As we move forward, we are guided by the valuable lessons learned in Year Two and a renewed focus on our core strategic goals. The following is a high-level roadmap of the deliverables and key projects planned for the year ahead, designed to build on our momentum and drive transformative change.

Research

  • Publicize expanded research metrics to better communicate the breadth and impact of our research enterprise.
  • Maintain overall external research funding and expand non-federal support by 25% year over year.
  • Create a clear "front door" for external partnerships.
  • Conduct the second phase of our return-on-investment analysis of internal research grants to ensure our funding is maximally effective.
  • Maintain the number of research proposals submitted at AY24-25 level.

Education

  • Announce and implement AI readiness promise, a new initiative to prepare students for an AI-driven world.
  • Complete and assess the ENGR 095 pilot of 70 students as part of the broader implementation of the First Year Rossin Experience (FYRE).
  • Complete and assess year one of the Explore Lehigh interdisciplinary semester pilot cohort.
  • Increase domestic graduate student growth by 25%.
  • Achieve greater than 85% placement of graduate students within six months of graduation.
  • Increase the four-year graduation rate to 80% and first-year retention to 95%, key indicators of student success.

Community

  • Achieve a student response rate of 20% or greater on the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium survey.
  • Develop mini-survey to be administered alternating years with the HEDS Consortium survey.
  • Explore the creation of an Enhancing the Bethlehem Experience Advisory Board to deepen our community ties.
  • Develop and implement a communications action plan to leverage the Community and Economic Impact Report.

Infrastructure

  • Implement the "Lehigh Pass" mobile credentialing project for seamless access across campus.
  • Identify three areas of focus for comprehensive application of AI to Lehigh operations.
  • Enhance hiring/onboarding process by including data skills and expectations in position descriptions, as positions become open or upon reclassification.
  • Finalize the vision for corporate presence on the Mountaintop campus and develop a clear value proposition to attract new partners.
  • Advance activation of Mountaintop by increasing average daily users by 15% and assessing the viability of graduate housing. 

Follow our progress and news through the Lehigh Strategy topic on The Perch.

To find opportunities for engagement and to provide feedback, visit our News & Engagement Opportunities page.  

The remarkable progress of the past year is a testament to the collective efforts of the Lehigh community. As we look ahead, the ambitious projects and goals before us are a direct result of our proven ability to translate vision into action. We will use the insights gained from Year Two to guide our priorities and continue our journey, because the future we are building is something we are making, together.