Abstract:
Undergraduates may face difficulties throughout their university life due to various
root causes. Students navigate a complex blend of academic, personal, social, and
administrative challenges that directly affect their well-being and performance.
Many state universities in Sri Lanka, including the University of Ruhuna, offer
support mechanisms such as mentoring and counseling, but undergraduates are
often hesitant to seek help due to inner struggles such as fear of judgment, lack of
anonymity, and limited awareness about available services. This study addresses
the necessity of an anonymous, technology-based Student Help Desk (SHD) by
identifying the types and severity of challenges faced by undergraduates at the
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna. The total sample consisted of 150
students representing all four academic years, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and final
year students. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms
using a convenience sampling technique. Both descriptive and inferential analyses
were adopted to identify the relationships between variables. Smart PLS Structural
Equation Modeling (SEM) clearly explored the relationships among student
performance and Academic Challenges (AC), Personal Consequences (PC), Social
Issues (SI), and Administrative Issues (AI). The findings revealed that PC
strongly influences both administrative (β = 0.662) and social challenges (β =
0.545). This highlights how stress, financial struggles, and emotional difficulties
spill over into academic performance. Administrative problems (β = 0.558) and
social issues (β = 0.351) contribute significantly to individual academic performance.
Personal Consequences (PC) showed the strongest influence across all
domains (f2 = 0.548). Collectively, the model explains 44.9% of academic, 43.8%
of administrative, and 29.7% of social challenges, demonstrating interconnected
structural barriers affecting student performance. In conclusion, there is an urgent
need for an anonymous SHD to provide timely academic, administrative,
technical, and psychological support as a transparent platform to foster a more
inclusive and supportive learning environment.
