Strategic Plan

The Mission of the College of Education at Lehigh University is to develop reflective professionals and scholars informed by theory, research, and evidence-based practice. This mission is based on a strong belief in the value and critical importance of education in an open, democratic, and diverse society. The graduate College of Education prepares students to be educational leaders in response to the major challenges faced by education in the United States and abroad.

The Goal in the coming decade is to continue to advance our role as a national leader within a select group of research intensive colleges of education in the country, one that is known not only for exemplary knowledge creation and the dissemination of that knowledge, but also one that provides an unmatched learning experience for our students. Achievement of this goal will be evident in enhanced academic stature and greater student success.
 
The Lehigh University College of Education is one of just a few graduate colleges in the country that has the opportunity to stress both cutting edge research and exemplary instruction and training for our students. We embrace the notion that active research programs provide a training ground for students to become leaders when they graduate from our programs. 

Prepare, engage, and lead at the local, regional, national, and international levels in the context of infrastructure, capacity, and sustainability.

A nationally ranked College of Education should be engaged in a number of critical activities. Maintaining and enhancing our reputation and effectiveness relies upon our ability to provide for an exemplary learning environment for our students, on our ability to conduct and disseminate cutting-edge research, to attract the funding necessary to expand our programs and student support, and to our willingness to directly disseminate the findings of our work at the international, national, and regional levels. The College of Education at Lehigh University will, over the next five years, become a model for the creation and dissemination of new knowledge.

Expand the reach of the College of Education in Global Education

The College of Education continues to lead the campus in the effort to promote international and global education. For our students, a global focus and experience equips our students to live as members of an international community, in which success and personal happiness increasingly depend on the ability to appreciate and negotiate differences on a global scale. In addition, our ability to assist other emerging countries as they work to develop exemplary educational experiences for their children and young adults is critical to the future of our College of Education.

Advocate for social justice and equity in policy and practice across a variety of environments and settings.

Diversity, broadly defined, is essential to the educational experience and central to all parts of the College of Education mission. A diverse learning environment helps member of the College community to challenge stereotypes and develop complex critical thinking skills, better prepares them to become active citizens and leaders, and equips them to live as members of an international community. We embrace our responsibility to create a welcoming environment for all members of the community, including underrepresented faculty, staff, and students; persons with disabilities persons of disadvantaged socioeconomic status, and international students. To do this, we will actively work toward levels of diversity that reflect the country’s diversity and in doing so, advocate for social justice.

Structure all scholarship, teaching, and service efforts within the College toward a research to practice model that addresses the most pressing issues in education.

The College of Education is dedicated to the discovery, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge. Faculty, staff, and student research produces new knowledge, innovation, and creative works that improve our lives and society. The College’s research and post baccalaureate programs foster a rich, vibrant learning environment for all students. Our graduate and professional programs prepare the next generation of scientists, scholars, and faculty members to carry this crucial effort forward into the increasingly knowledge-intensive world of the future. In the next five years, we will seek to enhance existing programs and develop new programs of distinction that are central to our teaching, research, and service mission.