UIS Strengths:

U of I name
affordable
location in state capital
small size
full-time faculty teach most classes, and there is a strong bond and a high
level of interaction between faculty and students
expertise in teaching non-traditional students
comprehensiveness, quality, and growth of online education
accessibility day, night, online formats
interdisciplinary and experiential education at both the undergraduate and
graduate levels
Capital Scholars Honors Program as a model of an integrated honors
curriculum in a living-learning community
Faculty service to the university and the larger community.
UIS Weaknesses:
underfunding in many departments and programs
lack of financial support for faculty Scholarship
thin on cultural/racial/ethnic diversity
declining enrollment from the mid- to late-1990s, followed by uneven
patterns of growth
understaffing at many levels
inadequate resources for recruitment, retention, advising, and marketing all
the things needed to recruit and retain students
lack of infrastructure including physical, financial, and human resources;
inadequate capital funds to support all that we want to do
underdeveloped campus life and facilities
not enough undergraduate degree programs
UIS Opportunities:
continuing education for intellectual enrichment and for people of all ages
online opportunities worldwide
downtown presence for classes and a residential center for graduate
students/interns
opportunity to build an undergraduate experience using the best practices
from throughout the country
tap into the health care industry, which is growing in Springfield with two
major hospitals, a medical school, and only the second state-created Medical
District in Illinois
more conversations and partnerships with local employers those in the
private, nonprofit, and public sectors so that our students are more
appealing to them
partner with the University of Illinois in unlimited university online initiative
educational opportunities related to Lincoln and tourism
international and off-campus study and exchange programs

becoming a leader in interdisciplinary and integrated learning

Threats to UIS:
reduced public funding of higher education in Illinois
risk of losing prominent faculty and staff for genuinely better opportunities at
other universities or locally
growing competition from nearby public universities and small privates in
central Illinois