Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University
Motto	"God First"
Established	1899 (1899)
Type	Private
Religious affiliation	Christian, Inter-denominational
President	Jon R. Wallace
Provost	Mark Stanton
Academic staff	1,131
Admin. staff	617
Undergraduates	5,511
Postgraduates	3,747
Location	Azusa, California, United States
Campus	Suburban, 105 acres (42 ha) on two campuses
Colors	Brick, White, and Black
Athletics	NAIA
Sports	Acrobatics & Tumbling Baseball Basketball Cross country Football Softball Soccer Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Waterpolo
Nickname	APU
Mascot	Cougars
Affiliations	GSAC
Website	www.apu.edu

Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939. APU holds regional accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

While officially inter-denominational, the university has ties with several evangelical denominations.^{[citation needed]} The university's seminary, the Graduate School of Theology, holds to a Wesleyan, Arminian doctrinal theology. With nearly 5,000 students, APU's undergraduate student body is the largest in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (although Indiana Wesleyan University has a larger total student body) and the second largest evangelical undergraduate student body in the United States, behind only Liberty University.

Campus locations

Azusa Pacific University’s Azusa campus is situated in the San Gabriel Valley, located 26 miles (42 km) [near Pasadena] northeast of Los Angeles.

The university also maintains seven off-site regional centers in Southern California:

• Inland Empire Regional Center (San Bernardino)
• Murrieta Regional Center
• San Diego Regional Center
• High Desert Regional Center (Victorville)
• Los Angeles Regional Center
• Orange County Regional Center (Orange)
• Ventura County Regional Center (Oxnard)

History

History at a glance

Training School for Christian Workers	Established	1899
Pacific Bible College	Renamed	1939
Azusa College	Renamed	1956
Azusa College and Los Angeles Pacific College	Merged	1965
Azusa Pacific College and Arlington College	Merged	1968
Azusa Pacific University	Renamed	1981

What is known today as Azusa Pacific University is the product of the merger of three Southern California-area Christian institutions: Azusa College, an independent Bible School; Los Angeles Pacific College, a Free Methodist liberal arts college; and Arlington College, a Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) college.

Azusa Pacific University was established as the Training School for Christian Workers in 1899 in Whittier, California, the first Bible college on the West Coast.^{[citation needed]}

In 1939 the Training School became Pacific Bible College, and four-year degrees were offered. In 1956, the name was changed to Azusa College. Azusa College merged first in 1965 with Los Angeles Pacific College and became Azusa Pacific College, and three years later, APC merged with Arlington College.

Upon its achievement of university status in 1981, the college changed its name to Azusa Pacific University. During that decade, off-site educational regional centers throughout Southern California were instated and master’s degree programs were first approved.

During the 1990s, Azusa Pacific began offering not only undergraduate, but also graduate degrees, and during that decade the university’s first three doctoral programs were awarded. Student enrollment doubled, and graduate programs quadrupled throughout the decade.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2000, then-Executive Vice President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, became president. Under Wallace’s leadership, Azusa Pacific University continued to grow. The university now offers 53 undergraduate majors, 37 master’s degrees, 21 credentials, 7 doctoral programs, and 5 certificates to a total student population of more than 9,200.

Accreditation and recognition

Specialized accreditation

• 1964 Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
• 1975 Board of Registered Nursing (School of Nursing)
• 1977 National League for Nursing (Undergraduate Nursing Program)
• 1982 Council on Social Work Education (Undergraduate Social Work Program)
• 1990 Association of Theological Schools (Haggard School of Theology)
• 1991 National League for Nursing (Undergraduate Nursing Program)
• 1999 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (Graduate Physical Therapy Program)
• 2001 California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) (Graduate Teacher Education)
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) (Graduate Teacher Education)
  • International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, Business programs
  • American Psychological Association (APA) (Graduate Psychology Program)
• 2002 The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (Undergraduate Department of Physical Education)
  • Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Athletic Training
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) (Athletic Training Education Program)
• 2005 International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)

(School of Business and Management)

• 2007 National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) (School of Music)
• 2008 National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) (Department of Art and Design)

Academics

Azusa Pacific University is organized into one college and six schools. The academics programs are available from College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and specifically the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, School of Business and Management, School of Education, School of Music, School of Nursing, and School of Theology.

