SWOT Analysis of the School of Foreign Languages:

The educational, instructional, and managerial activities of our department and program have been examined from various perspectives to evaluate the university's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The assessment includes:

- Contribution to the vision of becoming an entrepreneurial and innovative research university.
- Educational and instructional activities.
- Continuous updating of course content and adjustment of course plans as needed.
- Distribution of course loads.
- Structuring effective career planning.
- Opportunities for students' transition to bachelor's programs through DGS.
- Evaluation of academic staff.
- Student/faculty communication.
- Undertaken within the scope of academic, administrative, and support units.

Strengths of the School of Foreign Languages:
- Young, dynamic, and qualified academic staff.
- Increase in personnel with postgraduate education or pursuing it.
- Establishment of institutional culture and smooth operation.
- Quick adaptation of academic staff to technology and innovations.
- Strong participation in management and consideration of suggestions.
- Availability of a computer laboratory.
- Equipped classrooms with whiteboards, projectors, and computers.
- Increased participation in professional development activities.

Weaknesses of the School of Foreign Languages:
- Insufficient number of academic staff.
- Inadequate number of classrooms.
- Poor sound insulation in classrooms.
- Inadequate number of offices.
- Some furniture and equipment in classrooms and offices are faulty and insufficient.
- Lack of a dedicated building for the preparatory program. Preparatory classes are held on two different campuses (Central and Biga) and across 3 different buildings causing coordination problems.
- Uneven allocation of resources like office space, equipment, and consumables.
- Limited and slow wireless internet for students.
- Absence of study spaces for students.
- Limited budget for technical excursions, conferences, symposiums, and fair participation for students and faculty.
- Emphasis on instructional activities rather than promoting analysis, synthesis, and creativity in student and faculty education.
- Inadequate budget allocation for conferences, training, and similar activities.

**Opportunities:**
- Transition to a blended education model for preparatory programs, reducing the need for classrooms.
- Transition to distance education for all mandatory foreign language courses, reducing the need for teaching staff.
- Finding sponsors for the accreditation budget.

**Threats:**
- Low preparedness levels of students due to issues with the quality of language education in secondary schools.
- Many students start the preparatory program with very basic language skills.
- Impossibility of achieving the required B2 level within one academic year for students starting from scratch.
- Increasing dropout rate in the preparatory class.
- Attendance problems among preparatory class students.
- Decisions about foreign language education made without consulting the School of Foreign Languages.
- Opening foreign language education programs without considering variables like the number of instructors, classrooms, materials, etc.
- Demotivation among Ph.D. candidates due to the lack of faculty positions.
- Inadequate software and technology proficiency among administrative staff.
- Weak command and interest in computer programs and platforms like Microsoft Office and UBYS among some administrative staff.
- Aging computers in computer laboratories.
- Unsuitability of small offices for academic work due to lack of air conditioning.

SWOT ANALYSIS MATRIX TABLE