Fielding Graduate University Celebrates 50 Years2024-02-27T13:15:56-08:00
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Celebrating

50 Years of Fielding

[video: Fielding in-person graduations and working sessions]
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Fielding Forward!

President Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D.

President Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D.

Fielding Celebrates 50 Years!

Since 1974, Fielding Graduate University has been on the cutting edge of the social sciences, from its early adoption of the distributed-learning model to its focus on adult learning. 2024 is our 50th Anniversary year, and our community has moved Fielding forward for five decades – and will continue to do so through transformative scholarship and practice for years to come. 

“Graduate Education is a vehicle for social action.” – President Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D. 

Fielding’s 50 Years Timeline

Fielding’s Founding
Fielding’s Founding
Fielding’s First President
Fielding’s First President
Clinical Psychology Program Begins
Clinical Psychology Program Begins
Founding Dean
Founding Dean
First Psychology Graduates
First Psychology Graduates
Connect with UC Santa Barbara
Human Development Program Founded
WASC Accreditation
Historic Hodges Mansion
Fielding’s 2nd President
Fielding’s 2nd President
Fielding Electronic Network (FEN)
American Psychological Association Accreditation
MacIntyre Named President
MacIntyre Named President
New School of Education
Fielding’s First Provost
McCune Named President
First Alumni Meeting
Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies Opens
Fielding Gets Ranked
President Kuipers Begins Her Term
Navajo Nation
Fielding Becomes Fielding Graduate Institute
Institute for Social Innovation
Media Psychology
Gender Empowerment
Fielding Graduate University
Certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching Launches
Carnegie Community Engagement Classification 
Meyers Named President
Katrina S. Rogers Named President
Katrina S. Rogers Named President
Infant and Early Childhood Development
Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, & Education
Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, & Education
Fielding University Press Launches
Center for Advancing STEM Leadership
A Passion for Adult Learning
Fielding’s Inclusion Council Formed
University of the Virgin Islands
MOU with University of District Columbia
National Science Foundation Awards $9 Million in Grants
The Dianne and Irv Kipnes Foundation Donates $1 million to Library
MOA with Navajo Nation
45th Anniversary
Black Student Association
Fielding’s Alumni Association
COVID-19
Ruthellen Josselson Chair for Qualitative Inquiry
Rowan Education Partners
Rowan Education Partners
First VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Dr. Sally Peterson Research Excellence Award
Best Doctorate in Psychology Program
EBC Achieve ICF Level 2 Accreditation
New Fielding Store
President’s Global Ecological and Social Justice Service Year
Fielding Retains Remote Work Model
MA in Infant, Child, and Family Mental Health and Development
American Psychological Association Reaccreditation
WASC Approves Rowan Affiliation
WASC Approves Rowan Affiliation

Fielding’s Founding

The Fielding Institute is founded by Frederic Hudson, Hallock Hoffman, and Renata Tesch based on adult learning principles of learner-centered education and experience-based knowledge. The articles of incorporation are signed at the home of the founding Board of Trustees member and future Educational Leadership for Change faculty, Dr. Marie Fielder.  
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Fielding’s First President

Frederic Hudson is named the first university president in March; serves until 1986.
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Clinical Psychology Program Begins

Initiation of MA Plan 3, preparing enrollees for Psychology Doctoral Program 
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Founding Dean

Joseph Handlin becomes Founding Dean for clinical psychology program.
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First Psychology Graduates

More than 100 students, faculty, and staff attend Psychology Summer Session at La Casa de Maria in hills above Santa Barbara for first final oral review and Psychology graduation. 
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Connect with UC Santa Barbara

Fielding links its computer system to network at UC Santa Barbara via Ethernet for data retrieval and student research 
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Human Development Program Founded

Human Development program founded by Don Bushnell with MA, DHS, & EdD/PhD.
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WASC Accreditation

Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) accredits Fielding in June 1982.
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Historic Hodges Mansion

Fielding acquires Santa Barbara’s historic Hodges Mansion, built in 1921.
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Fielding’s 2nd President

William Maehl named president in January; serves until 1992 
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Fielding Electronic Network (FEN)

Fielding Electronic Network (FEN) is developed, allowing staff, students, & faculty to connect anytime, anywhere – electronically 
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American Psychological Association Accreditation

American Psychological Association accredits Fielding’s Clinical Psychology program in July 1991.
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MacIntyre Named President

Donald MacIntyre named president in June; serves until 1999
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New School of Education

A new School of Education was established  
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Fielding’s First Provost

Anna DiStefano named first provost 
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McCune Named President

Sara Miller McCune named president; serves until 2000 
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First Alumni Meeting

First convening of more than 100 alums at La Casa de Maria  
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Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies Opens

Alonso Center for Psychodynamic Studies established at Fielding through gift from Anne Alonso   
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Fielding Gets Ranked

Human & Organizational Development program ranked No. 1 in student satisfaction; Psychology program ranked No. 2, by National Association of Graduate Professional Students 
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President Kuipers Begins Her Term

Judith Kuipers named president in August; serves until 2009 
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Navajo Nation

First students from partnership with Navajo Nation graduate from Educational Leadership & Change 
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Fielding Becomes Fielding Graduate Institute

Fielding Institute renamed Fielding Graduate Institute in July 
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Institute for Social Innovation

Fielding’s Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) founded 
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Media Psychology

