Welcome

At Lehigh we are committed to ensuring that every student, faculty, and staff member thrives in a truly inclusive environment. The Office of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging (OIEB) plays a central role in advancing A Lehigh for Everyone, a foundational initiative of the university's Inspring the Future Makers Strategy, dedicated to creating a campus where all individuals feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed. OIEB collaborates across the university--partnering with students, faculty, staff, senior administrators, trustees, alumni and community leaders--to foster a culture of belonging, remove barriers to success, and champion equitable opportunites for all. Our work is anchored by our advocacy centers:

  • The Gender, Leadership and Empower Center
  • The Center for Cultural Engagement
  • The Pride Center @LU
  • The Chaplain's Office and the Center for Spirituality and Dialogue
  • The Center for Student Access and Success

For six consecutive years, Lehigh has been recognized for its leadership in equity and inclusion as a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient and a Diversity Champion for 2024-25. We invite you to explore our website, and those of our centers, to learn about the rich community here at Lehigh and all it has to offer you. 

 

Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Plan 2021-2026

Lehigh is committed to being an institution that strives to enhance inclusive excellence and belonging. Our ongoing goal is to ensure that all members of our community feel safe, valued and welcome. We have made important progress in strengthening our ability to listen, learn, adapt, improve, challenge, change and lead. We have much more work to do, and this work will evolve over time. Join us.

Read the plan here.
 

 

Insight Into Diversity 2024 HEED Diversity Champion Logo

We are proud to announce that Lehigh has been selected as a recipient of the INSIGHT Into Academia Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for a sixth straight year, earning the distinction of Diversity Champion. This is a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion; only a limited number of schools are Diversity Champions, exemplifying visionary leadership in the commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging.  While we are honored to be recognized for the programs and resources we have developed so far, we remain committed to the work that needs to be done as we pursue our goal of becoming an antiracist institution and creating A Lehigh for Everyone.  For more information on the HEED Award and Diversity Champion status, click the respective links.

Meet Dr. Donald Outing

The Army veteran joined Lehigh from The United States Military Academy at West Point and leads institutional efforts to advance Lehigh's work on diversity, equity and inclusion. Read his perspective on Lehigh's efforts to cultivate a more diverse campus.   

News

Ryan Javier
March 27, 2023

First Year Student Selected for Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship

Lehigh student Ryan Javier '26 has been selected as a 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, a prestigious program that will take him to Cape Town, Dublin and Washington D.C. this summer as part of a study of social justice leadership. Javier is one of 12 students of color selected for this opportunity, from institutions such as Arizona State University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Purdue University, Stanford University and more. The Fellows, chosen for their demonstrated...
Afiwa Afandalo speaks about her work during the Artist Exhibition Gallery Viewing
March 20, 2023

Marcon Institute Hosts First 'Radical Love' Conference

The Marcon Institute, established at Lehigh in 2022, is dedicated to research and study that influences perspectives, practices and policies on racial justice. The Institute's inaugural Radical Love Conference, based on the works of bell hooks, had the theme of "Radical Love Ascending" and focused on showcasing Lehigh's commitment to antiracism. Events included panel discussions, a screening of a bell hooks documentary, art viewing, poetry readings, zine making, and more. Attendees included all members of...
Staff volunteers help feed alpacas as Gress Mountain Ranch for the MLK Day of Service
January 18, 2023

Lehigh Staff Participate in the First MLK Day of Service

Lehigh staff volunteers took part in the national MLK Day of Service, observed officially on campus for the first time this year. Lehigh volunteers were spotted at the Miller Blood Center, Gress Mountain Ranch, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, New Bethany Ministries, and other locations in and outside of Bethlehem. Nationally, the MLK Day of Service encourages people to volunteer in any capacity to better their communities, in honor of the late Rev. Dr...
December 9, 2022

2022 Campus Climate Survey on Diversity and Equity Results Give Important Benchmark

The results of the 2022 Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Diversity and Equity campus climate survey are in, showing little change from the last survey in 2020. Lehigh first participated in the HEDS Survey in 2020 as part of continuing efforts to foster a diverse and equitable campus community. The 2020 results served as an initial baseline for the campus climate, and the survey is readministered every two years to show a snapshot over time...
The Jewish Student Center
October 18, 2022

New Jewish Student Center Officially Dedicated, 40th Anniversary of the First Hillel House Recognized

Forty years ago, Lehigh's first Hillel House opened on Summit Street, offering a warm, inviting space to the university's Jewish community. Over the years, the warm welcome never waned, but the space became too small to host all of the students who wanted to be involved in the activities offered there by the student-led Hillel Society and the Office of Jewish Student Life. During Founder's Weekend, a new Jewish Student Center was dedicated a few...
Terry-Ann Jones and Nikole Hannah-Jones
October 12, 2022

Creator of 'The 1619 Project' Visits Lehigh

Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times staff writer and creator of "The 1619 Project" spoke to an audience at Baker Hall at the Zoellner Arts Center on Lehigh's campus about the backlash against her work and what that means for the United States. The project, named for the year the first enslaved Africans arrived in America, was published in The New York Times Magazine to coincide with the 400th anniversary of first slave ship's arrival. Later...
Tarana Burke and Vera Fennell
September 21, 2022

Tarana Burke, Founder of #MeToo, Delivers Annual Tresolini Lecture

Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, reflected on the upcoming five-year anniversary of the hashtag going viral on social media while delivering the 42nd Tresolini Lecture on Lehigh's campus. Though Burke had first used the phrase "Me Too" back in 2006, it went viral in October of 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano sent a tweet following revelations about film producer Harvey Weinstein. Milano encouraged those who'd been harassed or assaulted to share their stories...
The Alumni Memorial Building
September 13, 2022

Lehigh Receives 2022 HEED Award

Lehigh has been recognized by Insight into DIversity Magazine as a receipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for a fourth consecutive year. Insight Into Diversity is the largest and oldest publication dedicated to diversity issues in higher education in the United States, and the HEED Award is the only national honor recognizing institutions' commitment to diversity and inclusion. “Though we still have work to do, this recognition validates our efforts as...
Linda Kagan Horowitz and Seth Horowitz
September 9, 2022

Generous Leadership Gift Supports the Jewish Student Center and Programs

A recent gift made by Linda Kagan Horowitz '86 '18P '19PG '21P and Seth Horowitz '18P '19PG and '21P will support the Office of Jewish Student Life and the student-run Hillel Society, both of which are headquartered in the Jewish Student Center (JSC) on Packer Ave. These two organizations offer students opportunities to learn leadership and cooperation skills while promoting Jewish values and developing lasting friendships. “Campus diversity is important for students, and Judaism is...
Dr. Donald Outing
April 6, 2022

Lehigh Hosts First Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Town Hall

Dr. Donald Outing, vice president for equity and community, hosted the first of a planned series of town halls to explain the creation of the Diversity, Inclusion & Equity (DI&E) Strategic Plan, discuss how the university will evaluate progress and answer community questions about the process. “An important part of this effort was to ensure that we were creating a plan where we could create the environment where all members of our community felt welcomed...

Events

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