Lehigh’s Strategic Plan: ‘Exciting Work Ahead’

At an hour-long information session Tuesday to officially launch the implementation phase of Lehigh’s new strategic plan, President Joseph J. Helble ’82 called on members of the Lehigh community to continue to fully engage in the process that he says could prove transformational for the university.

“There is a lot of really important and exciting work ahead,” Helble told those gathered in Whitaker Lab and on Zoom. “This is about enabling the maximum achievement of the potential of our students in our community, maximizing the impact of our research, maximizing our student's potential for impact in the world.”

The information session provided additional details about the implementation of Lehigh’s strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, announced in early June. The 10-year plan outlines a bold vision for the university that is centered around breaking boundaries to address societal challenges, innovating in academics and research, and cultivating collaborations and partnerships to build community and amplify Lehigh’s global, national and regional impact.

“This is the time when choices will be made,” said Provost Nathan Urban, “and we want to make sure that there's some understanding across the campus of what this process is going to be like.”

Although leads have been identified for 10 initiatives, he said, “There is going to be a need for a lot of engagement. There are many, many decisions that will need to be made, which will be shaped by the fact that we have a plan, by the fact that we have a set of goals that we've articulated. So it is going to continue to be a campus-wide, team effort."

The 10 initiatives announced as part of the plan’s goals to Make it New, Make a Difference and Make it Together are:

–Redefine a Deeply Interdisciplinary Education, led by Terry-Ann Jones, deputy provost for undergraduate education (project manager Pat Mann)

–Invest in Strategic Interdisciplinary Research, led by Anand Jagota, vice provost for research (project manager Ainsley Lamberton)

–Lead in Educational Innovation, led by Bill Gaudelli, vice provost for Innovation and education and dean of the College of Education (project manager, Pat Mann)

–Transform Mountaintop Campus, led by Nancy Trainer, associate vice president for facilities and campus planning (project manager Shannon Vail)

–Enhance the Shared Bethlehem Experience, led by Brett Ludwig, vice president for communications and public affairs (project manager Traci Mindler)

–Cultivate A Lifelong Lehigh, led by Bill Gaudelli (project manager, Pat Mann)

–A Lehigh for Everyone, led by Donald Outing, vice president for equity and community (project manager Christine Lake)

–An Expanded and Strengthened Research Environment, led by Dominic Packer, associate vice provost for research (project manager Ainsley Lamberton)

–An Organization of the Future, led by Greg Reihman, vice provost for library and technology services (project manager Pat Mann)

–Decision-making Informed by Qualitative and Quantitative Data and Analysis, led by Yenny Anderson, associate vice president for institutional data (project manager Pat Mann)

“Many, many people will be involved in curating where we actually go,” Vice President of Strategic Planning and Initiatives Chris Cook said. “We've come up with the initiatives—now they are here to be shaped by the campus community. And so the leads are there to cultivate the conversation so that we can carry that implementation forward.”

Cook said some actions are already under way, including a fitness center being added to the Mountaintop Campus in the Fall 2023 semester.

Additionally, to enhance the research infrastructure at Lehigh, the area of research accounting was moved from the Controller’s Office to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, she said. Institutional Data, formerly known as the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics, moved from the Provost stem to Strategic Planning & Initiatives to underscore the commitment to data-informed decision-making at the university.

Urban said that one of the key ideas that emerged from the Educational Innovation Initiative was the development of educational approaches that use universal design for inquiry. He said he’s often asked: What is it? How will it be implemented?

Gaudelli, who is leading the initiative, explained that Lehigh will enhance the work being done with technology across programs and curricula, but more important, he said, will be the pedagogical changes that will occur in Lehigh classrooms, and programs that reflect what individual learners need to maximize their learning.