Quality of administrative services in a South African higher education institution. Stakeholder perceptions

Student administration in a higher education institution encompasses admissions and registration, accommodation, health services, assessments, and several aspects of a student’s life from the first contact with the institution until graduation. We set out to determine how students felt about these services at a South African university. The need to understand how students perceive these services is becoming increasingly important, especially in higher education, because it impacts not only student recruitment but the overall image of the university. Findings from this study can lead to much needed improvement of service quality. Data was collected from students using an open-ended questionnaire while interviews and focus groups were used for administrative staff. We realised a mix of feedback in terms of how both students and administrative staff felt about the quality of service at the university. In part, the findings suggest the need to sufficiently cater for both staff and students for them to experience enriched job experiences and better teaching and learning services from the university. This study not only contributes to the literature on administrative competency of higher education staff, but it also offers a new way of looking at stakeholders to understand the various skills, i.e., functional skills, essential skills, and emerging skills, required for optimal effectiveness of administrative professionals in the new world of work.