Class service quality: Moving beyond SERVQUAL

This paper explores the development of an improved measure of class service quality (ClassQual) in a university environment. By specifically examining data collected from seventy-three Informa-tion Systems students at two large universities in the midwest and southern U.S, the significance of different aspects of the class service experience is highlighted. Results of the ClassQual instru-ment indicate that both the level of faculty concern and course content impact students' percep-tions of the overall service quality (OSQ) they receive in a class. Approximately 42% of the va-riance in OSQ was explained in the study indicating that the students surveyed value the availabili-ty, respect, and interest provided to them by the faculty member as well as the worth of the course information and the faculty's ability to communicate that information clearly. By better under-standing the criteria important to students in their evaluation of a class service experience, we can more accurately focus on improving both the quality of instruction and the student experience.