SPC Framework: Graduate Education for the Global Good

Whether in the sciences, the arts, business, law, or the humanities, graduate education at Fordham shares a distinctive signature: a belief in the transformative power of inquiry for its own sake; an impatience with conventional academic boundaries and frameworks; an insistence that change, whatever form it takes, must move humanity forward.

In the Arts and Sciences, we are proud to carry on the Jesuit legacy of fearless humanist-explorers, forever in dialogue with the world, sparking chain reactions of wonder, discovery, and progress—all in the name of a more just, inclusive society. Since its founding in 1916 and guided by its Catholic and Jesuit traditions, GSAS aspires to prepare students for teaching and leadership in a global society, by welcoming learners from diverse religious, economic, and cultural backgrounds into full participation in a scholarly endeavor. It is truly graduate education for the global good.

This draft framework document reflects desk research and data analyses undertaken by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and its Strategic Planning Committee (SPC). These analyses are built on extensive dialogue and feedback with members of the GSAS Council; GSAS students, faculty, and administrative staff; and individual stakeholders within and outside the GSAS community. The framework charts future pathways that will advance our school’s strengths, confront its weaknesses, mitigate its challenges, and capitalize on its opportunities. It delineates consensus strategic planning priorities and related planning objectives, guided by and aligned with University-wide Continuous Strategic planning efforts. These priorities reflect core GSAS mission principles, including fostering the cultivation of knowledge, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of the human condition.

GSAS’ commitment to graduate education for the global good is constituted by five strategic priorities: advancing knowledge creation that shapes the global conversation; promoting student research, scholarship, and professional development; investing in diversity, access, and inclusion; fostering catalytic partnerships; and enriching the community through internationalization. These priorities are undergirded by a common operational ethos based on adaptability, effective communication and information management, and sound infrastructure and human resources.