First students enrolled in PhD in Media Psychology, first of its kind 
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Gender Empowerment

Fielding’s Worldwide Network for Gender Empowerment (WNGE) launches 
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Fielding Graduate University

Fielding Graduate Institute renamed Fielding Graduate University 
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Certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching Launches

Certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching launches in response to demand that coaching become more grounded in theory and research 
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Carnegie Community Engagement Classification 

Fielding earns Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching’s competitive Community Engagement classification 
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Meyers Named President

Richard Meyers named president in July; serves until 2013 
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Katrina S. Rogers Named President

Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D., named president in November and continues to be Fielding’s longest-serving president 
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Infant and Early Childhood Development

Fielding acquires doctoral program in infant and early childhood development with emphasis in developmental disorders 
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Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, & Education

Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, & Education founded in honor of founding trustee and legendary California educator 
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Fielding University Press Launches

Fielding University Press launches to publish books by faculty and alums 
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Center for Advancing STEM Leadership

Fielding and three other higher-ed institutions launch the Center for Advancing STEM Leadership
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A Passion for Adult Learning

Fielding publishes A Passion for Adult Learning about Fielding’s history and learning model, by faculty member Keith Melville 
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Fielding’s Inclusion Council Formed

Fielding’s Inclusion Council formed to strengthen inclusion and diversity throughout university  
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University of the Virgin Islands

Fielding joins with University of the Virgin Islands for first partnered doctoral program in creative leadership 
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MOU with University of District Columbia

Fielding announces MOU with University of District Columbia to create doctoral program in Urban Leadership & Entrepreneurship 
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National Science Foundation Awards $9 Million in Grants

National Science Foundation awards $9 million in grants to Fielding and project partners for STEM leadership research/training 
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The Dianne and Irv Kipnes Foundation Donates $1 million to Library

The Dianne and Irv Kipnes Foundation donates $1 million to support the Fielding library, which becomes the Dr. Dianne Kipnes Library. An endowment of $1 million to support the library in perpetuity to follow in 2022
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MOA with Navajo Nation

Established MOA with Navajo Nation to fund 20 Navajo educators in the EdD program 
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45th Anniversary

Fielding unveils new logo, brand for 45th Anniversary, as well as hosts 45+ events in its anniversary year 
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Black Student Association

The Black Student Association, formerly the African American Student Association, is founded      
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Fielding’s Alumni Association

Fielding’s Alumni Network becomes Fielding’s Alumni Association as part of the 45th Anniversary. Alum Linda Honold, Ph.D., is the first member. 
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COVID-19

Fielding continues its established distance-learning operations during the global COVID-19 pandemic
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Ruthellen Josselson Chair for Qualitative Inquiry

The Ruthellen Josselson Chair for Qualitative Inquiry Fund established 
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Rowan Education Partners

Fielding’s Board of Trustees unanimously approves an affiliation with Rowan Education Partners, an initiative of Rowan University 
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First VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Fielding appoints Allison Davis-White Eyes, Ph.D., its first VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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Dr. Sally Peterson Research Excellence Award

Dr. Sally Peterson Research Excellence Award created  
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Best Doctorate in Psychology Program

Fielding among the top 50 in Best Doctorate in Psychology Programs from Intelligent.com
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EBC Achieve ICF Level 2 Accreditation

EBC program recognized as having met the Graduate School Alliance for Education in Coaching (GSAEC)’s Academic Standards for Graduate-Level Educational Programs and Level 2 Accreditation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF)  
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New Fielding Store

The Fielding Store is opened 
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President’s Global Ecological and Social Justice Service Year

The President’s Global Ecological and Social Justice Service Year declares 2023 as Global Social/Ecological Justice Service Year 
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Fielding Retains Remote Work Model

Fielding retains its mostly remote work model, with more than 90 percent of staff and faculty working remotely across the world 
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MA in Infant, Child, and Family Mental Health and Development

Fielding offers new MA in Infant, Child, and Family Mental Health and Development 
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American Psychological Association Reaccreditation

The American Psychological Association reaccredits Fielding’s Clinical Psychology Program for 10 years 
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WASC Approves Rowan Affiliation

WASC approves the affiliation between Fielding and Rowan Education Partners  
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Fielding Student, Faculty, and Alumni News

Student, Faculty, and Alumni Spotlights

Events

Join us for these events during 2024.

More information, including registration, will be made available soon

Student Town Hall

June 12 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT

Keep checking this webpage for more up-to-date information on other events occurring in 2024! 

Santa Barbara coastline

How to Get Involved!

  • Attend an in-person or virtual 50th Anniversary-sponsored event. 
  • Volunteer to help at an event or continue the 2023 volunteerism pledge for Ecological/Social Justice Service into 2024. 
  • Plan your own events and add the 50th Anniversary theme to them! One example is to host a 50th Anniversary film screening in your region (more information coming soon). Help us spread the word about events, Fielding’s story, and more during 2024. [put form here] 
  • Email communications@fielding.edu to share your Fielding story with us! 
  • Give a financial contribution to Fielding HERE>>. 
How To Give
Fielding's 50th Logo
For Print
Fielding's 50th Logo
For Web
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Fielding Store
50th Anniversary-Merlot
50th Anniversary-Black
Zoom Backgrounds

CONTACT US 

Contact Director of Development and Community Relations Elena Nicklasson at enicklasson@fielding.edu for more information.  

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