Strategic Plan > Come Together to Plan Our Future
Come Together to Plan Our Future

March 2009

Dear Lehigh community:

Over the past two years, people across the Lehigh community have come together to plan our future. We call our new 10-year plan Advancing our Intellectual Footprint because that's what our actions will do for the many people here and around the world whose lives will be touched by the work of this great university.

In the coming decade, implementation of this plan will enable us to build on Lehigh's existing strengths with the ultimate goal of being recognized as a premier residential research university, internationally acclaimed for research excellence, and a distinctive student experience. Lehigh will be known as a leader in learning, innovation and creativity.

The plan is thus about people and culture, and enhancing our roles and our work to amplify our mission of teaching, research, and service. As a campus community, we will transform our culture as we reshape our university's identity.

Our plan has four components, which you can read about in more detail. Over the course of the next decade, we will:

  • Address Grand Challenges and National Needs
  • Invest in Faculty and Staff
  • Provide a Best-in-Class Student Experience
  • Partner in the Renaissance of the Local Community

These goals will guide our decisions as we move toward the future. With a clear vision of where we want to go and how we hope to get there, I am confident that the dedicated and talented individuals who represent the heart of this university, are up to the challenge.

Reaching our goals will have benefits for everyone. For students, attending a premier residential research university will prepare them to tackle the grand challenges that will await them by providing an extraordinary, comprehensive educational experience in the sciences and liberal arts. For faculty and staff, the investments that we make will produce an "even better" Lehigh, growing the faculty, attracting the best and the brightest to Lehigh, generating more research opportunities, and serving as an active partner in the community.

The entire Lehigh community joined in the effort to produce this plan and to refine it. As you will see in the full document online, this plan reflects the collective boldness and thoughtfulness of its authors. Together, we are privileged to be part of a great university, with an opportunity to reshape higher education and make a difference on campus and in the world.

I ask you to please take a few moments to read through the plan and to think about the role each of us can play in making this bold vision for Lehigh a reality.

Alice P. Gast
Lehigh President, 2006-14

Alice P. Gast, Lehigh President, 2006-14