4.4. THREATS a. Funding – The 2008 global economic crisis further reduced (or delayed) some governments’ funds and decreased the rate of receipt of student tuition fees. b. Competition – The UWI faces erosion of market share and funding because of intense international and regional competition by public and private tertiary providers, resulting in increased difficulty in attracting high-quality students, staff and faculty in selected areas. There has also been a significant growth in online and distance education by other educational providers. c. Intake Quality – The declining average student entrant scores will negatively affect the University’s throughput and retention rates. d. Natural Disasters – Disruption of operations as a result of natural disasters. e. System and Communication Failure – Disruption of operations as a result of IT-related crashes, power surges and hacking.
36
37