Support Resources

Graduate Student Handbook

The College of Education Graduate Student Lounge

The lounge is located on the first floor of Building A of Iacocca Hall in Room B103.  This room, which may be accessed using your student ID card, provides several computers, space to sit and study or talk with fellow students, as well as being equipped to host small-scale social events.  It also houses the college’s Multicultural Resource Center.

Multicultural Resource Center

The center offers both physical and online resources; seeks to help students, faculty and staff become multiculturally competent in both practice and research; and promotes Lehigh University's commitment to diversity in academic coursework.  The center hopes to foster understanding in both the campus and world community, as well as between and within individual. Visit the MRC to learn more!

COE Student Food Pantry

At Lehigh, we know that difficulties related to food insecurity may extend to graduate students in the College of Education. Recognizing this need, a partnership among COE staff, faculty and the Diversity Committee has launched the creation of a small-scale food pantry within the Multicultural Resource Center. A food pantry should be a safe, welcoming space, where we both give to and receive from members of our COE community with equal measure of mutual respect and trust. As such, please recognize that these goods are reserved for students who are facing this specific need. Non-perishable canned goods and boxed food options will be stored inside of the cabinets next to the fridges, underneath the communal dishware. For information on local food pantries, please visit: www.foodpantries.org/ci/pa-bethlehem. Information regarding federal nutrition assistance programs can be found at www.benefits.gov/benefit/361. Any other questions can be forwarded to the Multicultural Resource Center’s graduate assistant, Marisa Solé, mib317@lehigh.edu.

Packer House 


217 W. Packer Avenue is home to the Graduate Life Office, the Graduate Student Senate and a limited number of housing accommodations for graduate students.  Visit https://gradlife.web.lehigh.edu/ for Packer House hours of operation and other information about services they provide.

Graduate Life Office

The Graduate Life Office can help you make this period of your life a connected, enriching and gratifying experience.  You are encouraged to take advantage of their numerous programs and services, which can include everything from broad social and networking opportunities to details as small as photocopying.  They also offer professional development workshops and numerous resources to help you settle into your new life here at Lehigh.  The Graduate Student Life office can also serve as your liaison to other administrative offices on campus.  Contact Kathleen Hutnik, Director of Graduate Life,  (610-758-4722 or gradlife@lehigh.edu). 

Graduate Student Senate

The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) serves as the representing body of the graduate student community in all matters pertinent to the graduate programs and graduate student life at Lehigh University.  It is comprised of 23 students from the 4 colleges: 6 from Arts & Sciences, 4 from Business and Economics, 6 from Education and Human Services, and 7 from Engineering.  For a listing of the actual representatives, visit: http://gradlife.web.lehigh.edu/gss

The GSS encourages communication among graduate students; provides graduate students with a forum to discuss issues pertinent to the graduate programs and graduate student life at Lehigh University; acquires information from and disseminates information to the graduate student community; appoints graduate students as representatives of the GSS to serve as graduate members of the Graduate and Research Committee (GRC), Educational Policy (EdPol) Committee, and other university bodies as the need arises; approves and presents resolutions to the GRC, EdPol Committee, other university bodies, the Provost, President of the university, or the Board of Trustees; provides the GRC, EdPol, other university bodies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Provost, President of the university, and the Board of Trustees with a forum to discuss issues with graduate students, and to prepare position papers when they so request; maintains a Graduate Student Center.

You may contact the GSS by phone (610-758-4722), by email (gss@lehigh.edu) or by visiting Packer House.

Standing of Graduate Students (SOGS) Committee

The Standing of Graduate Students (SOGS) Committee reviews all petitions.  It is composed of the graduate associate deans from the four colleges, the Registrar, a representative from the Graduate and Research Committee and the Director of Graduate Life.  The committee meets every other week during the academic year and at least once a month during the summer.

The Graduate and Research Committee (GRC)

The Graduate and Research Committee (GRC) formulates policies and regulations on graduate education, and it recommends policies and procedures for research-related activities.  The committee interprets and applies faculty rules governing graduate students and degrees, including questions concerning student petitions and appeals.  

The GRC consists of twelve members representing the faculties of Lehigh’s colleges: four from the College of Arts and Sciences; two from the College of Business and Economics: four from the P.C.  Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science; and two College of Education, plus four ex officio members and two non-voting graduate student members selected by the GSS. 

College of Education Student Life Enhancement Committee

The College of Education Student Life Enhancement Committee was first assembled in spring 2004 with the mission to expand graduate student support through programming, services, and social connections.  All committee activities are designed to assist new graduate students in developing a sense of community, expand collaboration between graduate students across all programs, and expose graduate students to faculty across the disciplines.  To ensure fair representation and to address potential programmatic concerns, student members are nominated by faculty from each of the College’s five academic programs.  The Dean and two faculty members oversee committee activities and monthly meetings.

College of Education Graduate Program Directors

In the Department of Education and Human Services, five program directors appointed by the Chairperson, in consultation with the program faculties, are responsible for processing graduate applications, ensuring that students fulfill requirements for advanced degrees, and seeing that applications for Master's degree programs, petitions, and doctoral candidacy proposals are correctly processed.

The Writing and Math Center

Success at Lehigh depends, in part, on mastery of a number of advanced academic skills.  The Writing and Math Center supports these vital academic abilities, providing trained consultants in writing and math.  The Center provides writing consultation for students and for the Lehigh community.  Tutoring and consultations are provided by graduate students and faculty; the service is free of charge.  The center is located at 110 Drown Hall.  Visit https://studentaffairs.lehigh.edu/content/writing-math-center for online information and to access their online writing lab.

College of Education Alumni Association

The College has had a long tradition of alumni support.  Alumni help raise funds for the College that support currently enrolled graduate students.  The Association sponsors an annual awards dinner and a distinguished lecture series.