INTRODUCTION

The University of Karachi is located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the largest public university in the country with a student population of 24,000 (regular in campus only). According to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top universities of the country. The university has made itself known by producing the largest amount of research output in terms of patent, international peer reviewed, journals and organizing regular academic conferences. In 2008 the university entered the THE-QS World University Rankings for the top 500 universities in the world.

ABOUT KARACHI UNIVERSITY

Established in 1951, the University of Karachi has made phenomenal progress during the last 55 years. The student’s population has gone up from a mere 200 in 1951 to 20,760 students studying in 55 teaching departments and 17 research institutes. There are now 462 regular faculty members besides more than 100 cooperative and visiting teachers in the university. The university is also an affiliating and examining body of 143 colleges and institutes and annually conducts examination of more than 1,20,000 students studying in government/ private colleges and external candidates. Today the university is recognized as one of the premier centre of learning and research in the subcontinent and in the third world. A number of scientists and scholars affiliated with the university are working on prestigious position in and outside Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to find out the external opportunities and threats faced by the University of Karachi and to develop External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix according to that information.

VISION

“We want to provide politic-free environment and quality education to our students”

MISSION

Our mission is to provide quality education at very low cost. Quality education is our main theme, but we always focus on building intellectual and interpersonal skills in our student. We want to become one of the nation's premier student-centered land-grant and space-grant universities by fostering the principle that academics come first, by cultivating diversity of thought and culture, and by serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.

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THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMET

The purpose of an external audit is to develop a finite list of opportunities that could benefit the University of Karachi and threats that should be avoided.

OPPORTUNITIES

Global Expansion

To develop new markets, domestically and internationally for KU educational programs in developing economies across the globe. International and off-campus study and exchange programs. Campuses can be made world wide for further growth and prosperity of Karachi University.

Foreign Links

Karachi University can have foreign links, more conversations and partnerships with local employers those in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors (national or international) so that students of the university are more appealing and in higher priority to them in recruitment for jobs.

Improved Marketing

To overcome the lack of cohesive message about university to outside community Karachi University can expand. Expand and improve the effectiveness of marketing of KU emphasizing the university's unique identity, big campus and small city, professors who teach, learning communities, and commitment to lifelong learning via distance education, new certificate programs, etc.

Affiliation with other Institutions

The prospect of promoting increased collaboration across campus to take advantage of new needs for interdisciplinary approaches to a variety of problems. Realizing the challenges to be faced in the field of Education during 21st century the University of Karachi has established Quality Enhancement Cell in January 2006, to support the University for improving the level of education. QEC is responsible to promote and enhance the quality of education giving by the teachers and acquiring by the students. It is also responsible for review of academic affiliations with other institutions in terms of effective management. Increase and strengthen internal collaborations and external collaborations e.g., efficiencies in offering degree granting programs and distance education by stronger collaborations with other educational institutions.

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Growth Opportunity

Growth opportunities in emerging sectors research and economic development (life science, advanced manufacturing, information solutions). Focus on excellence with an emphasis on areas in which KU should grow.

Online Opportunities Worldwide

Like many other universities, Karachi University should also avail the online opportunity worldwide for its further recognition among best universities. Because education must be delivered to students within limited time and mobility. And this would be the best opportunity to satisfy and educate students anywhere in the world.

Alternative Budgeting/Funding Models

Tapping donors -- alums, businesses, foundations -- use them to tell KU's story; improve perception of the KU and clarify the relationship between the purposes of private giving vs. tuition revenues. Fund raising for university through different means so as to manage resources.

Adapt to changing Demand and Delivery & changing Expectation

The demand for credit and non-credit education at advanced levels has become a career-long reality. But the education must be delivered to students with limited time and mobility. The demands of the students should be satisfied.

Increasing Population

The expanding population in Karachi University and its expanding role in serving that population add considerably to the institution’s growth potential and raise questions of revising its mission and identity. There is potential to provide more attention to lifelong learning as the demographics of our state and society change.

