Realizing Our Collective Promise

The 2025 Strategic Plan of the UB Graduate School of Education

Dean's Letter

In spring 2019, the Graduate School of Education (GSE) initiated a collaborative academic strategic planning process. Beginning with a reconsideration of GSE’s mission and vision, the faculty and staff of GSE considered its purposes and commitments.

After laying the initial groundwork, a steering committee was established with faculty and staff representation to facilitate the articulation of a new mission and vision. This new mission and vision was approved in September 2019. Following this work, GSE moved into the next phase of strategic planning by arranging for focus groups comprised of faculty at all ranks, students, and staff. At these meetings, facilitated by an external consultant, groups were able to articulate their strategic priorities and goals for GSE. Compiling the findings from each focus group, we arrived at this strategic plan: Realizing our Collective Promise.

This collective promise reflects our obligations to excellence, impact, and inclusivity in all that we do. We make this promise to each other, our students, and the individuals and communities most impacted by our work.

A second steering committee was established with representation from each department and from the staff to identify a comprehensive action plan for each strategic goal. The results of their work are presented within this document as the Graduate School of Education strategic plan. Like other strategic plans, this is conceived as a living document subject to adjustment or revisions as new opportunities and priorities emerge.

I am grateful to the many individuals who participated in this iterative process that resulted in this strategic plan. Our diverse and engaged community will be key to the success of this plan, and ultimately, to a thriving Graduate School of Education.

Dean Rosenblith's signature.
Dean Rosenblith's signature.
Suzanne Rosenblith.

Suzanne Rosenblith, PhD
Dean and Professor
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo

Suzanne Rosenblith.

Suzanne Rosenblith, PhD
Dean and Professor
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo

Our Mission

With a focus on local-to-global impact, the Graduate School of Education is an inclusive community engaged in ground-breaking research and teaching across education, human development and information science that improves educational, social and economic opportunities for individuals and communities.
 

Our Vision

As an integral part of a premier, research-intensive public institution committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, the Graduate School of Education will be recognized worldwide for outstanding and transformative research and teaching linked to educational, social and economic opportunities and outcomes at the individual and collective levels.

Strategic Goals, Objectives and Actions

1.

Strategic Goal One Cultivate a Diverse, Inclusive and Collaborative Community of Faculty, Students and Staff

Fundamental to our mission as a graduate school of education is ensuring that our community is representative of all aspects of diversity and that we create systems and model practices that allow every member of our community to grow, succeed, and thrive. We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, just, and equitable community of faculty, students, staff, and administrators where all feel welcomed, included, supported, empowered, and have equal access to resources, supports, services, and opportunities that ensure their learning and success. Cultivating such an environment is essential to our roles as educators, scholars, and leaders within our professions and communities.

2.

Strategic Goal Two Create and Sustain Mutually Beneficial Partnerships That Solve Genuine Problems of Practice and Inform Policy

As a school of education, we must engage meaningfully with the schools and communities we serve. We are committed to building and sustaining partnerships that allow for the mutual exchange of ideas, and working collaboratively to conduct research that solves genuine problems of practice and informs policy for the public good.

3.

Strategic Goal Three Create a Strategic and Supportive Culture of Research

As scholars in a research-intensive university, we strive to improve the lives of others by generating and sharing knowledge through systematic inquiry. By creating a supportive culture within GSE that prioritizes research, we can realize our potential and keep our promise to the public. 

Actions:

  • Initiate regular, structured, faculty self-assessment that informs individualized programming, mentoring and other supports to expand grant skills and deepen expertise.
  • Convene experts from research, practitioner, and funder perspectives to share knowledge, generate ideas and develop projects that serve the civic good.
4.

Strategic Goal Four Achieve Student Excellence Through a Rigorous and Supportive Teaching and Learning Environment

At the heart of what we do in GSE is preparing the next generation of practitioners and researchers. We do this by ensuring that GSE students are provided with the very best experiences in terms of their academic programs, co-curricular experiences, advising, and research opportunities.