Start your Planning with a SWOT! Sharron Ronco John Cahill Florida Atlantic University

Historical Framework SWOT Analysis as a strategic planning tool was popularized by business faculty at Harvard during the 1960s. Igor Ansoff extended the Harvard model. Ansoff diverged from the simplicity of the Harvard model to propose a model which was more structured, detailed and prescribed. Environmental challenges lead to use of SWOT analysis in higher education during the1970s and 1980s.

PEST Analysis - Political - Economic - Social - Technological Porter’s Five Forces model - Threat of new competitors - Threat of substitutes - Bargaining power of suppliers - Bargaining power of buyers - Rivalry between competitors TOWS matrix Related Planning Models

Who we surveyed Online surveys to: Faculty Staff Alumni Parents Results of previous surveys: Student Satisfaction Graduating Student Admitted Students who did not Enroll Focus groups: Community advisory Student government

What are the top three things that FAU does well? What should FAU preserve at all costs? Who are FAU’s chief competitors? What does FAU do better than its competitors? What does the competition do better, that FAU should be doing? What three things should FAU address immediately to improve? What does FAU do poorly? What directions should FAU avoid taking in the future? What do people outside of FAU see as its strengths? What do people outside of FAU see as its weaknesses? What opportunities could FAU take advantage of in the next five years? What is changing in the environment that could adversely affect FAU? Questions for online survey and focus groups: S W O T S W S W

Opportunities Threats Figure 3.1 Sample TOWS Matrix

OPPORTUNITIES (1)Partner with business, industry and gov’t (2)Distance learning (3)Growth in population STRENGTHS (1)High quality education (2)Multi-campus structure (3)Low cost (4)Diversity of students S-0 STRATEGIES Promote preparation of employees who are comfortable with multiple cultures and diverse languages (4, 1) Increase accessibility to mixed modes of instruction on partner campuses (2, 2) Increase continuing education offerings (1, 1)

Limitations The SWOT results are not statistically representative Analyzing open-ended responses is labor-intensive Consider using a PEST approach

Find our paper at: SAIR October 22 – 25, 2005 Charleston, South Carolina