Lehigh Plans Business College Expansion

The Morning Call: "A place for young companies to grow. Big data labs. Technological-equipped classrooms that will attract students and business executives who want to learn about real-time business trends and where those trends are going. That’s the idea behind Lehigh University’s newest plans to expand the College of Business in south Bethlehem, a stone’s throw from the historic South Side Business District ... The center will take up the entire third floor where Lehigh will offer immersive and research-based programs about today’s business trends and more. The expansion will also allow Lehigh to introduce a business incubator in partnership with the Baker Center for Entrepreneurship."

"The project comes as Lehigh undertakes an ambitious plan to increase student enrollment and programs, including the new College of Health. Last year, Lehigh broke ground on the Health, Science & Technology building, which is scheduled to open in 2021 ... Also, SouthSide Commons, a new five-story student living facility at Brodhead and Packer avenues, officially opened last year, providing apartment-style living for 428 students. There are 5,178 undergraduate and 1,775 graduate students, according to Lehigh’s web site."

Oberlin Transcends Traditional Studies

Crain's Cleveland Business: "Oberlin announced that in fall 2020, it will introduce five new programs of study 'that transcend traditional institutional boundaries and establish a new level of collaboration' between its College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music. The new programs are available to all Oberlin students and are designed to 'help them build successful, 21st century careers in a host of fields including music, visual arts, media, science and business,' the college said in a news release."

"Students will be able to minor in Music and Cognition, Music and Popular Culture, Interdisciplinary Performance, and Arts and Creative Technologies. A fifth program, in Arts Administration and Leadership, will add co-curricular programming in an integrative concentration, the college said."

Separately, Oberlin announced that it's launching an integrative concentration in journalism, also in fall 2020. Oberlin said its journalism program 'will differ from the programs found at traditional journalism schools. The concentration's design will allow students to combine it with any of Oberlin's more than 50 majors— whether in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, arts, or music — and merge coursework with co-curricular and extracurricular work, including internships and other forms of applied learning'."

Instagram To Feature Freshman Videos

Axios: "Former First Lady Michelle Obama is partnering with the digital media company ATTN: to launch a video series on IGTV, Instagram's video platform ... 'A Year of Firsts' shows inspiring stories about students navigating their first year through college ... ATTN: is working with the students directly to document their first year as they explore issues like the academic stress of college, making new friends, college affordability, and physical and mental health while in college."

"The hope for Reach Higher is that the series will inspire other first-year college students who may find common ground and community among the first-year students being elevated in the series." Obama comments: "By sharing their stories, they’re helping others see that the ups and downs of the first year of college are something everyone goes through — and they’re creating a supportive community for others facing similar challenges.”