The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Graduate School will host an open house on Saturday, September 15, from 10:00 a.m. until noon in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. The event offers guests the opportunity to meet faculty, learn about financial aid options, explore the campus, find out how to apply to programs, and talk with students.

According to Kim Jackson, director of graduate enrollment services, 100 prospective students attended last year’s open house, and the school hopes for 150 to 200 this year. Last year also marked the first time that Buffalo State held its graduate school open house in September.

"We used to have our open house event later in the fall, right around the same time other local schools did," said Jackson. "By having the event earlier, we really help get our word out first."

This year's open house is designed like a fair, with individual tables to provide an informal format and face-to-face interaction with professors. In addition to showcasing the school's 62 programs, the open house also will include information about many supporting departments on campus, such as financial aid and student services.

"We're trying to create a personalized approach," said Jackson. "We want prospective students to experience friendly faculty and staff, just like what they can expect when visiting our hub in Cleveland Hall [room 204]."

Jackson asks undergraduate faculty to please remind students that there are graduate programs right here at Buffalo State College. "So much of the emphasis on campus—rightly so, in many respects—is on undergraduate life," she said. "But while it's easy to remember the 'four schools,' there are about 2,000 students here attending the fifth school."

Under the helm of the new associate provost and dean Kevin Railey, the Graduate School will increase its collaboration with people across campus to identify and meet goals for the school. Railey also is interested in expanding the school’s offerings and supporting the intellectual interests of graduate faculty and students.

The Graduate School anticipates about 450 new students this year. For more information or to register for the open house, please visit the Graduate School's Web site.