Strategic Plan
Mission
At the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, we foster intellectually curious, globally minded learners through experiential learning and industry collaboration to tackle complex business challenges. Our commitment to academic excellence and real-world impact ensures that students, faculty and alumni drive meaningful progress in business and society.
Vision
At Lerner, we bring our mission to life through Transformative Excellence—a mindset that drives continuous innovation in education research and engagement. Outlined in our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, this commitment means evolving with emerging technologies, advancing thought leadership and redefining business education to ensure that our students and faculty are not just prepared for the future—they shape it.
Lerner’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030
It is with great enthusiasm that I present the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan for the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Rooted in our commitment to Transformative Excellence, this plan serves as a roadmap for shaping the future of business education, research, and societal impact over the next five years.
All the best,
Oliver Yao
Key Priorities
Lerner Foundations:
What we’re built on
Distinctive Lerner Education – Future-ready academics, experiential learning and career-driven programs.
Pioneering Scholarship – Research that tackles complex business challenges and drives industry impact.
Operational Excellence – A dynamic, inclusive and tech-forward learning environment.
Lerner Frontiers:
How we’re leading the way
AI Transformation and Technology – Integrating the latest business tech to shape future industries.
Innovation and Societal Change – Driving business solutions that address global challenges.
Leadership and Organizations – Cultivating ethical, future-focused leaders who adapt to change.
Implementation and Impact
Our blueprint translates our strategic plan into measurable action over the next five years. We assess our progress through:
- Student impact – student career outcomes and job placements
- Scholarly impact – faculty research impact and industry collaborations
- Applied impact – innovative business solutions developed through Lerner initiatives
Our Guiding Purpose
The Lerner College delivers inspirational education and pioneering scholarship to:
- Foster intellectually curious and globally-minded lifelong learners with a leadership mindset
- Generate knowledge by proposing solutions to business and economic problems using the latest theories, analytics and technology
- Advance experiential learning and scholarly opportunities for students and faculty by leveraging Delaware’s proximity to major centers of commerce and government, partnering with local businesses and collaborating with international organizations
- Cultivate a diverse faculty pursuing impactful scholarship and enthusiastically sharing their expertise
- Encourage and support dedicated advisors and staff to provide personalized service to facilitate students’ success
- Engage our alumni to inspire excellence across the College