User-Perceived Non-Functional Quality of a Student Information System: A Case Study at Sebha University

This study evaluated students’ perceptions of key non-functional requirements (NFRs) of the Student Information System (SIS) used at the Faculty of Information Technology, Sebha University. The assessment focused on four dimensions: reliability, efficiency, security, and usability. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to SIS users, and the student responses were analyzed to identify perceived strengths, weaknesses, and preferences between the two system versions. Among students, security received the highest weighted score (66.9%), followed by efficiency (64.0%), usability (62.8%), and reliability (59.4%). Although all four dimensions were evaluated at a moderate level, reliability represented the weakest dimension, particularly with respect to the accuracy and clarity of academic reports, duplicated information, data recovery, information exchange, interface-icon organization, and user guidance. Version 2 was preferred by 85.5% of students, whereas 14.5% preferred Version 3. This preference highlights the need for a more detailed user-centered evaluation of the changes introduced in the newer version. Overall, the findings indicate that the SIS has relative strengths in perceived security and efficiency but requires improvement in reliability, academic-report quality, data recovery, information exchange, interface consistency, and user guidance. The study provides practical recommendations for future SIS development and demonstrates the value of evaluating NFRs through user perceptions, while emphasizing the need to complement questionnaire findings with objective technical, security, and task-based usability assessments.