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.

We are proud to announce that Lehigh has been selected as a recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity 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.