Letter from the President Dear Friends,

Many of us start a new year evaluating ourselves and our situations. We set goals for what we want to accomplish during the year. We make resolutions focused on ways we would like to improve ourselves – perhaps eating healthier, exercising more, or being more frugal.

At Frontier Nursing University, we also regularly conduct self-evaluation. Our internal review of what we have accomplished and what we need to improve results in a strategic plan for each year. This plan is developed by, voted on, and approved by the faculty, staff, and Board of Directors. While our overall plan carries many of the same themes from year to year, we make adjustments as needed to ensure that our curriculum effectively prepares our students for the changing healthcare needs of our country, to ensure that we are up-to-date with technology and resources, and to ensure that we are fiscally responsible for both the present and future of the university.

We do not make these decisions lightly. Our decisions are evidencebased and data-driven, and the resulting actions are always in line with the mission of the university. Accordingly, our mission statement also is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that we have the proper focus and direction. In January, the FNU Board of Directors approved a revised mission statement for the university that directly reflects our understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in healthcare and our commitment to DEI within all levels of our university. I encourage you to read the new mission statement and the meaning behind it on page 3 of this issue of the Quarterly Bulletin.

Self-evaluation has been part of my personal journey as well. I have been the President of Frontier Nursing University since 2001, but FNU has been a central part of my life for even longer than that. It is with very mixed emotions that I plan to transition into the role of Distinguished Chair of Midwifery at or near the end of this year. I will continue in my role as President until then and look forward to working with the new President, for whom a search committee has begun their work. You can learn more about this transition on page 2, and we will continue to keep you informed throughout the coming weeks and months. It continues to be my honor and privilege to serve as the President of FNU, and I am forever grateful for the amazing support I have received from the entire Frontier community.

In this issue, we also share the power and importance of giving back via precepting. We have a shortage of nurses and nurse-midwives in our country. We cannot be a part of that solution without the time, expertise, and commitment of preceptors. We are grateful for the many preceptors who have accepted this call to serve and advance the profession. In these pages, we celebrate them and answer your questions about how and why to precept. Maybe you will be inspired to make precepting one of your goals for 2023.

You will read several features highlighting the wonderful contributions our students, faculty, and staff are making in their communities across the country. We also share with you some of the heartfelt thank you letters that were written by our scholarship recipients that will remind you why supporting these students is so important. It is impactful for them individually and for the communities in which they live and serve.

We thank you for your commitment to the university and for your support of our mission and our students. Our 2023 goals are lofty, but they reflect our mission, and we know that they are achievable with your continued support.

Sincerely,