University libraries

APU offers three libraries on its main campus and six off-campus libraries supporting academic programs at the APU Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Murrieta, and Ventura Regional Centers. The main campus libraries are the William V. Marshburn Library, Hugh and Hazel Darling Library, and Stamps Theological Library, and contain a print collection of more than 215,000 books and media, 1,800 periodical titles, and 630,000 microforms. The university network also provides access to more than 100 online databases, which include more than 12,000 full-text periodical titles and 23,000 electronic books. APU's Special Collections of which include many historical documents are housed in the Thomas F. Andrews Room of the Hugh and Hazel Darling Library.

In the fall of 2009, Azusa Pacific University acquired a significant collection of rare antiquities, including 5 fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and 5 first-edition prints of the King James Bible. These new acquisitions were displayed in an exhibit, Treasures of the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Beyond, in summer 2010.

Academic resources

Azusa Pacific University offers students and faculty various academic resources. These include career services, the Center for Academic Service Learning and Research, the Center for Global Learning and Engagement, the Center for Research in Ethics in Values, the Center for Research in Science, an Honors Program, the Institute of Faith Integration, the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education, and the Writing Center.

Athletics

See also: List of Azusa Pacific Cougars head football coaches

More than 300 Azusa Pacific University student-athletes compete in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 17 intercollegiate sports:

• Acrobatics and Tumbling (Women)
• Baseball (Men)
• Basketball (Men and women)
• Cross country (Men and women)
• Football (Men)
• Softball (Women)
• Soccer (Men and women)
• Swimming & Diving (Women)
• Tennis (Men and women)
• Track & Field (Men and women)
• Volleyball (Women)
• Water Polo (Women)

Azusa Pacific Athletics achieved seven consecutive wins of the Directors’ Cup in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 with a total of 108 GSAC Championships and 36 NAIA National Championships.^{[citation needed]}

The football team plays as an independent within the NAIA as of the 2009 football season.

As of July 11, 2011 Azusa Pacific has begun the three-year transition process to becoming a member of the NCAA. They will be joining the Pacific West Conference of NCAA Division II and becoming a football-only member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Student life

Campus activities

• Chapel Programs
• Communiversity
• Health and Wellness: University Counseling Center, Health Center, and Fitness Center
• Intramurals
• Ministry and Service
• Student Government Association
• The Arts: Music, Theater

Community involvement

Azusa Pacific University was 1 of 115 U.S. institutions named to the Carnegie Foundation's 2010 Community Engagement Classification, the most prestigious distinction in the United States recognizing outstanding university commitment to community service and service-learning.

Community Service

In 2010, Azusa Pacific University was recognized for the fourth straight year by Learn and Serve America on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. APU is 1 of only 14 schools across the nation to have served “with distinction” for all four years since the Honor Roll’s founding.

More than 700 schools were nominated for this honor, which recognizes the highest levels of commitment to service and civic engagement on campus and in the surrounding community. APU is one of only two schools acknowledged in California, and one of two Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) member schools to be awarded this distinction in the past four years

Ministry and Service

APU sponsors numerous local and global programs, including: tutoring local children, sponsoring sports camps, and cleaning up local mountain trails. Farther from campus, students build on 35 years of cooperation with Mexican churches painting schools, erecting churches, and leading Vacation Bible schools in neighborhoods throughout Mexicali and Ensenada. Through Focus International, students serve in India, Kenya, Thailand, and other ministry sites around the globe.

