The study received responses from just three colleges. Despite rigorous statistical analysis of data collected, a sample data from only three colleges needs further validation before it can be accepted on a larger scale. This them presents itself as the main limitation of this study and presents itself as an opportunity for further investigation for a subsequent research study. References [1]. Alexander, R. (2008). Education for All, The Quality Imperative and the Problem of Pedagogy. Create Pathways to Access, Research Monograph No.20. Retrieved from: http://www.create-rpc.org/pdf_documents/PTA20.pdf. [2]. Aspiring Minds (2010). National Employability Study: IT/ITES Sector. Retrieved from: http://www.aspiringminds.in/docs/national_employability_study_IT_aspiringminds.pdf. [3]. Aspiring Minds (2012). Press Release: Employability of MVBA Graduates at Dismal Low. Retrieved: http://www.aspiringminds.in/press_doc/employability_of_mba_graduates_at_dismal_low.pdf. [4]. Brusoni, M., Damian, R., Sauri, G. J., Jackson, S., Kömürcügil, H., Malmedy, M …….. Zobel, L. The Concept of Excellence in Higher Education, ENQA, Occasional Papers (2014). Retrieved from http://www.enqa.eu/indirme/ENQA+Excellence+WG+Report_The+Concept+of+Excellence+in+Higher+Education.pdf [5]. Haug, P (2009). Evaluation performed by External Expert Panel. In Ranne, P. and Soinila, M. (Eds) Assessing Educational Quality: Knowledge Production and the Role of Experts (pp 15-20). Retrieved from: http://www.enqa.eu/indirme/papers-and- reports/workshop-and-seminar/Assessing_educational_quality_wr6.pdf [6]. Heslop, L. (2014), British Council. Understanding India - The Future of Higher Education and Opportunities for International Cooperation. Retrieved from http://www.britishcouncil.in/sites/britishcouncil.in2/files/understanding_india.pdf [7]. Materu, P. (2007). Higher Education Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status, Challenges, Opportunities and Promising Practices. World Bank Working Paper No. 124. Retrieved from: http://www.eua.be/Libraries/qa- connect/wp124_qa_higher_edu_africa.pdf?sfvrsn=0. [8]. Planning Commission‟s Draft Report of Working Group on Higher Education (11th Five Year Plan). Retrieved from http://planningcommission.gov.in. [9]. Prasad and Stella. Best Practices in Higher Education, Chapter 1: Best Practices Benchmarking in Higher Education for Quality Enhancement. Retrieved from http://naac.gov.in/docs/Best%20Practise%20in%20Higher%20Education.pdf. [10]. PwC report (2012). India - Higher Education Sector: Opportunities for Private Participation. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.in/en_IN/in/assets/pdfs/industries/education-services.pdf. [11]. Report from FICCI Higher Education Summit 2013. Higher Education in India: Vision 2030. Retrieved from http://www.teqipgoodgovernance.in/FICCI-E%20Y%20Report%20Final.pdf. [12]. Ruben, B.D. (n.d). Excellence in Higher Education Organizational Checklist. Retrieved from http://oqi.wisc.edu/resourcelibrary/uploads/resources/Excellence%20in%20Higher%20Education%20Organizational%20Checklist. pdf. [13]. The Hindu, dated 26th June 2013, “Nearly 47 per cent graduates in India unemployable, says report”. Retrieved from: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/nearly-47-per-cent-graduates-in-india-unemployable-says-report/article4850167.ece. [14]. The Times of India, dated 12th Jan. 2015, “Only 10% MBA graduates employable, say experts”. Retrieved from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/Only-10-MBA-graduates-employable-say-experts/articleshow/45846637.cms. [15]. Zaki, S. and Rashidi, M.Z. (2013). Parameters of Quality in Higher Education: A Theoretical Framework. International J. Soc. Sci. & Education, Vol. 3, Issue 4, 1098-1105. Retrieved from http://ijsse.com/sites/default/files/issues/2013/v3i4/papers/Paper-24.pdf Annexure 1 Customer Satisfaction with College Education Note: This is to request you to please provide your views on the attributes listed. Your identity will be treated as confidential & the information collected through this questionnaire will be used for Academic purposes only. General Information (Optional) 1. Name : 2. Contact Number/mail id : Specific Information (Request You To Answer All): 1. Course & College presently studying : 2. Joined college in (year) : 3. Please let us know the extent of your agreement with the following statements: Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree The course curriculum at our college is well designed & contemporary My teachers at my college are highly qualified & competent to teach My college has an examination system that is very fair & measures meritorious performance accurately My college has excellent infrastructure for education & student development
  • 8.
    A Study ofStudent Satisfaction with College Education at Colleges in and Around Udaipur, Rajasthan DOI: 10.9790/7388-05623643 www.iosrjournals.org 43 | Page My course provides excellent practical knowledge of my subject My course provides excellent industry experience My college provides me excellent global exposure My college provides excellent e-learning & library facilities My college provides excellent placement support My college provides excellent facilities for sports related activities My college provides excellent opportunities for co-curricular activities My college provides excellent medical facilities for emergencies My college provides excellent support for all round development The environment at my college is highly safe & secure with no threats to students My overall experience at college is excellent I would unhesitatingly recommend my college to my relations/friends 4. Name areas that you think are your college/university‟s great strengths. 5. Name areas that you think are your college/university‟s areas for improvement. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME