Fremont, CA — February 2026 — San Francisco Bay University (SFBU) was recently featured in a national webinar hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), a leading organization dedicated to advancing graduate education and research. The session focused on innovation in graduate education and explored how institutions can move beyond traditional program development to build integrated systems centered on student access, persistence, and meaningful learning outcomes.
SFBU leaders — President Dr. Nick Ladany, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Brad Fuster, and Vice President for Strategy and Innovation Heather Herrera — were featured speakers in the session.
Moderated by Jamal Gay, Senior Vice President of University Partnerships at Noodle, the conversation examined how redesigning institutional foundations — rather than launching isolated programs — can create scalable, future-ready graduate education models that expand access and improve student outcomes.
During the webinar, SFBU leaders outline key elements of the university’s institutional redesign:
- Student-first design: Programs and systems built around access, learning, and measurable outcomes.
- Institutional alignment: Leadership, governance, academic strategy, and operations working in sync to support innovation.
- Equity and persistence: Embedded support structures that strengthen retention and close opportunity gaps.
- Data-informed decision-making: Analytics guiding continuous improvement and program development.
- Technology and AI integration: Emerging tools used to personalize learning and expand access.
- Sustainable growth: Graduate programs designed for long-term impact, not short-term enrollment gains.
At the core of SFBU’s approach is a clear principle: design the institution around student access, learning, and success.
Rather than building programs in isolation, the university has reexamined long-standing assumptions about governance, delivery models, and academic structure. The result is a cohesive framework built for equity, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
One early example is SFBU’s forthcoming MBA program, the first of several graduate offerings being developed within this flexible, student-centered model.
“We are honored to share SFBU’s institutional transformation with colleagues across the graduate education community,” said Dr. Nick Ladany, President of San Francisco Bay University. “By aligning our systems and strategy around student success from the ground up, we are building graduate programs designed for impact, equity, and sustainability.”
The webinar reinforces a central message: meaningful innovation requires more than new programs. It requires alignment across leadership, governance, and operations. As graduate education continues to evolve, institutions that intentionally design for access, quality, and measurable outcomes will be best positioned to serve today’s learners.
For more information about SFBU’s graduate programs and institutional initiatives, visit sfbu.edu. For information about upcoming CGS events, visit cgsnet.org.
Contact: pr@sfbu.edu
