Survey: UNC-CH Services Better Than Most System Schools'

According to a recently released UNC-system survey, the majority of system students are pleased with most of the programs their schools offer but are critical of campus food services.

The survey, administered twice a year by the UNC General Administration, is used to determine which facets of UNC-system schools need improvement.

Sophomores and seniors answer questions on their schools' academic, student and administrative services - with the highest two ratings of "excellent" or "good" constituting approval.

In general, students rated administrative services lower than academic services and instructional quality.

UNC-Chapel Hill fared well in the survey compared to other system schools, with relatively high ratings for food and library services.

Gary Barnes, the system vice president of program assessment, said the survey reveals varying weaknesses among campuses. He said differences in campus approval ratings makes coordinating improvement efforts difficult.

"(There is) no systemwide improvement plan."

Course availability was one of the areas polled that exhibited a large disparity in approval ratings between campuses. Fewer than half of the N.C. Central University students surveyed - 46.7 percent -ranked the availability of course material as good or excellent.

About 80 percent of UNC-CH students gave the availability of course material the same rating.

According to the 1999-2000 surveys, the lowest-rated service was the food service. More than 53 percent of sophomores rated their campus' food service as "excellent" or "good." Seniors did not differ much with a slightly higher 56.9 percent.

One of the lowest-rated food services in the UNC system was N.C. Agricultural & Technical University, which received a rounded 31 percent rating by both sophomores and seniors.

UNC-CH received the highest approval rating from sophomores, 69.5 percent. UNC-CH received 61.9 percent approval from seniors.

But despite the University's relatively high approval rating, some students still think Carolina Dining Services needs improvement.

"I am not impressed (with UNC-CH food services)," said UNC sophomore Bryan Schofield of Cary.

Schofield said he no longer frequents the dining facilities of Chase Hall and Lenoir Dining Hall due to the price.

UNC-CH freshman Jennifer Bruno of Fayetteville said dining facilities should stay open longer.

"It would be nice if Chase Dining Hall would have their services open to students on Friday nights," Bruno said.

The highest-rated services at system schools were the school libraries, which received a 90.8 percent from sophomores and a 90.1 percent from seniors.

UNC-CH library services received a 96.3 percent approval rating from sophomores and 97.7 percent from seniors - the highest approval ratings in the system.

"I think Wilson (Library) is the greatest place to study," said UNC-CH freshman Amanda Lee of Fayetteville.

"It has got to be the quietest place on campus."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.