Alaska Pacific University

Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a private university in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It was first established as Alaska Methodist University in 1957. In 1978, the school was renamed to Alaska Pacific University, but it still keeps its connection to the United Methodist Church. The university's main campus is close to the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Alaska Native Medical Center.

Rankings

In 2024, Washington Monthly placed Alaska Pacific University at 30th out of 223 colleges in the U.S. that mainly grant bachelor's degrees. The ranking was based on how well the university helps society, through supporting students from different backgrounds, doing research, and encouraging service to the community.

History

The university began in the late 1950s as Alaska Methodist University, founded by Peter Gordon Gould, an Aleut from Unga, Alaska. Gould later became the first Alaska Native minister in the United Methodist Church and worked to create a Methodist university in Alaska.

In 1959, the university dedicated its campus. After changing its name to Alaska Pacific University in 1978, it partnered with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium in 2016, aiming to become a tribal college.

Academics

Alaska Pacific University lets students study liberal arts and sciences. It has nine graduate programs, including eight master's degrees and one doctoral degree. There are also graduate certificates available. The university has special programs for students who are returning to school later in life.

The Early Honors program gives students a chance to skip their final year of high school.

International collaboration

Alaska Pacific University works closely with the University of the Arctic, an international group of over 200 schools focused on Arctic studies. The university takes part in a program called north2north, which helps students study in different Arctic regions.

Campus

The main campus has academic buildings, places to live, spaces for the community to gather, and areas for recreation, including trails for winter and summer activities. The campus has eight big buildings, with five used directly by the university. The other three buildings are offices for the US Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory, Alaska Public Media, and the Alaska Spine Institute. Freshmen under 21 must live on campus for their first two years.

The Atwood Center is a historic place where important meetings happened in 1971. APU also has a campus in Palmer, Alaska called the Kellogg Campus. This campus is a 700-acre working farm for students learning about sustainability and also serves as a learning center for homeschooled students.

Student life

Athletics

Alaska Pacific University is famous for its Nordic Ski Team. The APU Nordic Ski Center was set up in 1999 to help train cross-country skiers for big competitions.

Back in 1972, Alaska Methodist University’s ski team sent four skiers to the Winter Olympics. Since then, APU has always sent at least one skier to every Winter Olympics after that. One of these skiers, Kikkan Randall, won a gold medal in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Clubs and associations

The Associated Students of Alaska Pacific University, or ASAPU, is the group chosen by students to help make decisions for everyone. Members of ASAPU stand up for what students want and watch over all the different clubs and groups on campus. APU has many student clubs and organizations that students can join.

For students living in the dorms, the Resident Activity Programming Board plans fun events.

Notable alumni

Alaska Pacific University has had many successful graduates. Sadie Bjornsen and Kikkan Randall are both famous cross-country skiers who competed in the Winter Olympics. Holly Brooks was also an Olympian in cross-country skiing. Other notable alumni include Sharon Cissna, who served in the Alaska House of Representatives, and Albert Kookesh, a leader in the Tlingit community. Lew Freedman is a well-known author and sports writer, and Walt Monegan was a former police chief of Anchorage.