STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS (SWOT) ANALYSIS

This SWOT analysis builds on the Environmental Assessment and on the strategic planning discussions led by President White for the University of Illinois. The UIS Strategic Planning Committee discussed SWOT specifically at two of its meetings, one in March 2005 and one in October 2005. It discussed strengths and weaknesses relative to our competition and in doing so, first identified who our competitors are. So this analysis begins with a list of competitors identified in the two meetings, in feedback from others at UIS, and in conversations among committee members. Like the presidents list for the University of Illinois, some of the SWOTs here overlap and some are contradictory; yet they form the basis for a thoughtful discussion about the future of UIS. Selected competitive variables are compared in Appendix B and Appendix C.

Major competitors, on-campus programs:

Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Western Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois College, Northern Illinois University, Bradley, and McKendree. Major competitors, online programs: University of Phoenix Online, University of Maryland University College, SUNY Learning Network, Arizona Universities Network, UMassOnline, Michigan State, Penn State World Campus, Stanford, University of Texas System, University of Wisconsin Extension.

UIS Strengths:
U of I name affordable location in state capital small size full-time faculty teach most classes, and there is a strong bond and a high level of interaction between faculty and students expertise in teaching non-traditional students comprehensiveness, quality, and growth of online education accessibility day, night, online formats interdisciplinary and experiential education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels Capital Scholars Honors Program as a model of an integrated honors curriculum in a livinglearning community Faculty service to the university and the larger community.

UIS Weaknesses:

underfunding in many departments and programs lack of financial support for faculty Scholarship thin on cultural/racial/ethnic diversity declining enrollment from the mid- to late-1990s, followed by uneven patterns of growth understaffing at many levels inadequate resources for recruitment, retention, advising, and marketing all the things needed to recruit and retain students lack of infrastructure including physical, financial, and human resources; inadequate capital funds to support all that we want to do underdeveloped campus life and facilities not enough undergraduate degree programs

UIS Opportunities:
continuing education for intellectual enrichment and for people of all ages online opportunities worldwide downtown presence for classes and a residential center for graduate students/interns opportunity to build an undergraduate experience using the best practices from throughout the country tap into the health care industry, which is growing in Springfield with two major hospitals, a medical school, and only the second state-created Medical District in Illinois more conversations and partnerships with local employers those in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors so that our students are more appealing to them partner with the University of Illinois in unlimited university online initiative educational opportunities related to Lincoln and tourism international and off-campus study and exchange programs becoming a leader in interdisciplinary and integrated learning

Threats to UIS:

reduced public funding of higher education in Illinois risk of losing prominent faculty and staff for genuinely better opportunities at other universities or locally growing competition from nearby public universities and small privates in central Illinois

---------------2.1 Strengths i) Thirty years of proven experience in university level education and training with growing emphasis on research and consultancy activities to further enhance quality of teaching and training. ii) Established and proven know-how/expertise in the fields of agriculture, engineering, law, management, science, social sciences and humanities.

iii) An aesthetically designed campus with a harmonious blend of vintage and modern buildings in the scenic and historic setting of Le Rduit. iv) Up-to-date facilities and infrastructure like laboratories, teaching aids, networked computers, farm, radio telescope etc. available to both staff and students. v) Academic activities adapted to the more recent socio-economic trends resulting in the development of a wide range of courses. vi) Quality assurance of courses/examinations through established link arrangements with foreign universities leading to international recognition of University of Mauritius qualifications. vii) Experienced academic and support staff and continuous improvement of human resources through a strategic staff development programme. viii) Transparent selection of students based on the principle of merit. ix) Alumni present nationally in both public and private sectors and some holding regional/international positions. x) Institutionalised staff and student representation at all levels within the University. xi) Ability to participate fully in forums and activities conducted in two major international languages, English and French. xii) Successful adoption of mixed mode delivery for common modules with large class sizes. 2.2 Weaknesses i) Low recruitment and retention levels of staff due to unattractive terms and conditions of employment. ii) Heavy dependence on part-time lecturers in some Faculties. iii) Inadequate research culture emanating from the initial "developmental" focus. iv) Low proportion of PhD holders among academic staff. v) Inadequate institutional capacity so that the demand for higher education is not met. vi) Absence of a systemic approach to quality assurance constraining the development of management and administrative structures with regard to capacity building. vii) Little emphasis given to the recruitment of international students. viii) Inadequate library facilities thus limiting academic development. ix) Inadequate public transport facilities after normal working hours.

