SUNY Oswego has announced the appointment of Laura M. Spenceley, Ph.D., as dean of the School of Education, effective June 1, 2022.
Reporting to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Spenceley will serve as an important member of the academic affairs leadership team, including the President's Council. She will support the recruitment, development and evaluation of faculty and staff in the School of Education; oversee the implementation of programs within the School of Education; and work with department chairs, faculty and staff to develop new programs and improve existing programs.
Spenceley, who was appointed interim dean of the School of Education for the 2021-2022 academic year, has served the SUNY Oswego community for the better part of a decade, most recently as associate dean in the Division of Graduate Studies. She has also served as a member of the faculty, teaching as an assistant professor and associate professor in the Counseling and Psychological Services Department. Spenceley has served as chair of the School of Education’s Faculty Council and was a member of the Dean’s School of Education Administrative Advisory Council.
"Laura is no stranger to our academic community and is uniquely positioned to serve as the intellectual and institutional leader of Oswego’s School of Education," said SUNY Oswego Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott R. Furlong. "She has shared with me that she is excited about continuing her work to develop and support initiatives that build and strengthen collaborations within the School of Education and across the SUNY Oswego campus community, as well as provide the necessary leadership in nurturing external relations, partnership building, fundraising and fiscal management."
As the administrative officer leading the work of the School of Education, Spenceley will lead, support and inspire a shared vision among School of Education faculty and staff and work collaboratively with the SUNY Oswego community, P-12 schools and external state partners to address priorities, strategies, goals and needs.
“It is the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as the dean of the School of Education, which has a long history of excellence in preparing educators, leaders and helping professionals,” said Spenceley. “Our dedicated faculty, staff and community partners are well positioned to take us into our next era of innovation, and it is my honor to support this work as dean. Our academic programs across the undergraduate and graduate spaces are professionally relevant and anchored in applied learning that ensure our graduates are ready, prepared and able to impact immediate change in the community as they transition to their careers. I am deeply committed to our continued excellence in the School of Education.”
Prior to her time at SUNY Oswego, Spenceley was a school psychologist with the Fulton City School District, and a school psychologist intern with the LaFayette Central School District in Onondaga County. She completed several other field experiences at Jamesville Dewitt Central School District and SUNY Upstate Medical University, and was an academic coach with the Syracuse University Student Success Initiative, where she provided coaching to underrepresented students, first-generation college students, and students for whom English is a second language to promote academic success and retention.
Spenceley received a doctor of philosophy (in school psychology) from Syracuse University, a master of arts (in clinical psychology) from Ball State University and her bachelor of science (in psychology) from Western Michigan University.