Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
I will be sending a monthly update to our faculty, staff, and students. I also invite you to watch this short video to hear more about my reflections from my first week at Pacifica.
First Week Reflections and Thank You’s
It is wonderful to be with all of you.
First, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the warm welcome I have received. I have enjoyed every opportunity to connect with members of our community and to begin learning more about what makes Pacifica such a special place.
During my first week, I had the opportunity to spend time with our Myth faculty and students, learning more about the student experience and the innovative ways faculty are thinking about how their work can contribute to a more sustainable Pacifica. I am grateful to the students who spoke freely with me about their questions and hopes for Pacifica.
Thank you to Myth professors, Kali, Emily, and Lans, for welcoming me into your community and offering time for me to connect with students.
I also spent time learning more about our library and the deep support our students receive from our dedicated staff—from tours and research assistance to one-on-one meetings with thesis students.
Thank you, Richard and Mark, for the many ways you give your time and expertise to our community.
I had the great fortune to see our DPH Program Administrator, Evergreen, on campus on a Saturday. She graciously gave me a tour of the Lambert campus and invited me to participate in her Treasure Trade program. What a wonderful example of community—giving previously loved items a new home while connecting people with one another.
There are also so many people working behind the scenes to keep our campuses clean, functioning, and beautiful. A special thank you to Luis, Juan, David, Raul, and Roberto, whose care and commitment are evident every time you walk through our grounds. You make a difference every day.
I am equally grateful to our front desk reception team at Ladera, who troubleshoot the many issues that come their way with patience and good humor. A special thank you to Guillermo, who was cheerful and helpful at 7:00 a.m. after working the night shift. That kind of dedication does not go unnoticed.
My own transition was made considerably smoother by the support of our IT team, particularly Cameron, who patiently took the time to assist me throughout the week. Thank you for your kindness, expertise, and willingness to help.
I also spent time in person with our Registrar, Admissions, and Financial Aid teams. These colleagues have weathered the storms of new federal regulations and an entirely new software system—no small task. I am grateful for their adaptability, persistence, and continued commitment to supporting our students while navigating significant changes.
Every one of these interactions has helped me understand more deeply why students love Pacifica. It is often found in the small moments: when someone takes the time to listen, answer a question, offer encouragement, solve a problem, or simply make another person feel seen and valued.
That is the heart of Pacifica.
It is what makes a student want to apply, enroll, stay, and graduate. Each of you is a difference-maker in the life of this campus and in the lives of our students.
Thank you.
Next Steps and the Path Ahead
I also want to acknowledge the moment in which we are beginning this work together.
It is a somber time following the news of reductions. The financial challenges facing higher education—both locally and globally—are significant, and there is understandable uncertainty about what lies ahead.
But I believe something equally important is true:
Periods of disruption can also create opportunities to rethink, reimagine, and become stronger than we were before.
Sometimes, challenges give us permission to address the things we have known needed to change for years. They invite us to let go of practices that no longer serve us and to embrace new possibilities with courage, creativity, and intention.
That is where each of you comes in.
You know Pacifica. You know where the obstacles are. You know where our strengths lie. And you know where untapped opportunities may be waiting.
As we begin this next chapter together, I invite you to approach it with curiosity rather than certainty, possibility rather than limitation. Let us not assume that longstanding problems are permanent or that our future must look like our past.
Instead, let us ask different questions. Let us challenge our assumptions. Let us listen carefully to one another. And let us have the courage to imagine what Pacifica can become.
On Friday, we held our Board of Trustees meeting. We discussed our current budget and strategies for long-term sustainability, ways we can continue to support faculty, staff, and students in a challenging higher education environment, and plans for our upcoming 50th anniversary weekend in January.
I left that meeting feeling optimistic about our path forward and, perhaps even more importantly, with a deep sense of commitment from everyone in the room. We have important work ahead of us, but we will approach it together—with honesty, purpose, and a shared commitment to Pacifica.
Four Priorities for the Year Ahead
If you attended my first Zoom presentation July, you may remember that I identified four priorities that will guide my work this year:
- Future-proof our curriculum — including our delivery models, program length, and course structures, so that Pacifica continues to meet the evolving needs of our students and the world they will enter.
- Build sustained infrastructure for student access and success — ensuring that Pacifica is accessible and supportive for students at every point in their educational journey.
- Strengthen Pacifica’s local and global positioning — expanding our visibility, partnerships, and connections so that we can create new opportunities for our students, faculty, and institution.
- Create a culture of kindness, transparency, and clarity — strengthening communication and building a culture in which respect for one another and for our shared work is at the center of how we move forward.
Each of these priorities will be explored in greater detail, and there will be opportunities for members of our community to participate, contribute ideas, and help shape our direction.
I am beginning this presidency with a great deal of humility, but also with confidence in what is possible when we work together. My schedule over the next several weeks continues to be filled with faculty, staff, and student meetings—being in the room (in person or virtually) with you is exactly where I should be. Thanks in advance for willingness to connect.
I look forward to learning from you, working alongside you, and building the next chapter of Pacifica with you.
With gratitude and optimism,
Ann Marie Klotz
President & CEO
Pacifica Graduate institute
