Transcription
Azusa PacificOnline University2012–13 Catalog
WELCOMEWelcomeWe are a community committed to Christ. For more than 100 years, Azusa Pacific has held the motto God First as the highestcall we place on our students and ourselves. We believe that each student will, in the course of his or her journey with us, beexposed to a Christian worldview—a worldview that holds the value of each person in light of the value that God has placedon him or her, a worldview that places human history in the context of God’s eternal plan.We are a community dedicated to academic excellence. Our faculty comprises distinguished men and women—giftedteachers with a commitment to learners and high academic standards. Your academic expedition includes immersion inthe liberal arts because we believe that education should prepare you to think and reason as you become a lifelong learner.The skills and abilities you acquire will prepare you for a world that is changing rapidly and in desperate need of womenand men who can chart a life of significance into and through turbulent times.We believe in community. The fabric of diversity woven together around our Christian faith is a wonderful tapestry fromwhich we can gain wisdom and knowledge. As you discover the amazing benefits that come from being a member ofcommunity, our hope is that you will take this concept with you to form other Christ-centered communities, where you willwelcome and include others just as you were welcomed and included here.We believe in service. Serving others can be one of the most enriching experiences in life—for the giver and the receiver.While not an easy value to manifest in an online environment, we are committed to the act of serving and the reflection onopportunities to serve others as a core dimension of your APOU learning experience.I welcome you to this journey of faith and scholarship. There are great challenges and opportunities waiting for you both asa learner and as a Kingdom citizen. I pray that you will take advantage of all that God has given you to do and to become.John C. ReynoldsChief Executive Officeri2012–13The Azusa Pacific Online University catalog is a map for your educational future. As you read through the pages of coursedescriptions, policies, and programs, you will soon discover the opportunities available to you for learning at APOU. Eachsession will move you closer to your academic goals while challenging your faith and personal development. From themoment you begin until the day you graduate, you will know that we are a university aligned with our mission and FourCornerstone values: Christ, Scholarship, Community, and Service.
Table of Contents1. GENERAL INFORMATION.1The University’s Christian Worldview.2Statement of Faith.2Daily Living Expectations.2Statements of Vision and Purpose/Mission.2Essence Statement.3The Cornerstones.4The Motto.4University Student Learning Goals.4Commitment to Student Learning Goals.4Diversity Statement.4Statement of Academic Freedom.5Accreditation.5History .5Location.6Statements of Compliance.6Harassment Policy.62. ACADEMIC AND SUPPORT SERVICES.7University Libraries.8Writing Tutoring Services.8Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.8Life Coaches.8Career and Vocation Center.8Bookstore.8Counseling Services.8Learning Management System.83. ADMISSIONS POLICIES.9Admission to the University.10Policy Regarding False Information.10Transcripts.10Evidence of Proficiency.10Transfer Applicants.10General Education Information for Transfer Students.11Admission of Homeschooled Students.11Re-admission and Re-enrollment.11Admission Status.11Notification of Admission.11Veterans’ Education Benefits.11Credit by Examination.12International Admission.144. FINANCIAL AID.15Student Financial Services.16Cost of Attendance 2012–13.16Payment.16Refund Policy.16Financial Agreement.16How to Apply for Financial Aid.16Types of Financial Aid.16Federal Aid.17State Aid.18Outside Aid.21Financial Aid Policies.21Stacking Financial Aid.23Verification.235. ACADEMIC POLICIES.24Reservation of Rights.25Academic Integrity.25Course Numbering System.25Academic Calendar.26Registering for Classes.26Late Registration.26Administrative Withdrawal Policy.26Adds/Drops.26Credit Hours.26Study Load.26Concurrent Enrollment Policy.26Grading.26Incomplete Grades.27Attendance Regulations.27Make-up Provisions.27Repeated Courses.27Transfer Work.27Petition Process.28Normal Progress Toward a Degree.28Classification of Students.28Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal.28Re-application after Academic Dismissal.28Withdrawal from Courses.28Withdrawal from the University.29Leave of Absence.29Student Records Policy.29Release of Transcripts.29Right of Access.29Disclosure of Student Records.29Notification of Rights under FERPA.30Expectations for Student Behavior in the Learning Environment.31Grievance Policy.32Correspondence Course Credit.33Requirements for Graduation.34Time Limit for Completing Degrees.34Changes in Degree Requirements.34Minimum Grade-point Average.34Security Interest in Student Records.34Residency Requirements.34Application for Graduation.34Intent to Graduate.34Commencement.34Degree Posting Dates.346. