The PsychED Committee leads and supports a variety of initiatives designed to bring our departmental values to life. The initiatives below highlight our progress and illustrate how we work to ensure that our department remains a place where every member feels welcomed, respected, and empowered.
Inclusion of Perspectives
- De-Stress Event (in collaboration with Psychology Club): Our annual De-Stress Event at the end of the Fall semester creates an informal, welcoming space for students to connect with faculty and graduate students outside the classroom. With snacks, crafts, and conversation, this event lowers traditional academic barriers and encourages students to share their experiences, perspectives, and needs in a relaxed environment. By fostering open dialogue and strengthening relationships across levels of the department, the De-Stress Event supports our commitment to cultivating a community where all voices feel valued and included.
Creating Accessible Learning and Professional Development Opportunities
- Poster Session with Graduate Students: This interactive poster session brings graduate students and undergraduate students together to discuss ongoing research, pathways into labs, and the many forms psychological scholarship can take. By offering a structured yet approachable environment for students to ask questions and explore academic opportunities, the session helps demystify the research process and expands access to professional development. This initiative reflects our belief that meaningful engagement with research should be accessible to all students, regardless of background or prior experience.
- Prospective PhD Student Open House: As part of our commitment to fostering an equitable and supportive departmental culture, members of the PsychED Committee participated in the Psychology Department’s virtual open house for prospective PhD students. During this session, committee members introduced our mission and values, highlighted the department’s ongoing efforts to build an inclusive community, and provided guidance on crafting a strong and authentic graduate school application. By pairing transparency about our values with concrete support for applicants, this initiative helps ensure that students from all backgrounds feel informed, welcomed, and empowered to pursue graduate study at Lehigh.
Evaluation of Department Policies
- Qualifying Exam Revision for Graduate Students: In alignment with our commitment to continually reviewing departmental policies, the faculty recently undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the doctoral qualifying exam. Led by a task force that included faculty and graduate students from all three areas of the department, the faculty approved a revised exam that features an innovative journal review style evaluation process and oral examination. This revised evaluation process provides students with clear pathways to demonstrate their understanding of a chosen area and facilitates faculty evaluation of the relevant qualifications. It promotes clarity, relevance, and equity in assessment, ensuring that departmental expectations uphold our values while supporting graduate students’ growth and long-term development.