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Running head: STRATEGIC PLAN FOR LIBERTY UNIVERSITY 0
A Strategic Plan for Liberty University
Anubys Swartz
MGT 450 Strategic Planning for Organizations
Conni Whitten
June 29, 2020
A Strategic Plan for Liberty University
Section 1
Introduction
In the world of business, each organization is different. When thinking of organizations that have been around for years, you wonder how they manage to survive. A leadership team that is leading and managing an organization with a vision for long-term objectives requires strategic management. Although strategic management focuses on leading the organization to success, in the long run, strategic planning ideally guides the organization from changes and challenges to a promising future. Underneath it all, strategic planning is formulated by five steps to allow guidance for an organization. “The steps consist of 1) strategic thinking including external analysis, (2) internal review, (3) identifying critical strategic issues, (4) developing viable strategic alternatives, and (5) choosing the best strategy using as criteria whatever the company defines as "success" (Abraham, 2012, Sec 1.1, pp. 6). Ultimately, a strategic plan provides an organization with the necessary data to focus on key issues and overcome obstacles. This section focuses on the growth of Liberty University and its strategic management over the years, considering its growth and challenges.
What is SWOT Analysis? SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This analysis allows organizations to take a more in-depth look at their critical internal and external factors. “SWOT analysis is a planning and brainstorming tool that helps people evaluate an idea or project for a business or formulate a business plan” (Harmon, 2020). A SWOT analysis allows the organization to come up with ideas to break down and assess internal factors as strengths and weaknesses and external factors as opportunities or threats. The purpose of this section will focus closely and analyze the key issues surrounding Liberty University as a higher-education Christian University, as it faces a challenge of inclusion of the LGBT community.
History
Liberty University was founded by Jerry Falwell in 1971. At the time, the university was called Lynchburg Baptist College in Lynchburg, VA. In 1985, the university was well known as Liberty University. The University branched out to incorporating distance learning programs known today as Liberty University Online. After the sad passing of Falwell, his son Jerry Falwell, Jr. became the president of the university. The total amount of enrollments for school and online classes exceeding 100,000 students. It is one of the largest Christian universities for higher education in the world (Liberty University Quick Facts-About Liberty, 2017). The school is on 7,000 acres and building is about 6 million sq. Feet.
Mission and Vision
Liberty University’s mission is to maintain the vision of the founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell. Falwell’s idea was to praise the Lord while learning to become better men and women in society. The mission is to develops Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world positively. Not only does the university serve God, but through its residential and online programs, services, facilities, and collaborations, the University educates men and women who will make significant contributions to their workplaces and communities (General Info, Liberty Catalog, n.d.). Ideally, those that join the university’s community following their chosen vocations as callings to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission.
Values and Purposes
Liberty University, as a Christian school, values services to God as well as worship and devotion. The university’s vision is to develop well-rounded men and women; therefore, it’s crucial for students to practice thankfulness, compassion, endurance, justice, amongst other things. The University’s honor code prohibits premarital sex, alcohol, and tobacco. There is also a curfew in place for students to be in the university at the set times. The University’s Strategic Goals are organized under six Critical Success Categories: Unique Culture, Outstanding Academics, Top Level Athletics, Effective Leadership, and Strong Presence or Brand. Most importantly, the university’s purpose in teaching and learning is in fostering university-level competency in communication. It also promotes academic knowledge in maturing in value-driven behaviors and allowing students to engage in significant fields of study in career-focused settings. Lastly, the attendees’ commitment to Christian life and understanding of western traditions and diverse American cultural elements.
Leadership
The leadership team is divided into two leadership teams. One is the executive leadership, and the other is the senior leadership. The president is Dr. Jerry Falwell's son, Jerry Falwell, Jr. The executive leadership team is comprised of 9 members. The senior leadership team consists of 19 members.
Potential Competition
Liberty University is a high-level educational organization that provides students with prestige degrees well respected with regional accreditations. With that being said, Liberty university competes with well-known Universities such as Princeton University, Stanford, SMU, Northwestern, Duke University, UChicago, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Yale.
Challenges and Obstacles
Like many prominent organizations, Liberty University faces its challenges and obstacles. Although problems pose in both negative and positive impacts for the organization. A challenge Liberty University is facing is acceptance of the LGBT community. Because the Leadership team is focused on the school concentrating on the beliefs and values of God, and students are not to have premarital sex, the organization does not approve of same-sex relationships. “Change efforts are unsuccessful when executives do not systematically plan for or create short-term wins” (Weiss, 2016). The University's honor code states that sexual relations outside of a biblically marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not allowed. Liberty University is listed as one of the worse LGBT universities. Liberty University has qualified for the Worst List because it has a long and well-documented history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, including placing students in conversion therapy; denying tuition discounts to same-sex and trans spouses of military personnel (Associated Press, 2006). Although, it omits the information to student that relates to this community. In 2016, textbooks were altered to remove any LGBT learnings. Liberty Schools claims that the organization’s policies invite all diversity and inclusion on campus for all students.
Section 2
Define the specific organizational design and the governance structure of the chosen company. Support your choices with specific examples and research.
