Dear Members of the Lehigh Community,
A little over a year ago, we embarked on an ambitious journey to implement our 10-year strategy, Inspiring the Future Makers. This strategy aims to position Lehigh as a national leader in student outcomes, advance interdisciplinary education, double our research activity, and foster a vibrant, student-centered community where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging.
Today, we are pleased to share the Inspiring the Future Makers: Year One Progress Report. We encourage each of you to explore the complete report and learn more about our upcoming initiatives.
This document, organized around the themes of Research, Education, Community and Infrastructure, details our progress in the first year and outlines our focus areas as we move into the second year of implementation.
Ten initiative leads and hundreds of individuals have driven our progress this last year. Among the highlights are:
- The establishment of a new University Research Center for Catastrophe Modeling,
- The launch of a new Integrated Business and Health inter-college program,
- The initiation of a comprehensive campus planning effort,
- The Lehigh Commitment,
- Lehigh’s first Data Day,
- And much more!
While we celebrate these milestones, we recognize the need for ongoing improvement. We have learned much in year one and feedback from our community has highlighted where we can refine our approach.
As we approach year two, we have two mantras: “No Sophomore Slump” and “No Bystanders.” This is not Joe’s plan, Nathan’s plan or Mark’s plan, this is “our” plan, Lehigh’s plan, and for us to be successful each of us must engage in helping to move Lehigh forward consistent with our values and priorities. We must also sustain the excitement and momentum of year one to propel us forward.
We’ve made great strides in our first year, but there’s still much to do. Now’s not the time to sit back and relax. Our success relies on everyone in the Lehigh family working together—supporting one another, leading with passion, and making our goals a part of our daily efforts. Thanks for all you’ve done so far. Let’s keep pushing forward, making a real difference, and shaping our future together because it’s ours to build.
Nathan Urban
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mark Erickson
Interim Vice President for Strategic Planning and Initiatives