Admission Standard

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Raise admission standards. The imposition of rigorous admission standards can increase numbers of applicants and improve the average scholastic ability of the student body; this could result in improved retention as well.

Leading the Learning Revolution

Becoming a leader in interdisciplinary and integrated learning. Commitment to the promotion improvement and advancement of learning.Systematic and serious use of performance assessment, especially of learning results, can lead to improved effectiveness and efficiency. Assessment of this sort constitutes performance research, which is appropriate to institutions of higher learning and an area in which they can be models. The University of Karachi is putting into place a new effort at comprehensive and systematic assessment of institutional effectiveness in all areas of performance.Multi-media technology is also changing the way on-campus instruction is delivered and represents an enormous opportunity to develop new and more effective ways of teaching and learning, as well as generating new knowledge. Information technology offers the opportunity for enabling the pursuit of learning from anywhere at any time.

Student Financing

There is declining financial support for a student that is leading more students to work to stay in universities which ultimately leads to poor results. Therefore to prevent this, the University of Karachi is providing full and half fees concession to the needy students through its Scholarship program.

Expanded Recruitment

The University of Karachi has the potential to attract needed full-time students from surrounding metropolitan areas. Not only that, it is also given preference by foreign students as it is much more economical. Specific quota has been assigned to such students.

Expand the Array of Programs

The University of Karachi continues to seek new program authority in certain fields. It is also revising and diversifying options within existing programs to better respond to educational needs. Continuing education for intellectual enrichment and for people of all ages.

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Students Concern

Students are more than customers; they are participants in, contributors to, and products of a highly structured learning environment and developmental process. Being more attentive to their needs can bring improvements in learning, recruitment, retention, career success, and alumni support.

THREATS

Growing Competition

Growing competition from nearby public and private universities. There is increasing competition for students, faculty and limited resources.

Alternative Providers

Alternative providers i.e., on-line universities and community colleges can also act as a threat to Karachi University.

Limited Resources

Declining resources from the state and increasing dependence on tuition revenue. For this reason university is also dependent on funds which increases uncertainty in case funds are unavailable.

Risk of losing

There is a risk of losing and difficulty in retaining prominent university faculty and staff for genuinely better opportunities at other universities national or international.

Rapidly Advancing Technology

Changing technology poses the most far-reaching, unavoidable, and unpredictable threat to institutional stability and competitiveness:

1) Initial investment in infrastructure and equipment, replacement costs, technical support costs, and employee training costs threaten always to overwhelm the institutional budget2) The efficiencies of technology remain tantalizing, and the ante tends to go up as capability increases

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3) Uncertainty about the direction technology will take deters faculty from making major time investments in methodologies that the next advance can sweep away4) To ensure human capability to use the technology is commensurate with its potential, ongoing training is necessary. Training translates into staffing considerations, since it takes time from the job and makes turnover a significant concern5) Technology raises the stakes of competition, bringing competitors into territories formerly protected by distance6) Effective adaptation of roles, responsibilities, and policy infrastructures is difficult in a rapidly changing environment.

Legislative Actions

Legislative actions that are increasingly building walls and barriers for conducting technology transfer.

Sluggish Approval Process

In a rapidly changing educational environment, the time-consuming and complex processes of securing requisite approvals for new programs, program changes, off-campus delivery, and even delivery by telecommunications are often outdated, unnecessary, and mainly detrimental to meeting educational needs in a timely and efficient way. Oversight and accountability are appropriate concerns but should not hinder public institutions in their efforts to serve the public in ways that compete with private and out-of-state providers.

Recruitments Disadvantages

In recruiting to campus students from outside commuting range, University is faced with a lack of furnished and affordable housing, as well as lack of public transportation and limited part time job opportunities.

