From the Director of Alumni Relations
Such superb graduations this summer! Unaware I had "walking pneumonia," I attended all three of the doctoral graduation ceremonies, and congratulated all 46 of our new graduates! Each and every graduation, I feel as if it is "the best ever." The speeches are moving, the families so enthusiastic, the gratitude and appreciations overflowing. I never feel our Fielding community so much as I do on graduation day, when students don their robes for the first time, faculty welcome new colleagues into the academy, and alumni embrace the graduates into their "club" of lifelong learners. What I like best is to see and hear how brand-new doctors express themselves at the Saturday morning brunch, and especially when they announce themselves to the community as "Dr. so-and-so" at the pre-graduation alumni celebration. I love how they light up when they tell us where they will be in 5 years. It seems like everything is possible on graduation day!

President Judy Kuipers tells them: "What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built. Not what you got, but what you gave. Choose to live a life that matters."

Provost Anna DiStefano tells them: "You are the very best of Fielding. No one exemplifies what Fielding is about better than you, the graduates. We are very proud of you."

I say: "We need you. Together we are now in partnership to create and sustain a lifelong learning community, a meaningful relationship between you and Fielding. You matter to Fielding."

Of course, the new graduates get their FELIX account and a t-shirt—just the start of Fielding gifts to them!

Thank you for your gifts to us and to your communities. And, as Garrison Keillor still says, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

Cheri Gurse, MA
Director of Alumni Relations

Congratulations!
We are proud of all recent graduates of Fielding, and wish you the very best for your futures. See the names of your friends from the Educational Leadership & Change (ELC), Psychology (PSY) and Human & Organization Development (HOD) schools who participated this summer in their grad ceremonies. Also graduating this summer were thirty-four teachers—students in the ELC Master of Arts program in Collaborative Educational Leadership (MA-CEL). On September 24, 66 graduates of the HOD programs for the Master of Arts in Organizational Development or Organizational Management will proudly walk in their ceremony, here in Santa Barbara.

Alumni Are Essential
You have already received the July appeal from your Alum Council, inviting you to make a financial contribution. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to consider how essential alumni giving is to the future of Fielding. Not only are your contributions critical to funding scholarships, new initiatives and Fielding's first-ever endowment, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges will look at the percentage of alumni participation in giving as a key measure in their 2007 accreditation review. Other funders, including corporations and foundations, also want to know if alumni support their institution. Gifts of any size are important; your participation is what counts.

Online giving is quick, easy, and secure at www.fielding.edu/giving. Or use the postage-paid return envelope provided in your Alum Council letter to make a gift to Fielding. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

To those of you who have already sent your gift, we extend our sincere thanks for your wonderful-and essential-support. Contact Anne Kratz, Director of Development, or Frances Goodrow, Development Coordinator, to discuss any of Fielding's fundraising initiatives.

Happy Hosts
"So many thanks to you for allowing us to host the small alumni and student
gathering. Seeing these alums, who still hold Fielding in such fond regard, along with our current and recent grads, is inspiring. Richard loved talking with you and meeting the folks I brag about so much."

So wrote Sandra Gill, HOD 98, in her note to Judy Kuipers after she and her husband Richard Johnson generously hosted a very enjoyable late afternoon gathering at their home near Chicago on Saturday, June 25. Judy brought everyone gathered up to date on Fielding initiatives by showing The Fielding Story, a powerful new film about our great university, and sent a CD of the story home with each guest.

There were also many reasons to celebrate-it was the weekend of both Judy and Sandra's birthdays, AND on the same day, John Blattner, PSY 88, was inducted as the president of the Illinois Psychology Association. We had a great time catching up with all the guests—Joseph Troiani, PSY 92; Arieahn Matamonasa-Bennett, PSY 05; Rochelle Santopoalo, HOD 96; and Malcolm Fraser, HOD student.

Staff Notes
For those of you who know HOD faculty emeritus Don Bushnell and his partner Julie Lopp, I want to share the great news that Julie has recovered from surgery and chemotherapy, with zest! Contact Don at dbushnell@fielding.edu if you'd like to be in touch with him or Julie.

Our English friend Wendy Overend, MA , leaves Fielding this month, after nearly 11 years. Wendy made an impact on all of our programs, but especially for the students and graduates of the Organization Development (OD) and Organizational Management (OM) programs. Wendy was there at the beginning, when we called it the Organizational Design and Effectiveness (ODE) master's degree. No one could "close the deal" like Wendy could for prospective students. She served the Fielding community in sessions and events services and in admissions, and as a staff representative to the Fielding Council, always a vocal and passionate advocate. "I've actually had 5 different positions here… I graduated from our Organizational Management MA program …I had my little darling boy Charlie, moved over to the Admission position (which I have truly loved over the past three years) and feel I've really come into my own. In fact, I have accepted a position at Santa Barbara City College as their Admission Supervisor." Wendy's last day at Fielding is September 7.

$1000 Award Shared by Two Graduates
The Elizabeth Douvan Post-Doctoral Award team chose the proposal submitted by Suzanne Baer, HOD 96, and Bo Tep, HOD 93, for this award from the Alumni Relations program this year. Suzanne and Bo, both fellows of the recently established Creative Longevity and Wisdom initiative of the School of HOD, told us that they have already begun work to "foster the development of collaborative knowledge on creative aging and wisdom through annual dialogue seminars at winter sessions in Santa Barbara" and elsewhere. Their proposal exemplifies Libby's contributions to Fielding, and promises to contribute to the HOD community as well.

Elizabeth Douvan passed away in June of 2002, after retiring from the HOD faculty one year earlier.

YOUR Alum Council
Kate Wright, MA , Organizational Management (OM), wrote this report: "Your Alum Council meets by phone every 3rd Tuesday monthly. Through the committee structure, we are currently working on these initiatives:

• We try to personally contact all new graduates soon after graduation to congratulate you on your success.
• As a result of a survey of alums 3 years ago, Fielding is well on its way to creating a searchable database (possibly Winter '06), a top request in the survey.
• Exploring the following: Continuing Education units, research partnerships, social action projects, student mentoring, career support, and facilitating groups of alums to get together for educational, social, and networking purposes.
• Final details are being made for a Fielding Graduate University ring and lapel pin.

The contact information for Alum Council members is posted on the alumni web site should you wish to write or call us. If you would like to attend any of our monthly meetings, let our Chair, Indra Mahabir, ELC 02, know one week in advance. Or, simply write to her with any thoughts, ideas, and questions you may have for the Alum Council. We are committed to working on behalf of each and every Fielding alum."

How to Reach Fielding's Office of Alumni Relations

CHERI GURSE, DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
cgurse@fielding.edu
805.898.2938

ANNE KRATZ, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
akratz@fielding.edu
805.898.2926

SYLVIA WILLIAMS , DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & COMMUNITY RELATIONS
sawilliams@fielding.edu
805.898.2947

FRANCES GOODROW, DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
fgoodrow@fielding.edu
805.898.2951

VIOLET HATIPOGLU, DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
vhatipog@fielding.edu
805.898.2920

FELIX ACCOUNTS
helpdesk@fielding.edu
805.898.4040

Copyright © Fielding Graduate University 2003-05
2112 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
805.687.1099