Vision and Mission


Who We Are: Our Vision

The James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies at Emory University is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in advancing academic excellence through innovative scholarship, research, teaching, and programming that prepares a diverse and inclusive student body for success as leaders and in service to the global good.  

What We Care About: Our Mission

The mission of the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies is to promote discovery and enduring knowledge by preparing innovative, thoughtful leaders in research, scholarship, teaching, and practice in service to the global good. 

Our Values

The James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies is committed to graduate education that provides students with deep and broad expertise in their chosen fields, creativity to cross discipline boundaries, courage to challenge convention, and confidence to ask unexpected questions and articulate bold new perspectives. Our LGS guiding values include:  

  • Collaborate with partners in other schools and units at Emory to provide broadly based, excellent graduate education that supports the research and scholarship of students, faculty, and the university as a whole;  
  • Foster an environment of inclusion to ensure the range of educational benefits that can only come from diversity across the academic community;  
  • Complement the world-class education our faculty offer by preparing our graduates for success in competitive national and global economies through contemporary professional development and career planning resources and programming;  
  • Increase the visibility of graduate education nationally and internationally through advocacy that emphasizes the critical role of graduate education to the mission of the research university, to the competitiveness of the United States, and to the global good.  

Our Priorities

  • Interdisciplinary academic opportunities: Promote a student-centered approach to graduate education that honors the ability of students to train both within and across relevant disciplines drawing upon the most promising practices within graduate education. (what students learn) 
  • Inclusive environment: Cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment that enables all students to achieve their highest potential. (how students learn)
  • Impactful scholarship: Facilitate the advancement of innovative research and scholarship that has a substantial positive impact on the Emory community, fields of study, and society more broadly. (what students do with what they learn) 

Our Processes

  • Student voice: Implement processes that allow for sharing and partnering with students to support a high-quality graduate student experience. 
  • Operational excellence: a) Implement advanced technology infrastructure to enable more efficient processing of student actions b) Deliver high-quality, relevant, timely communications that amplify LGS and its community members; 
  • Alumni and donor engagement:  Strengthen engagement with LGS alumni and donors as part of the 2O36 campaign; 
  • Culture of collaboration: Cultivate effective working relationships with faculty and deans of the six collaborating schools to encourage shared commitment to graduate education; 
  • Staff engagement and professional development: Invest in the professional and career development of high-performing, diverse, and well-trained staff to support the school’s mission.