More than 800 members of the Lafayette community participated in the Phase 1 Survey. The survey included many of the same questions from the initial strategic planning listening sessions, as well as new questions that emerged from them.
Below is a summary of the survey results. The full results of the survey have been shared with the Steering Committee to help inform the future priorities of Lafayette.
| Answer | Percentage | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Parent/Family of a Lafayette student | 38% | 307 |
| Staff/Administration | 20% | 161 |
| Alum | 14.5% | 118 |
| Faculty | 14% | 113 |
| Student | 11% | 87 |
| Neighbor (College Hill/Easton community) | 2.5% | 21 |
| TOTAL | 100% | 807 |
Participants were asked to select and rank their top five answers from a list of options. The results shown reflect participants’ first choices from the options offered:
| Answer | Count |
|---|---|
| Ensuring the financial stability of Lafayette College | 188 |
| Ensuring that a Lafayette education is accessible to outstanding students of all backgrounds | 129 |
| Raising Lafayette’s national profile for academic distinction | 118 |
| Delivering an innovative curriculum compelling to prospective students | 97 |
| Providing academic & social supports so that all students can thrive during their time at the College | 68 |
| Other [fill in the blank]* | 63 |
| Recruiting and retaining a diverse student body, faculty, and staff | 56 |
| Providing excellent facilities, from classrooms to dorm rooms | 47 |
| Ensuring that Lafayette is a recognized national leader in entrepreneurship and innovation | 20 |
| Providing excellent recreational and athletic opportunities for all students | 11 |
| Strengthening the College’s partnerships with our neighbors and the Easton community | 7 |
| Providing excellent wellness programs for the Lafayette community | 3 |
| TOTAL | 807 |
*Submissions for “Other” included hundreds of ideas that have been shared with the Steering Committee. Recurring submissions included environmental sustainability, improving campus dining, making tuition more affordable, and equally supporting the arts and STEM.
Participants were asked to select and rank their top five answers from a list of options. The results shown reflect participants’ first choices from the options offered:
| Answer | Count |
|---|---|
| Having academic strength in both the liberal arts and engineering | 355 |
| Being an exclusively undergraduate institution | 117 |
| A curriculum that develops critical thinking, communication skills, quantitative reasoning, creativity | 143 |
| A nearly 200-year history of educating students to meet the challenges of our complex world | 51 |
| Ensuring multiple opportunities for sustained student-faculty interactions | 44 |
| Supporting the teacher-scholar model | 44 |
| Other [fill in the blank]* | 21 |
| Having an NCAA Division I athletics program | 14 |
| Providing high-quality facilities for all aspects of the student experience | 12 |
| A system of shared governance that facilitates continual conversation among multiple voices | 6 |
| TOTAL | 807 |
*Submissions for “Other” included hundreds of ideas that have been shared with the Steering Committee. Recurring submissions included small campus and small class sizes, dedicated alumni community, and the city of Easton.
Participants were asked to select up to five answers from a list of options. The results shown reflect the participants’ choices from the options offered:
| Answer | Count |
|---|---|
| Ability to think critically and creatively | 605 |
| Problem-solving skills | 551 |
| Communications skills | 549 |
| Resilience | 427 |
| Interpersonal skills | 409 |
| A global perspective | 299 |
| Empathy | 287 |
| Leadership | 286 |
| Mental health and wellness/self-care | 245 |
| Deep commitment to lifelong learning | 184 |
| Other [fill in the blank]* | 50 |
| Total | 3,892 |
*Submissions for “Other” included additional ideas that have been shared with the Steering Committee. Recurring submissions included cultural competency, sustainability-conscious, and technology.
Participants were asked to select as many answers as they wanted from a list of options. The results shown reflect the participants’ choices from the options offered:
| Answer | Count |
|---|---|
| Having a curricular focus on interdisciplinarity, either via the Common Course of Study, a density of offerings across the curriculum, or some other approach | 392 |
| Having a curricular focus on innovation, either via the Common Course of Study, a density of offerings across the curriculum, or some other approach | 246 |
| I don’t think we need a new curricular focus as part of the Strategic Plan | 196 |
| Having a curricular focus on Easton, the Lehigh Valley, or more general place-based pedagogy | 111 |
| Having a required engineering component of the Common Course of Study | 103 |
| Other [fill in the blank]* | 86 |
| TOTAL | 1,134 |
*Submissions for “Other” included additional ideas that have been shared with the Steering Committee. Recurring submissions included having a curricular focus or required course on climate change and sustainability.
Participants were asked to select up to three answers from a list of options. The results shown reflect the participants’ choices from the options offered:
| Answer | Count |
|---|---|
| Preserving Lafayette’s beautiful campus and maintaining excellent facilities | 396 |
| Enhancing Lafayette’s national reputation | 366 |
| Supporting student mental health and wellness | 340 |
| Ensuring Lafayette is accessible to students of all backgrounds | 295 |
| Remaining an exclusively undergraduate institution | 248 |
| Increasing student, faculty, and admin/staff diversity | 205 |
| Enhancing Lafayette’s focus on sustainability | 161 |
| Expanding our partnerships with Easton and the Lehigh Valley | 120 |
| Other [fill in the blank]* | 67 |
| Total | 2,198 |
*Submissions for “Other” included additional ideas that have been shared with the Steering Committee. Recurring submissions included ensuring campus accessibility, supporting faculty and staff well-being, and supporting creative and performing arts.