Center for Academic Service-Learning and Research

The Center for Academic Service-Learning and Research supports programs that provide a vital link between the classroom and the community. Notable programs include the C.H.A.M.P. (College Headed and Mighty Proud) program and a collaboration with NavPress Publications in the production of devotionals for youth (7 Minutes with God, 7 Minutes with Jesus, and 7 Minutes with the Holy Spirit).

The center serves as a bridge between academics and the community, working to organize programs that can be integrated into course curriculum. Service learning courses are offered in an average of 45 to 50 classes per semester in disciplines from education to social work and biochemistry.

Diversity

In 2011, APU was recognized by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of the nation’s top schools in awarding degrees to minority students. The university ranked among the top 100 in 11 categories, including 6th for awarding Hispanic master's degrees in the education category, and 65th for total minority master's degrees awarded across all disciplines. More than 70 countries and all fifty states are represented in the student population.

The Office of Multi-Ethnic Programs provides support and sponsors activities that increase awareness and appreciation for ethnic diversity. APU also has an International Center to assist international scholars with admissions, immigration, and cultural understanding, and also promotes community through programs and activities including the American International Mentoring Program, International Chapel, Global Fest, and the International Student Association.

Global engagement

APU students are offered, through several campus offices, a variety of missions and global awareness opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Focus International creates opportunities for sending about 200 students to serve in 20 countries, including India, Kenya, Thailand, and more. Through the Center for Global Learning and Engagement, students may choose from more than 40 study abroad opportunities, including programs in Oxford, China, Lithuania, Italy, and Australia.

APU’s South Africa campus program, based in Kwazulu-Natal Province, provides more than 30 students each semester with an opportunity to learn about the rich culture and society of South Africa, receive theoretical and practical training on community building and inter-cultural ministry, conduct service and research projects in local communities, and develop relationships with South African students, academics, and community members.

Notable alumni

Name Class year Notability References Christopher Asher M.Ed. in Physical Education NCAA Track and Field Coach Dan Barker 1975 BA in Religion Minister turned atheist author/speaker Doug Barnett 1982 NFL player Jean-Robert Bellande B.S. in Marketing Poker player; contestant on Survivor China Bryan Clay 2002 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, Decathlon; 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Vivian Chukwuemeka 2006 2008 Olympian, Nigeria, Shot Put and Discus Kevin Daley Harlem Globetrotter Marcie Dodd 2001 Actress: Wicked LA and Broadway cast member Dennis Downs 2000 B.S. in Applied Business and Management Fire Chief for the Pasadena Fire Department (Pasadena, California) Innocent Egbunike 1986 Olympic runner; 2008 Track & Field Coach, Nigeria Olympic Team Julie Ertel 1999, M.Ed. in Physical Education 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist, Water Polo; 2008 Olympic Triathlete Davidson Ezinwa 1994 Olympic runner James "The Sandman" Irvin 2001 MMA Fighter Osmond Ezinwa 1994 Olympic runner Jack W. Hayford 1970 Founder, The Church on the Way David A. Johnson 1986 and 2003 M.A. Ed.: Special Education Olympic decathlete Steven Lenhart 2008 Forward for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer Miles McPherson 1991 M.Div. Senior Pastor of The Rock Church, San Diego [citation needed] John C. Maxwell 1989 M.Div. Leadership coach and writer John F. MacArthur, Jr. 1961 Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, President of The Master's College Santa Clarita, CA Austin O’Brien 2004 Actor Steve Hindalong 1981 Songwriter, producer: co-writer "God of Wonders" Christian Okoye 1987 Former NFL player (1987-1992) Henry Alonzo 2005 Entertainment Entrepreneur Regina Zernay 1993 bass player in Cowboy Mouth

Photo of Dan Barker atheist speaker and co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, by Brent Nicastro. Jean-Robert Bellande at the final table of the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in 2005 Decathlete Bryan Clay during the long jump part of the World Athletics Championships 2007 decathlon in Osaka, Japan

External links

• www.apu.edu -- official web site
• www.apu.edu/athletics/ -- official athletics web site
• APU News and Events Information