A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

t every graduation, Fielding students thank their friends, families, and colleagues for the support they have received over the course of their programs. Time after time, I have heard our doctoral, master’s, and coaching graduates speak about the importance of the people around them to their ultimate success — the ones who pushed, encouraged, and uplifted them in good times and difficult ones. Although we don’t necessarily name this loving support “collaboration,” our capacity to be present for others is a type of partnership that resonates under the greater umbrella of the word.

To collaborate is to engage together in a common goal in the spirit of working on a task or idea that leads to a better result because we have done it together. Collaboration is instrumental in forming partnerships, an overarching theme woven throughout Fielding’s fabric. The adage, “two heads are better than one,” comes to mind. Even the stereotype of the solitary writer, inventor, or poet belies the circle of others that such creators draw from for strength and ideas. Collaboration, like its companion, cooperation, is essential to the human spirit. Many species cooperate for survival; humankind, however, is remarkable not just in our ability to work together but in our desire to do so. We seek out others for social connection and community, and when we do not have these essential ties to each other, we are bereft. Social isolation, psychologists and doctors remind us, deteriorates our holistic health and sense of purpose.

Given the importance of the ties that connect us to each other, it is somewhat paradoxical that western cultures often emphasize the importance of the individual — as if success were a singular endeavor outside of a broader context. In the Fielding learning environment, both are true, with the self and collective in active partnership. The use of self is critical to self-awareness and agency. Often, the connection to a collective is empowering and

Aennobling, in that others can bring out our best selves and inspire us to give more of ourselves to a common good.

At Fielding, we want to commence our 49th year by highlighting the many examples of partnership evident in our community. By doing so, we demonstrate that our learning model, created by faculty to focus on graduate education for adult learners, is part of a rich tradition that values the achievement of individual success through the intentional building of learning communities. This partnership supports and sustains us, not just during our graduate programs, but throughout our life course.

I hope you enjoy these stories of partnership. May they challenge and inspire in equal measure.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our in-person or virtual learning spaces throughout the year. Let’s work together to make 2023 a positive year in which we achieve our individual goals and help others do the same.

With kind regards,

Katrina S. Rogers, PhD President