Holy Cross

[Richb-3]

The mainstream rankings absolutely matter from a first referenced, formed perspective standpoint. I believe they hold more credibility at the undergrad level strictly because that is the area prospective students/parents and alums focus on the most. The quality of graduate education is more "individually objective" given the personal nature of the academic work. Once you reach the doctoral level it's about relationships and joint mission that should drive one's decision; not which program is ranked higher.

Rankings aside, I have yet to comprehend why Lehigh does not expand their graduate offerings in order to position themselves closer to Duke, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Case-Western Reserve, Rice, and Vanderbilt. As currently constructed, Lehigh's current and/or aspirational peers are extremely limited.

Lehigh should have, in some way, partnered with St Lukes. Asa PAcker founded both. I am far from certain everything why it wolkd be good, by I am certain it would not have been bad. Seems to me it is not impossible still, not clear to me is there relationship with Temple..

[Sundayamqb]

The mainstream rankings absolutely matter from a first referenced, formed perspective standpoint. ...

Rankings aside, I have yet to comprehend why Lehigh does not expand their graduate offerings in order to position themselves closer to Duke, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Case-Western Reserve, Rice, and Vanderbilt. As currently constructed, Lehigh's current and/or aspirational peers are extremely limited.

Not all rankings are the same. I'd never heard of the first one cited in this thread, which seemed to place a value on the number of international students.

I think Lehigh also could improve the depth of its offerings. Some of it academics really are not up to snuff with what some other colleges offer -- CMU, for one.

[HFO]

QS is highly regarded. Top tier get rated because they produce cited research. Lehigh has been abysmal for decades in highly cited research. It is not what it once was and still every strategy session continues to be about residential undergrad. Looks what MIT does online now between their own platform and their co-creation with Harvard of EdX. Lehigh faculty are principally nobodies in their fields. It is an absolute shame it did not go route of Carnegie Mellon and others like U of Chicago and put dollars behind their graduate students and research.

Again, we as alumni can sit silent and be bull dozed over with continued mediocrity or you demand action by this President to focus on big stuff, not the trivial.

[ngineer]

Interesting observations. I also note that schools like Carnegie and MIT do not have huge athletic programs comparable to Lehigh. Is there a sense that we should go D3 and reduce the million’s spent on athletics and shift those dollars into research faculty and facilities? Maybe part of Lehigh’s problem is spreading itself too thin?

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Interesting observations. I also note that schools like Carnegie and MIT do not have huge athletic programs comparable to Lehigh. Is there a sense that we should go D3 and reduce the million’s spent on athletics and shift those dollars into research faculty and facilities? Maybe part of Lehigh’s problem is spreading itself too thin?

There is no need to de-emphasize athletics in order to advance the academic clout of the institution. It would be much more beneficial to improve all areas of the university given its resources. Plus, given its strong donor base, Lehigh can easily increase those resources further with a well articulated plan.

I much rather see Lehigh align themselves with Rice, Tulane and Vanderbilt instead of MIT, Chicago and/or Johns Hopkins. Not only are the first three institutions academically excellent, they are more engaged with the local community. Lehigh should never lose its "Bethlehem Blood'. One of the big reasons for Lehigh's modern era success and historically strong attendance (until the last decade or so) is the steel community and general (average joe) Lehigh Valley sports fan. You lose that bond when you go the MIT, U Chicago, Carnegie Mellon route institutionally. Even those who went to Bloomsburg, heck or Temple, (or a well qualified local/regional high school student) can still relate to the Lehighs, Bucknells, Fordhams , Rices, Northwesterns of the world. MIT, Carnegie Mellon, U of Chicago not so much....