Students come first at Selkirk College and it's essential for the college to stay accountable to them. With its annual Student Satisfaction Survey, Selkirk is doing just that.
"The A in Selkirk Advantage stands for accountability from an Institutional Research perspective," says Cathy Mercer, Selkirk's Director of Budget and Institutional Research.
Ron Anderson, Chair of the Selkirk College Board of Governors, says the Board uses results from the Satisfaction Survey when making key decisions and in guiding management strategies. These decisions are all made with students in mind.
"Without the students, we don't exist. We need to ensure that on an ongoing basis we meet their needs and ensure they're prepared for the future when they leave Selkirk College," says Anderson.
Second-year Integrated Environmental Planning student Jayme Hadikin says it's critical for students to have a voice at the college and the Satisfaction Survey gives them that voice.
"It is very important to me. It feels good as a student to know that I have the power to help make decisions that can, in turn, benefit students in the long run. I like to know that if something in the college isn't working students have the power to change it so that it works for them. It is nice to know that, as students, we do have a voice, and that the college cares about what we think. Seeing the results of the latest survey, I am very proud to be a Selkirk College student. The Satisfaction Survey is one good reason why Selkirk College is the best college to attend," says Hadikin.
The 2005 survey results are excellent.
Selkirk wants to see satisfaction rates at a minimum of 85 per cent, and it is exceeding that bar in almost all areas.
"You really have a concrete way to say 'Here's where we are doing well.' The college does really well and has done well for the last 10 years since we began the survey. It's outstanding. The satisfaction results are over the 85 per cent threshold this year, the trend line is upward over time and student participation has increased." says Mercer.
The top three areas of importance to students in the 2005 survey were the amount of knowledge gained, quality of course content and quality of instruction. In all three of those areas, Selkirk scored 92 per cent or higher.
"Our students are really consistent from year to year-they're here to learn," says Mercer.
And, they want their say. In 2005, 221 more students participated in the survey than the previous year, an increase of more than 21 per cent.
This is not just about applauding positive results. When students indicate an area of Selkirk needs improvement, those concerns are highlighted for the Board of Governors when the survey results are reviewed.
This year, two areas that missed the minimum 85 per cent grade with students were affordability of post-secondary education and affordability of college tuition fees.
Although funding issues are not completely controlled by the college, student concerns about tuition are passed on to a tuition fee review and are highlighted for discussion when the Board sets tuition rates and approves the Tuition Fee Bylaw.
Understanding areas of concern like affordability allows Selkirk to assist students through scholarships and bursaries. Without this Survey, Anderson says the Board might not be able to deal with such concerns.
"If the students hadn't said that, I don't know that the Board would have put the money there. When we make our tuition decisions, we definitely look back to those areas of the Survey," Anderson says.
Mercer and Anderson both pointed out 88.7 per cent of Selkirk students said they were satisfied when they compared Selkirk tuition fees to other colleges.
The Student Satisfaction Survey is just one of the ways Selkirk holds itself accountable to students. Students also have input through the BC College and Institute Student Outcomes Survey and in-class Student Evaluation of Instruction.