x) Lack of land for future expansion of the campus. xi) Lack of facilities for student welfare/counselling/career guidance. xii) Limited sports facilities and other campus activities. xiii) Inadequate provision for an all round development of student personality. xiv) Insufficient sense of belonging to the University. xv) Few opportunities for continuing education and life long learning. xvi) Weak public perception due to the absence of a public relations strategy. xvii) University as an institution is perceived to be absent from debate on issues of national importance. 2.3 Opportunities i) Internationalisation of activities, especially regionally, including recruitment of international students. ii) Diversification of sources of revenue through better exploitation of consultancy and research potentials. iii) Strategic alliances and partnerships with institutions of international repute for offering university courses. iv) Strategic alliances with national institutions. v) Exploitation of multi-lingual assets to become a regional multi-lingual centre. vi) Use of distance education, flexible learning and adoption of new information and communications technologies to increase access. vii) Strategic positioning for the organisation of international seminars/executive development programmes within the context of globalisation.

2.4 Threats i) Inappropriate funding limiting scope of future growth and productivity. ii) Free university education within the context of increasing trends of privatisation. iii) Proliferation of providers of university level education. iv) Absence of an effective national regulatory framework for accreditation of degrees.

v) Experienced staff leaving for greener pastures.

----SWOT ANALYSIS

A SWOT analysis is a strategic balance sheet of an organization; that is the strengths of the organization, the weaknesses of the organization, the opportunities facing the organization, and the threats facing the organization. It is one of the cornerstone analytical tools to help an organization develop a preferred future. It is one of the time tested tools that has the capacity to enable an organization to understand itself. To respond effectively to changes in the environment, we must understand our external and internal contexts so we can develop a vision and a strategy that link the two. We need to weave together our understanding of our organization and our actions to develop a future. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to provide information on our strengths and weaknesses in relation to the opportunities and threats we face. The analysis and subsequent lists (the outcome of a SWOT analysis is a point form list) is not valuable unless a rigorous discussion takes place with background insight, and unless the list reflects the final views of the organization. A major purpose of any strategic discussion is to arrive at a deeper level of insight. Any response to threats and opportunities must be based on an intimate knowledge and understanding of the organization's strengths and weaknesses. One outcome that should follow a SWOT analysis is an identification of distinctive competencies (for further insight on the latter see: Prahalad/Hamel. "The Core Competencies of the Corporation." HBR. 1990). The benefits of a SWOT analysis are that it provides learning and knowledge vital to the organization's survival and prosperity. Nutt and Backoff talk about SWOT as a clarifier of the "tension fields" in organizations. It is a juxtaposition of the ying and the yang of organizations. Another outcome of the SWOT analysis which is becoming extremely important is an understanding of our boundaries and the development of boundary-spanning skills and insight to help navigate the changing environment we face. Some Techniques for SWOT: Highs and Lows: Divide the blackboard into the current year and the last two - three years. Individuals silently brainstorm all organizational highs and lows. Transcribe all the high and lows and stick them on the wall. The group identifies themes

common to the highs, the lows, or both. The group analyses the data by answering these questions: 1. What opportunities have we had? What did we do? Was it successful? 2. What threats have we had? How did we handle them? Which did we ignore? 3. What strengths do we rely on? Which do we ignore? 4. How do we deal with weaknesses? What have we done about them? Eventually the discussion has to move on to how to behave in the future and how to benefit from the insight generated. Snowball Card: Each person writes a SWOT analysis on a 5 x 7 (or larger) card and sticks the card on the wall. The group then develops four lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, eliminating overlap, to discuss, compare, and analyze. Prepare a list which reflects the common themes in the individual SWOT analyses. Clustering technique is normally used to tease out themes. Guidelines for SWOT Analysis: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Keep it simple Focus on your organization. Look for patterns. Look for action that can be taken within a year. Don't get lost in the future. Be rooted in the now.

A Summary of the Characteristics of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats: (modified from Thompson/Strickland. "Crafting and Implementing Strategy." Irwin Mcgraw-Hill. 1998.) Strengths:

something we do well valuable know how assets (physical, human, intangible) competitive capability attributes ventures, alliances Weaknesses:

something we do poorly a disadvantage a deficiency in expertise or competence lack of assets (physical, human, intangible) missing capabilities Opportunities:

best prospects competitive advantage good match with what we have to offer Threats:

competitive behaviour new product/service demographics

Strategy from SWOT analysis

Build on the organization's strengths. Recognize weaknesses and correct, where possible. Take advantage of opportunities. This is what drives the strategy. Recognize threats to the organization and take steps to minimize the effects.

