Identifying these stakeholders is a critical first step in this planning process. This process is designed to ensure a good fit between the internal and external environments of the organization. At this stage, it is most important to identify everyone that needs to be engaged in the strategic planning process. The next two steps are important aspects of exploring the internal and external environments. First, a full review of the mission and values of the institution should begin. This introspective review confirms the purpose of the institution in relation to the planning about to begin. For most colleges and universities, our missions and values are well-defined and need minimal changing. This review is designed to align the planning with the mission and values in an intentional way. Within the external environment of higher education are many mandates that drive operations and impact decision making. For instance, the Federal government mandates certain requirements in order for institutions to be eligible for Title IV funding. States may mandate reporting requirements to ensure efficiencies and effectiveness. And accrediting bodies mandate operational procedures and policies to confirm quality. All of these mandates need to be explored as the strategic planning process begins. Once all of the stakeholders have been identified and the process of reviewing the mission and values as well as scanning the environment for those mandates that are most influential to your institution has begun, it is time for the SWOT