In the first section of this paper it is pointed out that the institutional environment of a university dramatically shapes the identity of its school of education. A description is given of the environmental conditions of the University of Rochester (New York) which most influence the character of its education school: (1) the institution is private and financially secure; (2) it has a tradition of "corporate" or top-down governance; (3) it deliberately maintains a small size (for a university) in order to foster interdependence among its units; and (4) it pursues distinctiveness through selective focus rather than breadth of offerings. The "arts and sciences" character of the university has a significant influence on its Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD). In the second section of this paper, a discussion is presented of the arenas in which this university orientation has the greatest impact on GSEHD: (1) the mission or special emphasis of GSEHD; (2) the character and composition of its faculty; (3) shifts in program emphasis; and (4) shifts in its research and development activities. Appended are a discussion draft on the character and mission of GSEHD and a brief paper responding to the CED/Urban League's "Call to Action," a report urging all major segments of Greater Rochester to improve educational opportunities for city school children. (JD)