3-SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
Organizational strengths are the positive internal factors that the organization is doing well. Strength is the capacity the organization can use effectively to achieve its objectives. “Strengths are special capabilities or expertise. These are things a company does well that have enabled it to be successful to this point” (Abraham, 2012). A great strength Liberty University possesses is faculty and staff support of the company’s mission. The essential goal of the University is to provide higher education. The mission is Falwell’s idea to praise the Lord while learning to become better men and women in society. To address the challenges of inclusion of the LGBT community, the faculty and staff must be a powerful coalition to drive the change in the organizational culture. In retrospect, the University honors the bible in doing what is right. It is only right to treat those with equality and love despite who they chose to marry. Liberty University needs to welcome more students as the enrollment rate accounts for the organization's success.
Weaknesses
Organizational weaknesses are identified as the negatives of the organization. Weaknesses are the internal factors that the organization must address to ensure they remain prominent. They include problems that need to be corrected, deficiencies recognized through a comparison with competitors, or deficiencies relative to proposed strategies such as lacking the resources to grow (Abraham, 2012). We have identified the challenge Liberty University requires student from the LGBT community despite their assurance of equality and acceptance. A weakness of Liberty University is the lack of diversity. Diversity concedes students from all over the world, race, sex, orientation, religion, etc. to come with bright new ideas as vital resources to improve education. “Interviews with 19 members of six educational teams revealed that some teams acknowledge they need more diversity and exchange of knowledge and skills to meet the labor market” (Vos, Çelik, and de Vries, 2016). Institutions are finding that the labor market demands students attain broader knowledge and skill requirements to be successful in their careers.
Opportunities
Moreover, Organizational opportunities identify the areas the organization can take charge of and improve. These opportunities derive from external factors the organization determines can potentially lead the organization to success. “Opportunities refer to favorable external factors that could give an organization a competitive advantage” (Grant, 2020). Liberty University, as a higher education institution, must maintain a competitive advantage over organizations by increased the number of students that enroll in the University. Due to the strict policies of the University amongst the negative views, enrollment numbers are declining. “By 2018, residential enrollment had fallen to 992, or 6.1 percent of all students on campus. By 2017, the Rawlings School of Divinity's enrollment had dropped to 13,688 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, or 15.8 percent of Liberty's online enrollment” (Seltzer, 2019).
An opportunity for Liberty University is to revisit its diversity and inclusion policies and allow students to enroll. Institutions that have taken into consideration the LGBT community have to attain success with focus groups and programs specifically for the community. Recommendations are grounded to reflect the importance of LGBT representation in key school positions. Strategically thinking, it is evident to allow the LGBT community to be a part of the institution to bring in more students.
Threats
Ultimately, Liberty University faces the threat of student transferring to another University, as students become overwhelmed with the strict policies of the University. Despite the assurance of equality of all students, the faculty and staff are conditioned to value what they believe is right. As enrollments are decreasing, Liberty University is still competing with universities such as Princeton University, Stanford, SMU, Northwestern, Duke University, UChicago, University of Pennsylvania, etc. Organizational threats are categorized as threats are external trends or forces that adversely affect the company (Abraham, 2012). With this being said, to have a competitive advantage, Liberty University must consider its policies.
Section 5
review the challenge and recommend a strategy for addressing the challenge based on research. Along with the strategy, define the potential financial or budgetary impact the strategy might present, including the additional costs that may arise if the problem or issue is not resolved effectively. Describe the metrics that the organization might consider for measuring the outcomes of the strategy utilized to resolve the challenge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this SWOT analysis identifies characteristics that are internal and external factors of Liberty University. Of the many challenges, Liberty University faces, diversity and inclusion of the LGBT community are significant. These findings have found a potential increase in student personnel and enrollments for the University. Firstly, the dominant coalition to drive the change in the culture. Secondly, diversity and inclusion are beneficial for students' success as they move on to better careers. Consequently, the opportunities for diversity and inclusion to increase the number of student enrollments. Lastly, Liberty University does not want to see their students go to their competitors by enforcing strict policies that are not feasible in today’s society.
In conclusion, Liberty University is a prominent Christian University. The university’s vision is to ensure they develop well-rounded men and women. Their mission is to not only provide high-level education but knowledge as well as ethical values and beliefs. The University is run by 29 members, including the president son of the found Dr. Jerry Falwell. Ultimately, every organization has a strategic plan for a brighter successful future, but change is inevitable. The University is impacted by external changes that possess the differences in orientation with diversity and inclusion. LGBT community does not have a place in this university like in many others in the competition. I propose the university recounts their strategic planning and incorporates society’s beliefs despite what is in bible scriptures.
References
Abraham, S. C. (2012). Strategic management for organizations. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.eduHarmon, A. (2020). SWOT analysis. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
Grant, M. (February 24, 2020) Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) Analysis. Investopedia Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swot.asp
Seltzer, R. (June 17, 2019) Cuts at Liberty hits Divinity. Inside Higher-ED Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/06/17/liberty-university-cuts-divinity-faculty
Vos, M., Çelik, G. and de Vries, S. (2016), "Making cultural differences matter? Diversity perspectives in higher education", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 254-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-11-2015-0092
Abraham, S. C. (2012). Strategic management for organizations. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
General Information, Liberty Catalog (n.d.), https://catalog.liberty.edu/graduate/about-liberty/general-information/general-information.pdf
"Liberty University Quick Facts – About Liberty – Liberty University". Liberty.edu. October 5, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.liberty.edu/aboutliberty/index.cfm?PID=6925
Associated Press (March, 10, 2006) Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/story/gay-rights-activists-arrested-at-liberty-university
Weiss, J. W. (2016). Organizational change (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
