Factors influencing undergraduate students’ level of satisfaction with on- and off-campus accommodation at Moi university main campus, Kenya

Abstract

Students’ accommodation is one of the basic human needs and it is of contemporary interest to all University sectors. Most public universities in Kenya offer accommodation to their students. However, the high influx of students in Kenya, both government and self-sponsored, greatly supersedes the ability of these institutions to offer accommodation to all students. The primary purpose of this study was to establish factors influencing undergraduate students’ level of satisfaction with on- and off -campus accommodation at Moi University, Main Campus. The specific objectives of the study were: to establish the factors that enhance students’ level of satisfaction with either on- or off- campus accommodation; to assess the difference in the level of satisfaction with accommodation among students residing either on campus or off-campus; and to identify the accommodation challenges facing students either on- or off- campus. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was guided by Happy-Productive Student Theory by Cotton, Dollard, and de Jonge (2002). The study population was 11000 students residing on- and off- campus. A sample size of 115 (81 on-campus; and 34 off-campus) were involved in this study. Simple random sampling was used to select the students, while five (5) key informants both housekeepers and caretakers were purposively selected. Piloting was done to ascertain data collection instruments’ validity and reliability. Data were collected using questionnaires for students and interview schedules for house keepers and caretakers. Data was analyzed using means, percentages and frequencies. T-test was used to test for the differences in the students’ level of satisfaction between the on- and off-campus students. Data was presented using frequency tables, pie charts and bargraphs. The result of the study suggests that factors such as accommodation, security, distance from the university facilities, state of ablution blocks, privacy, social amenities, reading desk, room space and social environment are the most important in predicting undergraduate students’ level of satisfaction either on- or off- campus accommodation. The findings of the study indicated that students were more satisfied with on-campus accommodation to a satisfaction level of 63.9% against that of off-campus which was 59.5%. This shows that the level of satisfaction in each case was more than average but also that there was a moderately significant difference in the satisfaction level between on- campus and off-campus accommodation. From the study findings, it is recommended that the university administrators and all those involved in students’ accommodation endeavor to understand students’ accommodation needs and satisfaction level predictors that keep students more satisfied. It is hoped that the findings of the study will enable the university administrators to come up with plans and objectives that best serve the interests of the students’ accommodation for both on-campus and off-campus. This will result in putting up of better accommodation facilities on-campus and encouraging private developers to take part in the construction of more and improved student hostels that best address satisfaction level of students and make them enjoy their stay at Moi University.