KBJ.Nov. 98
----SWOT Analysis for the University Library SWOT Analysis Strengths

Relates to Objective

The Library has a strong profile in the University, recognising quality of service and sound and effective management The development of the Team Valley Research Repository and to improvements to library space have been very successful and received strong support from students

SO6, SO8, SO10, SO15, EO5 SO3, SO12, EO3

It has a well established reputation for excellence in customer services, validated by Customer Service Excellence awards and Times Higher Award NSS scores are strong and the Library is in the top ten in the country 2012 for student satisfaction 24/7 opening in term-time is embedded as a core provision and is wellreceived by students There has been very positive feedback from international students in ISB results over several years Support for information literacy and research skills is effective and wellreceived by Schools and Institutes The Team Valley Store has capacity to accommodate large quantities for lesser-used print books and journals

SO4, EO1

SO4, EO1

SO4, EO1

S14, EO1

SO5, SO6, SO9, SO17 SO1, SO7

There is a well-developed e-print repository, with sector-leading integration SO10 with the institutional research database in the form of MyImpact Highly-motivated staff have a strong commitment to developing their and others' knowledge and skills, endorsed by IIP awards The Library has low relative staff costs, compared with its peer group It has developed effective working relationships with key partners, including ISS, ESS, QuILT and URO

EO4

EO4, EO5 SO3, SO10, SO11,SO15, EO8

Weaknesses

Budget settlements below inflation for the past three years compromise SO1, SO7, EO5 the Library's ability to meet the needs of researchers and students for new resources Due to intensive use of study facilities, there is a lack of additional space for the development of new learning spaces and services

SO3, SO12, SO16, EO3

The Robinson Library has an ageing infrastructure with some facilities (e.g. SO16, EO3 toilets) in need of renewal Opening hours in vacations, and in the Walton and Law Libraries, compare SO4, EO1

unfavourably with some comparators

Lower levels of satisfaction with text book provision has been expressed by SO1, SO2 taught students in several Schools, reflected in lower NSS scores for those subjects Lack of capacity to support effectively the University's overseas operations SO14 and ambitions for internationalisation Although improving, recent NSS results have shown lower levels of satisfaction with access to IT facilities (including those in the Library) Eprints repository is not as visible as it ought to be given the increased interest in open access to the University's research outputs

SO3, SO4

SO10

Opportunities

New e-resources, particularly e-books with new licensing/purchase arrangements, are becoming increasingly available The accelerating development of open access publishing offers opportunities for new models of scholarly publication in a traditionally high-cost environment Research funders are increasingly interested in data management, preservation and re-use of research data

SO1, SO2, SO7, EO5 SO7, SO10

SO11

The UK Research Reserve programme enables coordinated deduplication of SO7, EO3 print journals Opportunities for collaboration offer benefits for procurement and service EO5, EO8 development with partners in various groups (eg RLUK, Northern Collaboration) In-house digitisation services offer greater exposure and use of special collections and archives The development of NU-IT and the Digital Campus programme providing opportunities to review and improve IT support and service provision

SO13, SO16

SO2, SO4, SO9, SO11, EO7, EO8

Threats

Increased expectations from students for resources and services in an

SO1, SO3, SO4,

environment of increased fees

EO1 SO1, SO3, EO5

Increased volatility and unpredictability of student numbers, with implications for medium and long-term resource planning The economic recession driving down resource allocation and library funding, including bequest income, impacting on the maintenance and development of collections and services

SO1, SO7, EO5

Complexity and cost of developing and providing services and resources to SO14, EO5 overseas campuses Investment in technology has continuing maintenance and replacement costs High levels of inflation on print and electronic resources limiting capacity for investment in new resources Publishers seeking to protect income and remaining intransigent in defence of big deal arrangements for e-content

SO3, EO7

SO1, SO7, EO5

WOT analysis

A SWOT analysis of the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) that affect the University illustrates its strong and weak points, as well as the scenarios and opportunities that its environment presents. Such an analysis is summarized in a SWOT matrix of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.