Correction: A previous version of this article did not note that this $250 million is a goal. The money is not a donation that has already been received.
The donation goal of $250 million to fund initiatives on Lehigh’s campus was announced by President John Simon at the Founder’s Day ceremony.
In his inaugural address, Simon mentioned his focus on the four broad topics of financial aid, infrastructure renovation, education enhancement and campus globalization. The initiatives will be spearheaded by Simon and Provost Pat Farrell, along with the help of the board of trustees.
In a recent interview with The Brown and White, Simon talked about Lehigh’s financial obligation to continually improve itself.
“There are moments in time when an institution needs to invest in itself,” Simon said. “We feel that this investment allows us to do just so.”
This commitment to advancing Lehigh’s academic mission comes at a fitting time following the university’s sesquicentennial celebrations, but the initiative has been on Lehigh’s agenda for a long time.
“It has been a really long discussion with the board,” Farrell said. “We have confidence in the board that we are ready to lead this campus academically.”
While admitting that it would not be possible for this project alone to meet all the academic needs of the university, Simon referred to the propositions as “key areas of focus.” One of these areas he expanded upon was the renovation of campus infrastructure, specifically the 140-year-old University Center.
“We want the building to really serve as a true student center, not just a building located at the center of campus,” Simon said. “It’s academic infrastructure enabling the enhancement of academic studies.”
As expensive as infrastructure renovation can be, the school’s senior leadership had no choice but to look for help from alumni and donors, which posed somewhat of a challenge.
“It can be hard to excite donors about renovating a building, but it really is more about the opportunity for students to succeed that excites people,” Farrell said. “These buildings could be places where you take class, places where we do research, or interactive forums public for anyone on campus.”
In addition to the physical attribution of the funds, the school is paying increased attention to ensure that Lehigh graduates are educated about the world and are acquiring the skills to tackle today’s global issues.
Lori Friedman, interim director of media relations, said that the university is doing its best work to amplify its ability to enhance global learning to ensure that students receive an essential global perspective.
Simon mentioned that even if one walks just a few blocks from campus he or she will find households where people don’t even speak English. He added that the plans for globalization are to “go global without necessarily going across the border.”
The university is going as far as bringing in outside resources who have experience coordinating global affairs at colleges.
“We’re in the last stages of recruiting a new vice president for International Affairs,” Farrell said. “One of the first jobs for the person we are recruiting will be to lead this campus-wide focus on globalization.”
The topic of financial aid has been one highly discussed by Lehigh’s leadership as well as the board of trustees. Farrell said the university, as well as the board, is highly sensitive to challenges families face in providing their children with an education.
“We are doing the best we can to serve what our students and families need,” Farrell said. “They would like that to become grants and not loans, and we are really working to accommodate that.”
Lehigh currently offers a wide variety of financial aid packages — both grants and loans — and the school thinks it can continue to be even more competitive in that regard.
While some may wonder how the university will manage to cover such initiatives with a relatively stringent budget, the school’s senior leadership admits that there is some wiggle room. According to Farrell, the university expects spending will extend further than the allotted $250 million.
“$250 million for now is just a one-time investment,” Simon added. “We need to see if the programs we are establishing are things can be sustained.”
As for how soon these programs are going to take off, Lehigh’s campus shouldn’t expect them overnight.
“This will continue to be a topic of conversation for a long time,” Farrell said. “Come spring semester more concrete plans will start formulating.”
Simon recognizes the excitement surrounding such profound initiatives, but wants people to realize the time and effort these plans take.
“Some projects are close to taking off but others could be years away,” Simon said. “I wouldn’t expect to see any cranes on campus just yet.”
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