Dear Members of the Lehigh Community,
In just over a month of strategic planning, we have had a large number of conversations with a wide range of people, and people are starting to ask both "How's it going?" and "What's next?"
How’s it going? We are still in the “expansion phase” of the process. Key to this phase is generating, gathering and unearthing more ideas, challenges and proposals to change, and what actions to invest in, start, stop and continue at Lehigh. Following the launch of our Fall Forums, many faculty, staff and students are engaging in the process by attending meetings, sharing ideas in person and on the Idea Portal, and discussing the future of Lehigh. Our challenge as a community over the next several weeks will be to push to come up with even more “big ideas” that are on par with some of the largest-scale shifts that have occurred at Lehigh over the last fifty years.
What’s next? Reflecting on the ideas that have been submitted, and synthesizing them to generate bigger ideas, will be, in part, a priority of the working groups. But we also encourage you to not hold back. If you have a big idea, now is the time to share it. By upvoting posts or adding comments, you also can help to amplify existing contributions in the Idea Portal. Keep the ideas coming!
The next phase of this process will involve the synthesis of ideas and the elevation of a few. Starting with the ideas that have been generated and captured, the working groups will attempt to outline a set of larger-scale initiatives and projects. In November, we will be asking members of the campus community to weigh in on their development.
Save the Date - November 16, 2022, Campus-wide Conversation
We invite students, faculty and staff to save the date for a November 16, 2022, campus conversation. This conversation will offer an opportunity to review the work we’ve completed together so far, and provide a forum for the campus to weigh in on the working groups’ initial recommendations.
Throughout the semester, along with enthusiasm about the strategic planning process, we’ve also heard the question: “Will my ideas really make a difference?” The answer is an emphatic yes. Your ideas are helping to make connections and will inform the initiatives that allow our strategic plan to take shape.
We are grateful to the working groups convening the sessions held so far, and to everyone who has taken the time to join the conversation and submit ideas. We recognize this process takes effort and energy on top of your existing responsibilities and commitments. As we look ahead to this next phase, we are grateful for your dedication, expertise, insights, and creativity.
It is our future, our Lehigh,
Nathan Urban, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Chris Cook, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Initiatives
