Jitse van Ameijde - Slideshare

1. Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Threats
Scalability - ability to deliver a consistent experience
to large groups of students
Track record in delivering high-quality study materials
Ability to keep cost per student low due to economies
of scale
Extensive experience in delivering accessible study
experience
Passion of staff for delivering OU mission
Complicated & bureaucratic structures and processes
obstruct flexibility and responsiveness
Much of curriculum is UK / Eurocentric and cannot be
transferred to US market without reworking
Low retention and graduation rates
Lack of establisher partners and networks in the US
Recently weakening financial position and more
limited reserves
Entering a new foreign market whilst closing UK
locations could further damage staff trust in
management
Dominant US culture might not embrace the idea of a
university of“second chances”
Gaining US accreditation takes time and in the interim the
lack of accreditation might damage reputation
Opportunity to learn from past mistakes of attempting
to enter US market (late accreditation, cultural differences
in business practices, Euro-centric curriculum, etc.)
Opportunity to rethink our internal structures and
processes to be able to compete more effectively
in the US
Opportunity to develop new partnerships with
employers and education institutions in the US
Opportunity to start small with a focused set of curriculum
areas well suited for US market (such as MBA and nursing
programmes) and build from there
Fierce competition in US online education market
Focus away from home market might make us more
susceptible to fall victim to domestic threats