SWOT Analysis Ball State University

Essay text:

Below are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats idenitified by the Task Force. Strengths Nationally recognized programs Experiential, service, and interdisciplinary learning, and opportunities for student leadership development Significant economic development and quality of life enhancement activities throughout Indiana through Building Better Communities initiatives Recognized professional programs with active community outreach Significant and ongoing faculty and alumni involvement in K?12 schools Small classes Extraordinary emphasis on personal attention Friendly, supportive, and comfortable campus environment Integration of technology into the curriculum Information technology infrastructure Balance between teaching and research Classes primarily taught by professors rather than graduate students Leaders in innovation and early adopters of Indiana educational initiatives Integration of environmental sustainability Early adoption, continued refinement, and commitment to the Core Curriculum Charter schools leadership and expertise One of the largest study-abroad programs in the country Attractive campus and facilities Weaknesses Lower than optimal enrollment of out-of-state and international students Insufficient funding for graduate students Insufficient diversity among students and faculty Low salaries affecting morale and retention of faculty Too few tenure-line faculty relative to contract faculty in some colleges Inconsistent internal and external perceptions of institutional quality Large fluctuation in funding for marketing initiatives High cost of and low enrollment in summer school Falling market share of qualified Indiana students Inconsistent faculty perceptions of potential quality of distance education Rising cost of attendance affecting access Market niche insufficiently understood by some internal audiences Opportunities State's emphasis on universities playing a larger role in economic and community development Value market places on challenging programs and academic excellence supports enhancing quality Capacity to respond to state and national needs to encourage civic engagement Capacity to help state improve pre-K?16 education Increased demand for leadership in charter schools Increasing demand for asynchronous distance education Untapped external research funding opportunities Demand for our expertise in the use of technology in teaching Proximity to Indianapolis Threats Lack of sufficient state funding for higher education Duplication of academic programs by the Community College of Indiana Ball State not receiving state allocations based on research activity Federal and state financial aid not keeping pace with tuition and room and board increases Increasing overlap of target market of traditional-age students with regional campuses and Community College of Indiana Increasing overlap of target market of nontraditional students with for-profit and private institutions Growth of graduate programs and classes at regional campuses State's education funding priorities shifting to community college system Unfavorable demographic forecast for Indiana