Dean's Welcome

Welcome to the SUNY Oswego School of Education! Here at SUNY Oswego, we have a long history in offering exceptional training for teachers and other school professionals, including counselors, psychologists, and leaders. Since our founding in 1861, the School of Education has prided itself in hands-on experiences that authentically prepare our graduates for our work in schools and communities. Today, we continue that tradition by fostering a vibrant intellectual community that values teaching, collaboration, and scholarship, as well as promotes and supports socially just policies and practices.

As you explore our School of Education website, I encourage you to take a look at our high quality and diverse academic programs across our six academic departments. For those pursuing an initial certification to those with years of experience as classroom teachers, we have academic programs that are designed to provide you the skills, pedagogy, and knowledge to impact positive change in schools and communities. As such, the School of Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), further confirming our commitment to excellence in educator preparation.  

Our faculty are experts in the science of education, and offer a range of opportunities for applied experiences, research, and creative work that supplements the academic curriculum across our programs. Many engage in collaborative partnerships with their professional community across the state of New York, throughout the United States, and in regions around the world. Across our programs, our candidates will engage with faculty and community partners in authentic learner-centered settings, with rich opportunities to engage in self-directed inquiry, problem solving, critical thinking, and reflection in real world contexts. We take deep pride in our field-based experiences, and connect our students with these applied settings early in their time in their academic program through graduation.

At SUNY Oswego, we strive to prepare every candidate to live a life characterized by high moral character, and to experience a satisfying and rewarding career. The School of Education’s thousands of graduates have excelled in educational institutions and various other fields. Candidates may come to SUNY Oswego knowing only that they eventually want to become educators, helpers, and leaders, but they graduate as socially conscious catalysts for change who create and sustain school environments where excellence is cherished and social justice flourishes.

I could not be more proud to serve as the Dean for the School of Education. Our faculty experts offer exceptional academic programs that are aligned with the goals of preparing competent, skillful, technically literate professionals. Our learning spaces are contemporary, technologically robust, and meant to ensure that our graduates are prepared to tackle the challenges of 21st century communities. Though our work as educators can be used as political fodder, I embrace the opportunity to help demonstrate the value of our work as educators, helpers, and leaders in our community, and to highlight the exceptional work being done here in the School of Education at SUNY Oswego. 

In closing, I invite you to peruse our website and investigate our many choices for undergraduate and graduate study. I encourage you to reach out to us if we can support your journey here in the School of Education at SUNY Oswego!

Laura Spenceley, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Dean
School of Education