STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY: A COMPARISON BETWEEN SALUT AND REGIONAL OFFICE OF UNIVERSITAS TERBUKA MAKASSAR

Abstract

This study investigates students’ perceptions of service quality at two institutional units within Universitas Terbuka: the Sentra Layanan Universitas Terbuka (SALUT) and the Regional Office of Universitas Terbuka Makassar (UT Daerah Makassar). These units serve as crucial access points for distance education services, including academic guidance, administrative assistance, and learning support. A quantitative research approach was employed, using a structured questionnaire developed based on the five SERVQUAL dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Participants in this study were active Universitas Terbuka students who had utilized both service units. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests were conducted to analyze the data. A Shapiro–Wilk test confirmed that the data were normally distributed (p > .05), which justified the use of a paired-sample t-test. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in service quality between SALUT and the regional office (t(n–1) = –2.65, p = .024), with the regional office receiving slightly higher mean scores. These findings suggest that students perceive meaningful differences in service quality between the two units. The results highlight the need for service standardization across institutional units, particularly by improving responsiveness and empathy within SALUT. It is recommended that Universitas Terbuka enhances SALUT’s operational effectiveness to match or exceed the quality of regional office services.