Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 1999. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Few lecturers – my mentor is an excellent example of those few – treasure the joy and satisfaction of their students. In order to maximize the joy associated with elective subjects (this should be one of the highlights of the MBA course), a procedure was developed that will schedule electives in such a way that the maximum number of students will be satisfied completely. This procedure harnesses the power of the modern computer and solves the problem with brute force. The computing part of the process takes less than 10 minutes. A very high level of student satisfaction (the highest level possible) is guaranteed with the correct use of this procedure. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Weinig dosente – my mentor is ‘n uitstekende voorbeeld van daardie enkeles – stel die vreugde en bevrediging van hul studente eerste. Ten einde die vreugde uit keusevakke te maksimeer (dit behoort een van die hoogtepunte van die MBA kursus te wees), is ‘n prosedure ontwikkel wat keusevakke so skeduleer dat die maksimum aantal studente daardeur bevredig word. Hierdie prosedure span die krag van die moderne rekenaar in deur die probleem met brute krag op te los (akademiese kragtoerjie??). Die verwerking van die probleem deur die rekenaar duur minder as 10 minute. ‘n Hoë vlak van studentebevrediging (die hoogste vlak haalbaar) word gewaarborg deur die korrekte gebruik van hierdie prosedure.

State systems have begun to implement performance-based policies in higher education that obligate state institutions to demonstrate they are providing quality educational experiences for students in an effective and efficient manner (Hatcher, Kryter, Prus, & Fitzgerald, 1992; Redd, 1998). Quality and overall effectiveness are measured by student outcomes, such as student retention, attrition, and graduation rates (Hatcher, et al., 1992; Redd, 1998). College student satisfaction has emerged as a factor that affects student retention, attrition and graduation rates (Aitken, 1982; Allen, 1987; Hatcher, et al., 1992; Love, 1993). The greater the level of satisfaction with the college environment, the greater the likelihood that the student will remain affiliated with the institution. This is seen at predominately White institutions (PWIs). Many have found that African American students are less satisfied than their White counterparts with the college environment, and have attrition rates five to eight times higher than their White counterparts at the same institution (Allen, 1987; Fisher & Hartmann, 1991; Love, 1993; Suen, 198). Approximately 80 percent of all African American undergraduates are enrolled in PWIs (Arenson, 1997). Research also indicates that African American students attending historically Black institutions (HBIs) seem to be more satisfied with the college environment than their African American counterparts at PWIs, and graduate at rates equal to White students at PWIs (Allen, 1987; Bohr, Pascarella, Nora, & Terenzini, 1995; Love, 1993; Nettles, et al., 1986; Suen, 1983). Despite these satisfaction and success rates, by 1994, total African American student enrollments at HBIs decreased to an all-time low: 16 percent (Redd, 1998; Schexnider, 1998). Contrary to African American student enrollments, White student enrollments at HBIs have increased 71 percent from 1976 to 1994 (Redd, 1998; Wenglinsky, 1996). Because these students represent non-majorities on HBI campuses, it would be interesting to see if the pattern of satisfaction for African American students attending PWIs hold true for White students at HBIs. The present study, by examining the satisfaction levels of both groups of students with the college environment, is designed to address this gap in the existing body of literature on African Americans and Whites at PWIs and HBIs. Data related to levels of student satisfaction with the college environment were obtained from the College Environment scale of the Student Opinion Survey (SOS). Chi-squares were calculated on each item of the College Environment scale to determine significance. The study made within group comparisons (AA-HBI v. AA-PWI; W-PWI v. W-HBI) and between group comparisons (AA-PWI v. W-PWI; AA-HBI v. W-HBI) based on majority and non-majority statuses on respective campuses. Results of the study revealed that, when respecting the non-majority on campus, African American and White students are seemingly more satisfied (or equally satisfied) with aspects of the college environment than their majority students counterparts on campus. Additionally, these non-majority groups were more satisfied (or equally satisfied) with dimensions of the college environment than their ethnic counterparts on PWI and HBI campuses (AA-HBI and W-PWI students). W-HBI students demonstrated greater levels of satisfaction than all other groups included in the study. / Master of Arts

College student satisfaction is a concept that has become more prevalent in higher education research journals. Little attention has been given to the psychometric properties of previous instrumentation, and few studies have investigated the structure of current satisfaction instrumentation. This dissertation: (a) investigated the tenability of the theoretical dimensional structure of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory™ (SSI), (b) investigated an alternative factor structure using explanatory factor analyses (EFA), and (c) used multiple-group CFA procedures to determine whether an alternative SSI factor structure would be invariant for three demographic variables: gender (men/women), race/ethnicity (Caucasian/Other), and undergraduate classification level (lower level/upper level). For this study, there was little evidence for the multidimensional structure of the SSI. A single factor, termed General Satisfaction with College, was the lone unidimensional construct that emerged from the iterative CFA and EFA procedures. A revised 20-item model was developed, and a series of multigroup CFAs were used to detect measurement invariance for three variables: student gender, race/ethnicity, and class level. No measurement invariance was noted for the revised 20-item model. Results for the invariance tests indicated equivalence across the comparison groups for (a) the number of factors, (b) the pattern of indicator-factor loadings, (c) the factor loadings, and (d) the item error variances. Because little attention has been given to the psychometric properties of the satisfaction instrumentation, it is recommended that further research continue on the SSI and any additional instrumentation developed to measure student satisfaction. It is possible that invariance issues may explain a portion of the inconsistent findings noted in the review of literature. Although measurement analyses are a time-consuming process, they are essential for understanding the psychometrics characterized by a set of scores obtained from a survey, or any other form of assessment instrument.

The problem of this study concerned the needs of business students and their perceptions of effectiveness with respect to their satisfaction at two universities. A related purpose was to measure, evaluate, and analyze students' needs and perceptions of the effectiveness of their universities with respect to their level of education.