At this point in the strategic planning process, it is necessary to gain a clear view of the environment and dynamics of the organization. The organization must first know where it is before it can devise strategies on where to go.

To achieve a clear picture of its current state, the organization should look at itself through others’ eyes. Both internal and external stakeholders’ perceptions of the organization will provide valuable information regarding the current situation.

The SWOT analysis—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—is a simple and effective vehicle for collecting information on the organization’s current state. This process answers four basic questions:

S—What are the organization’s internal strengths?

W—What are the organization’s internal weaknesses?

O—What external opportunities might move the organization forward?

T—What external threats might hold the organization back?

Discovering an organization’s strengths and weaknesses typically includes assessments of:

• Faculty & staff capabilities.
• The organization’s market share.
• Quality of programs, products, and services.
• Reputation of both the organization and individual programs.
• Management information and financial systems.
• Office facilities and equipment, etc.

Successful organizations exploit their internal strengths rather than just focusing on their weaknesses during the strategic planning process. In other words, this process isn’t just about fixing the things that are wrong; it is about nurturing what is right.

The same kind of thinking applies to how an organization approaches its opportunities and threats—the external trends that influence the organization.

Examples of external forces that can affect an organization include:

• Changing stakeholder’s needs (e.g. changing demographics, govt. & private employer requirements)
• Increased competition from other educational institutions (e.g on-line courses, alternative education systems)
• Changing federal, state, System, and local community laws and regulations.

These forces can either help an organization move forward (opportunities) or hold an organization back (threats)—but opportunities that are ignored can become threats, and threats that are dealt with appropriately can be turned into opportunities.

Upon completion of a mission, vision and SWOT analysis, short and long term goals will emerge. These specific goals will help ensure that the University’s efforts are in proper alignment with the vision & mission. These long-term objectives are generally achieved within three to five years. Short term goals may range from six months to three years. Establishing these goals provides direction, creates synergy, and aids in establishing guidelines for evaluation.