SWOT Analysis

Michigan Tech has been able to attract and retain excellent faculty over the past decade, positioning us to accomplish our purposes in teaching and research. Organizational structures which ensure faculty development and rewards are in place, but need improvement, particularly to meet the needs of tenured, mid- and late-career faculty over the next decade.

In summary, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with regard to faculty are as follows:

Internal Assessment of the Organization

Strengths

New faculty
Faculty satisfaction with MTU
Excellent attraction and retention
New faculty development initiatives
Improved faculty-administration communication

Weaknesses

Inadequate teaching evaluation
Feedback for tenure-track faculty
Feedback and development for tenured faculty
Compensation below benchmarks
Inadequate library collection

SWOT ANALYSIS

Opportunities

Oversupply in most academic job markets

Threats

Public misunderstanding about faculty role

External Assessment of the Environment

Action Plan

To take advantage of opportunities and remedy concerns with regard to faculty, the following action plan is recommended. Responsible parties for implementing the recommendations are identified.

	What	Who

1	Establish a standard form for annual review of tenure-track faculty which incorporates meaningful, individual guidance and a plan for the next academic year.	Executive Vice President and Provost University Senate
2	Develop and implement a standard post-tenure planning, evaluation, and feedback process that is consistent across departments and oriented to long-term growth and development.	Executive Vice President and Provost University Senate
3	Develop and implement a better system of teaching evaluation (in progress).	Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development Vice Provost for Instruction
4	Continue to implement recommendations with regard to faculty development, particularly departmental initiatives and enhanced funding for Faculty Scholarship Grants and Faculty Development Grants.	Department Chairs Executive Vice President and Provost
5	Improve departmental processes for allocating faculty teaching loads.	Department Chairs
6	Increase faculty salary to national norms.	Executive Vice President and Provost
7	Improve the public understanding of the faculty role in teaching and research.	Governmental Relations University Communications
8	Inform departments of results of Faculty Survey, particularly with respect to strengths in recruiting strategy.	Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development

This action plan will be integrated into the strategic planning process for 1998/99.

ENDNOTES

Taylor, B.E., Meyerson, J.W., and Massy, W.F., Strategic Indicators for Higher Education, Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s Guides, 1993. BACK

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Last Revised: 12 DECEMBER 1997
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