SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS OF A PHILIPPINE STATE UNIVERSITY AND STUDENTS? SATISFACTION: BRIDGING GAPS TO EXCELLENCE.

In the business world, service quality is a prized commodity as it directly impacts the profitability performance of any establishment. On the other hand, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), while may not be considered business institutions, also depend on service quality which is believed to be an equally important factor in providing services to stakeholders. While it is noted that State colleges and universities are experiencing financial downturn due to the struggling economy and decreasing subsidy from the government, HEIs are dealing with reduced budget and searching for ways to do more with less. One way for universities to accomplish this objective is to place a renewed focus on meeting or exceeding the expectations and needs of their students. In all universities around the globe student satisfaction has been considered an important factor in measuring the quality of services provided by the institution. Being the most important beneficiary of the educational institution?s services, students are in the right position to determine the quality of services offered by their university. This research examined the relationship between service quality dimensions and the level of students? satisfaction with the quality of services provided by the university. A questionnaire was used to collect the related data hence establish the relationship between the two types of variables - service quality dimension variables and students? satisfaction level of identified services. Recommendations were identified to strengthen the delivery of services within the university system to bridge the gaps towards excellence. The study also examined how efficient and effective the services are provided to LSPU customers, particularly the students through assessment on their expectations and their perception or observation. After the investigation, the study revealed that students? level of satisfaction is correlated with their observations related to the five service quality dimensions such as reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness. The effort of LSPU to continuously improve the services (academic and administrative) provided to its clients and stakeholders spell how competitive it is and how far it will reach towards achieving excellence.