|
SWOT ASSESSMENT
STRENGTHS
- Big-school, big-time sports, small-town campus near Atlanta attractive to many students
- Academic laurels in select undergraduate programs (e.g., architecture, engineering) and graduate programs
(e.g., fisheries, industrial and landscape design)
- Research strengths in select engineering and agri-science areas
- Solid "student retention value-added" and "supportive campus environment" measures
- Sound financial management and great progress with "It Begins at Auburn"
- Large alumni base, strong Auburn spirit
WEAKNESSES
- AU trails nearby states' best universities in academics
- Undergraduate education likely does not make students as competitive for the twenty-first century as possible
- Uncompetitive on key measures in most research areas
- Size and caliber of graduate programs overall not competitive
- Under-resourced: declining real state appropriations, comparatively low endowment and alumni
giving
OPPORTUNITIES
- Aggressively market strong undergraduate programs, and elevate and promote the Honors College
- Renew emphasis on teaching and learning for the current profile of AU undergraduates (rather than chasing
admissions-based rankings)
- Focus research in a few areas of natural strength and advantage
- Selectively grow graduate education, consistent with overall mission
- Develop programs to attract and retain the increasing number of Hispanic high-school graduates
- Rationalize program offerings to moderate expense growth and gain critical mass
- Integrate sustainability across the campus and curriculum
- Harness technology thoughtfully to improve quality and extend reach, while containing costs
- Continue to strengthen alumni and friends' financial support
THREATS
- Demographic trends neutral for student enrollment
- Dependence on Georgia for students paying out-of-state tuition
- Potential challenge if Alabama appropriations do not keep pace with AU expense increases and
if resultant tuition hikes meet market resistance
- Value proposition could erode if students, parents, or the state emphasize gaining competitive skills
- unless AU demonstrates stronger value-added
- U of A's recruitment of high achievers could reduce AU’s market share and diminish its reputation
- Faculty retirement wave is creating a recruitment challenge, especially in professional schools
- Globalization leads to loss of Asian and other foreign graduate students
- Lack of direction for graduate programs could undermine undergraduate teaching and research missions
- Technology developments create opportunities for fast-moving competitors
|
|
