The Clipper Project is a multi-year research and development initiative. The goal of the project is to investigate the costs and benefits of offering Web-based university courses to high school seniors. The Clipper Project will enable a better understanding of the perceived benefits of participation in Web-based introductory courses.

Students who are accepted for early admissions to Lehigh University are offered the opportunity to enroll in Web-based sections of Chemistry I, Engineering I, and English I. Each Clipper course is credit-bearing and is taught by a Lehigh faculty member. Students are expected to satisfy the same requirements as those in the traditional sections of each course.

Clipper Project researchers are currently engaged in a longitudinal study of the effects of participation in these Web-based courses. The goal of the Clipper Project research team is to provide a better understanding of the impact of Web-based courses on the students, faculty, and institution. The Clipper Project is sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Lehigh University. The Co-principal Investigators of the Clipper Project are Dr. M.J. Bishop, Clipper Project Director and Assistant Professor of Educational Technology, and Dr. Sally A. White, Dean and Professor of Lehigh's College of Eduacation.