An exploratory study of students of English and other departments at Saudi Arabian universities with a view to improving the quality of student services

The current business orientation of higher educational systems, continuing global reforms and an increasing number of accreditation bodies in higher education have highlighted the necessity to review quality assurance mechanisms in ascertaining whether the current approaches are adequate. Within this global context, the higher education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has undergone a series of reforms during the last few years, adding many new universities and scholarship programs, and establishing the National Commission for Academic Assessment and Accreditation (NCAAA). The importance of quality assurance that ensures the provision of high quality services and facilities to students as customers is clear. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to ascertain the current problems and issues and identify an appropriate criterion for quality assurance for the delivery of academic and non-academic services and the provision of facilities at the KSA universities, taking into account the students’ expectations and perspectives. A mixed methodology approach was adopted in order to meet the research objectives adequately. To develop comprehensive responses to the research questions, quantitative and qualitative methodologies were employed combining empirical data with qualitative interview data. Student perspectives on the three theoretically developed quality dimensions of academic and non-academic services and facilities were sought. These perspectives were then inductively and deductively explored using quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative (NVivo) software. The results revealed evidence of mixed perceptions in relation to academic and non-academic services across the KSA universities and campuses. However, students’ perceptions of university facilities were overwhelmingly poor, indicating the criticality of the student voice in the quality assurance processes. A criterion of quality assurance is recommended to improve the quality of student services in relation to academic and non-academic services, and to ensure the provision of high quality facilities.