Colleges are nowadays confronted with changing conditions that demand attention in the form of student services. The core of the student service is aimed at formulating effective and appropriate responses to the changing and challenging issues in the college setting. Proper management of student services is vital in the viability and survivability of institutions. Managing the students’ services in the higher education is not only important to the institution but also to the quality of student life. The student life can be enhanced by integrating the new student groups, maintaining enrollment of qualified students, and also attracting and ensuring that the students are retained in the institutions. Also, the services are important in creating opportunities for the students in ensuring that they become leaders, a factor that contributes to the vitality of the institution.
The success of any higher educational institution depends greatly on the student services which ensure student retention and an increase in the satisfaction levels of the student. In a scenario where a college or a university fails in the provision student services that are satisfactory, the likely result will be a fall in student recruitment, reputation, and retention ( Mark, 2013). Several ways can be used to improve student services in a career college. The first method that can be used is to identify the source of dissatisfaction. Institutional heads have a task in installing infrastructure and other support services in the college environment that can identify the sources of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction and other aspects that play a role in enhancing the enjoyment of the students in the campus. Another way of improving the students’ services is engaging with the students. Help should be provided to students who are struggling so that they can improve their academic performance, enhance retention and also reduce episodes of withdrawals. Effective student services can be applied in the provision of notifications and other messaging services regarding academic activities that can improve the overall learning experience for the students.
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Streamlining of the processes in the college system can also be a vital way of improving the student services in a career college. Examples of the processes that can be improved include support services which can track the activities of the students and also streamline the academic and administrative process across all the campuses. Improving technology and putting it at the center of all student processes is another important way of ensuring that student services are improved in the college setting. Technological innovations such as cloud connectivity, mobile technology, and CMS would transform the learning and teaching experience by ensuring students access personalized and accurate academic information. Temizer and Turkyilmaz (2012) asserted that other areas that technology can improve in the college environment include attendance, timetabling, lesson planning, finding library resources, and doing assignments.
Student affairs in the college setting can play an important role in providing leadership. Leadership is mainly provided in response to challenging and changing conditions. The first way in which the student services can offer leadership is through the use of institutional marketing to attract new students and retain those who are already enrolled. According to Haynes (2015), more efforts can also be geared towards managing enrollments which is an important activity in ensuring the sustainability of a college. Secondly, the student services can increase private funding which is important in improving the student activities and also in ensuring that they are in a position to realize their careers. Leadership can also be provided by planning and managing resources effectively in a manner that benefits the students and the performance of the college at large. Institutional heads must also take it upon themselves to modify programs in a manner that best befits the students and also in a way that the services will meet new needs. Finally, leadership can be enhanced through the introduction of activities that can improve the students’ involvement in the college affairs.
Effective management of the student services in the college is important to the students in various ways. The first way in which the services can be of importance to the students is by providing opportunities for academic development through the services provided by technology, academic mentoring, cultural, and social engagement among other services. Another benefit that comes to the student includes the assistance with the college requirements. Services such tutorials and supplemental skill instructions will critically help the students in meeting the college requirements that include minimal academic performance among others. Effective management of the student service will improve retention as earlier stated by ensuring that the students are encouraged to stay in school. Finally, it also motivates a learner to finish their education program and work towards the realization of their career goals.
In the realization of the benefits that come with proper management of the student services, the services must be organized in a manner it responds to the organizational needs ( Goetsch & Davis, 2014). It is vital to note that institutions and the entire student service are faced with various changes that they must effectively handle. Some of the changes that must effectively be responded to by the student services include developments in education enterprise, financial conditions, judicial intervention, planning, and the application of new management techniques in the college administration. Trends that concern the student must also be addressed effectively. The student service must ensure that there is an increased participation of minority groups in the college education and also the increase in vocationalism. Other changes that involve students that must be effectively responded to by the student services include their values, characteristics, and their needs which might change from time to time.
There are certain challenges that the student services can encounter in its bid to revolutionize the students’ experience in a college setting. It is vital to note that the success of the student services largely depends on the corporation of the learners and the school administration. Therefore, a lack of corporation in either of the entity will negatively impact the role of the student service in realizing its goal of improving the student affair in the college. A lack of corporation can occur in the case where the students are indiscipline or not ready to be subjected to the interventions provided by the student service program. The administration on its part can show reluctance in providing necessary logistics and resources required in the operationalization of effective student’s services.
In conclusion, the effective management of student service in a college is important in realizing the many career dreams by the college students. It is upon the college administration and the student fraternity to play a role in the formation of a proper service that benefits both the learner and the teachers. The management of student services is not a preserve of institution heads, but also requires the full participation of every stakeholder in the higher education. The ultimate benefit of the program is to ensure that the students experience a better life in the college which will improve their academic performance that will subsequently drive them to their career dreams.
References
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Haynes, P. (2015). Managing complexity of the public services . Routledge.
Mark, E. (2013). Student satisfaction and the customer focus on higher education. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management , 35 (1), 2-10.
Temizer, L., & Turkyilmaz, A. (2012). Implementation of student satisfaction index model in higher education institutions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences , 46 , 3802-3806.
