UNLV GRADUATE COLLEGE

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SWOT ANALYSIS - SUMMER 2020

STRENGTH

(Internal)

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WEAKNESS

(Internal)

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THREAT

(External)

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OPPORTUNITY

(External)

• Diversity & MSI (HSI & AANAPISI) designation & Carnegie tier one ranking
• A strong and effective Graduate Council, Executive Committee, committee structure, and donor councils
• Strong & growing graduate faculty
• Long history of strong and engaged student government and collaboration with GPSA
• Strong collaboration between GC units and with campus partners
• Campus visibility through broad and extensive committee participation
• Large, diverse array of programs, many well-ranked combined with very low tuition/fees
• Structural location of the Graduate College under the Provost’s Office
• The Graduate College space in the new Gateway Building
• Dedicated, skilled, adaptable, student-centered staff and efficient operations and procedures
• We provide an individualized student approach to meet unique student needs
• 100% Solutions constituent care
• Extensive free, co-curricular professional development and micro-credentials for students
• Responsive, customizable, web-based systems to support student engagement and lifecycle data
• Delivery of virtual Grad College programming and services
• Salesforce Marketing Cloud and text messaging aligned with the student lifecycle
• Lifecycle model for delivery of just-in-time messaging, information, and programming

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• Financial model that depends on soft funded positions and annual reallocation of campus funds
• Insufficient GA stipends & packages and far too few NSF-GRF, grant funded GAs, and postdocs
• Insufficient scholarship support for new and continuing students, including doctoral fellowships
• Lack of resources for Postdoc Office and Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs
• Limited staff capacity in the Graduate College and supporting graduate programs; 9-month coordinators
• Insufficient diversity & need for anti-racist curriculum, structures, and culture
• Insufficient diversity within the graduate faculty and not enough recognition/reward for their grad ed work
• Large number of boutique graduate programs
• Too few full graduate faculty in many doctoral, and some master’s, programs
• Ongoing confusion about Graduate College unit responsibilities and who to go to for what kind of help
• Limited infrastructure to support international graduate students
• Insufficient university and grad program marketing and no grad recruitment budgets
• Lack of computing resources (computers, laptops, ipads, printers) & limited tech infrastructure on campus
• Lack of predictive and statistical models and data for strategic GEM and student success endeavors
• Inaccurate and incomplete fundraising and alumni data
• No doctoral commencement
• Graduate education is still a second thought in many campus conversations, units, and services

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• Identify external funding opportunities and submit more grant applications
• Increasing community support and mobilization to benefit and promote UNLV graduate education
• Leverage impactful student and faculty stories to help promote the value of graduate education
• Leverage our very strong network within WAGS, CGS, and PKP to benefit UNLV
• Increase GA support through community funding opportunities via our CIGA & CGRA programs
• Generate external financial and in-kind support for students and GC programming
• Externally monetize Grad Rebel Advantage
• Create national and international student pipelines through enhanced recruitment, scholarships, and MOUs
• Enhance international recruitment and strengthen our international student community
• Advertise and promote graduate programs locally, including cross-promotions and high-visibility marketing
• Raise awareness about UNLV graduate education through national advertising
• Externalize Graduate College team expertise nationally at conferences and through collaborations with vendor partners
• Develop and market accelerated programs, micro-credentials, and badges
• Build HS to Grad School & undergrad pipeline programs and diversify the pipeline
• There is tremendous competitive opportunity to expand our online graduate courses and degree offerings
• Open dialogues and collaborate with large employers to align graduate programs with workforce needs and requirements
• Partnering with strategic vendors (EAB, Hanover, Salesforce, etc.) would help us realize our strategic plan

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• Lack of consensus regarding the importance of graduate education and the value of scholarly research
• Community does not always understand the value of graduate degrees
• We are facing the demographic enrollment cliff even as we lack the resources to competitively recruit & fund students
• Challenges for international students mean fewer coming to study in the U.S.
• Federal immigration issues for staff and students
• Spin-off challenges associated with 2020 crises: pandemic, recession, and social injustice
• Nevada’s economy is not diversified, the tax structure means limited funds for education, and declining state support
• NSHE centralization of operations poses challenges for UNLV and graduate education
• Over-reliance on local recruitment and enrollment
• External perception of UNLV and Las Vegas is not as positive as we’d wish
• Insufficient online degree offerings make it hard to compete; failure to adapt to innovations in grad ed
• Slow pace of change and lack of responsiveness to employer needs and market demands
• Inability to keep up with pace of technological innovations due to financial constraints & lack of staff
• Rising cost of living, student technology, and student health insurance
• Lack of incentives for, and recognition of, graduate faculty work (mentorship, service, etc.)
• No resources to design and build strategic new graduate programs or update existing programs
• Need to find revenue streams to strengthen infrastructure, support student success, and innovate

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ADVANCEMENT & DEVELOPMENT SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH

Strong collaboration; innovative ideas; established Dean’s Leadership Council; an array of branded flyers and supporting materials; new Advisory Boards.

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WEAKNESS

Lack of capacity; limited data; few established philanthropic donors to the College.

THREAT

Lack of awareness about the value of graduate education; the impact of the multiple 2020 crises; limited alumni engagement.

OPPORTUNITY

Impactful stories to tell; increasing community mobilization.

ADVANCEMENT & DEVELOPMENT SWOT ANALYSIS

The Advancement & Development program operates with integrity, collaboration, and a mission-focused vision, while engaging stakeholders in support of graduate students and graduate education at UNLV.

INTERNAL

EXTERNAL

THREATS

OPPORTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES

STRENGTHS

• Graduate College collaboration and team
• Strong new branding and collateral
• Innovative approach and big ideas
• Established Dean’s Leadership Council
• New Advisory Boards and model to support future programming
• Campus collaboration
• The University Gateway building
• New Alumni Ambassadors program

• Limited staff capacity
• Lack of administrative support
• Development is new to the Graduate College
• Fundraising and alumni data challenges
• Few established donors to the College

• Identify external funding opportunities and submit more grant applications
• Increasing community support and mobilization to benefit and promote UNLV graduate education
• Leverage impactful stories to help promote the value of graduate education
• Increase GA support via our CIGA & CGRA programs
• Generate external financial and in-kind support for students and GC programming

• Lack of consensus regarding the importance of graduate education and the value of scholarly research
• Community does not always understand the value of graduate degrees
• Spin-off challenges associated with 2020 crises: pandemic, recession, and social injustice
• Nevada’s economy is not diversified, the tax structure means limited funds for education, and declining state support
• External perception of UNLV and Las Vegas is not as positive as we’d wish
• Limited alumni engagement