Environmental/Institutional Analysis

Members

Phil Bennett - Co-chair	Ken Weaver - Co-chair	Jonathan Krueger - Student
Terry Lambert - Community	Peggy Lane	Greg Larson
Jeanine McKenna - Community	Anna Meyerhoff - Student	Jeremy Mitchell-Koch
Cecilia Salvatore	Jim Stephens

 

ROLE AND PURPOSE

Each institution must know how it fits into general societal conditions, the overall higher education landscape, the current and anticipated academic marketplace and the opportunities and challenges it presents, including various forms of competition.

This work group will:

• Do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for the University. Collate those administered during FY 2007 into one document.
• Based on this SWOT analysis, identify external and internal “driving forces” (e.g., demographic, economic, political, social, technological, educational, marketplace, competition, geographic) within and beyond Kansas that have the most significance for the future of ESU. Discuss the significance of these forces with regard to: (a) the University’s strategic future and (b) enhancing the University’s institutional distinctiveness and comparative advantages.
• From this analysis, recommend the planning assumptions (e.g., state public policies, public expectations, demographics, market forces, enrollment, financial expectations) that will inform and guide the strategic planning process.

PROCESS GUIDELINES

The work group should collect data from a variety of sources including available documents and should invite expert witnesses to present relevant information.

The work group should sponsor open forums and/or focus groups as a means of collecting additional data and advice regarding their charge.

The work group should maintain appropriate records of its proceedings and communicate widely to the University’s various constituencies.

OUTCOMES 

• Progress Report due September 28, 2007
• Preliminary Report due October 12, 2007
• Revised Report due October 29, 2007