Declining Number of high School Graduate Students

The continuing pressure to increase enrollments amidst diminishing numbers of traditional students fully qualified for university education. Students less prepared for university education

Declining financial support

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Declining financial support for students that lead to more students working to stay in universities. This can be a threat as students who can not afford might not be able to continue university and hence lead to lesser enrollment of students.

Transportation Problem

Thousands of the students of Karachi University face immense problems in reaching the campus, due to acute shortage of university point buses. There are just 27 point buses to cater the needs of some 28000 students and teachers, and the university urgently requires at least 80 more buses to facilitate its students, faculty and non-teaching staff.

Influence of External Bodies

In the University of Karachi, external body influence is one of the major threats.

EXTERNAL FACTOR EVALUATION (E.F.E) MATRIX

Numbers Opportunities Weights Ratings Weighted Score

1 Global expansion 0.10 4 0.402 Foreign links 0.08 4 0.323 Improved marketing 0.06 4 0.244 Affiliation with other

universities0.06 4 0.24

5 Growth opportunity 0.05 4 0.206 Online opportunities

worldwide0.04 3 0.12

7 Alternative budgeting/funding models

0.03 3 0.09

8 Adapt to changing Demand and Delivery & changing expectations

0.03 3 0.09

9 Increasing population 0.02 3 0.0610 Admission Standard 0.02 3 0.0611 Leading the Learning

Revolution0.01 3 0.03

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12 Student Financing 0.01 3 0.0313 Expanded

recruitment0.01 3 0.03

14 Expand the array of programs

0.01 3 0.03

15 Students concern 0.01 3 0.03

Interpretation of Ratings:4 = major opportunity3 = minor opportunity

Numbers Threats Weights Ratings Weighted Score

1 Growing Competition 0.10 1 0.102 Alternative providers 0.08 1 0.083 Limited resources 0.07 1 0.074 Risk of losing 0.05 1 0.055 Rapidly advancing

technology0.05 1 0.05

6 Legislative actions 0.03 2 0.067 Sluggish approval process 0.02 2 0.048 Recruitment disadvantages 0.02 2 0.04

9Declining number of high school graduates

0.01 2 0.02

10 Declining financial support 0.01 2 0.0211 Transportation problem 0.01 2 0.0212 Influence of External

Bodies0.01 2 0.02

1.00 2.54

Interpretation of Ratings:2= minor threat

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1 = major threat

CONCLUSION

The external audit has become an explicit and vital part of strategic management. It provides a framework for collecting and evaluating economic, social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological and competitive information. In an E.F.E Matrix the highest possible total weighted score for an organization is 4.0, which indicates that an organization is responding in an outstanding way to avail the best opportunity and the lowest possible total weighted score is 1.0, which indicates that an organization is poorly responding to the opportunities and threats in its environment. The average total weighted score for the University Of Karachi is calculated to be 2.54 which indicate that the university is not responding in an outstanding way to existing opportunities and threats in its industry. In other words the universities strategies don’t take advantage of existing opportunities and don’t minimize the potential adverse effects of external threats which it is facing. It is not effectively capitalizing on opportunities or avoiding external threats. It needs to focus on the opportunities and avail those which have high weighted score like global expansion. Karachi University can go for global expansion to widen its spectrum throughout the world, foreign links with other foreign universities or more conversations and partnerships with local employers those in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors (national or international) so that students of the university are more appealing and in higher priority to them in recruitment for jobs. Increase and strengthen internal collaborations and external collaborations e.g., efficiencies in offering degree granting programs and distance education by stronger collaborations with other educational institutions.

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Its major threats are growing competition; there is a great competition in the market because all institutions are constantly putting in efforts to provide the best to the students. It should also try to be on the equal footing with alternative providers of online education because it’s a threat to Karachi University which it needs to overcome; resources are also a threat and making the best use of the resources is mandatory because they are limited. There is a risk of losing and difficulty in retaining prominent university faculty and staff for genuinely better opportunities at other universities national or international therefore university should try to satisfy the employees and compensate them in the best possible manner.

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