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS.35Pre-Nursing Science Certificate.36Purpose, Goals, Student Learning Outcomes,and Requirements for Certificate.36Associate of Arts.36Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomesfor Associate of Arts.36Requirements for the A.A.37Associate of Science in Management.39Purpose, Goals, and Student Learning Outcomesfor the ASM.39Requirements for the A.S. in Management.39Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology.41Purpose, Goals, and Student Learning Outcomesfor the B.A. in Applied Psychology.41Requirements for the B.A. in Applied Psychology.42Bachelor of Arts in Management.47Purpose, Goals, and Student Learning Outcomesfor the B.A. in Management.47Requirements for the B.A. in Management.487. ACADEMIC CALENDAR.528. INDEX.55The information and policies included in this catalog are accurate as of September 3, 2012. The university reserves the right to make changes of any kind whenever theseare deemed necessary or desirable.ii
1General Information2012–13 CATALOGThe University’s Christian Worldview. 2Commitment to Student Learning Goals. 4Daily Living Expectations. 2Statement of Academic Freedom. 5Statement of Faith. 2Statements of Vision and Purpose/Mission. 2Essence Statement. 3The Cornerstones. 4The Motto. 4University Student Learning Goals. 4Diversity Statement. 4Accreditation. 5History . 5Location. 6Statements of Compliance. 6Harassment Policy. 61
The University’s Christian WorldviewThe Statement of Faith, Mission Statement, EssenceStatement, Cornerstones, and Motto of Azusa PacificOnline University provides a solid foundation on which tobuild positional statements of the institution as an evangelicalChristian university. These documents evidence a strongChristian commitment and form the core of the increasinglyfar-reaching nature and scope of the Azusa Pacific community.They give expression to a strong, clear, unswervingly evangelicalChristian worldview that permeates the university and guides itsactivity. As its guiding center, the university is able to grow moreeffectively in the confidence that its Christian nature will flourish.The documents that have been part of the growing historyof APU serve as a cohesive core. Each evolves from theother, providing consistency and natural coordination thatdemonstrates the university’s worldview as thoroughly Christian.1. The Statement of Faith is the central statement of theuniversity in matters of identity and nature. It providesan evangelical Christian declaration of the theologicalunderpinnings on which the university is built. It containsa clear description of faith and living as a reflection ofthe institution’s heritage of integration of right belief andright living.2. The Statements of Vision and Purpose/Mission provides thedirection and task to which the university applies its resourcesand effort, with the understanding that the integrative natureof faith cannot be fulfilled apart from a mission of transformationconsistent with a Christian commitment.3. The Essence Statement describes the nature of the universityin living out core values in the pursuit of its mission.4. The Cornerstones serve as a strategic guide to focus theefforts needed to fulfill the university’s mission. They reflectthe strategic emphases of implementation.5. The Motto expresses the foundational commitment onwhich the university statements and policies rest.Statement of FaithWe believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible,authoritative Word of God.We believe that there is one God, creator of heaven andearth, eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son, andHoly Spirit.We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virginbirth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicariousand atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodilyresurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of theFather, and in His personal return to power and glory.We believe in the fall and consequent total moral depravityof humanity, resulting in our exceeding sinfulness and lostestate, and necessitating our regeneration by the Holy Spirit.2We believe in the present and continuing ministry ofsanctification by the Holy Spirit by whose infilling the believingChristian is cleansed and empowered for a life of holinessand service.We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost:those who are saved to the resurrection of life and thosewho are lost to the resurrection of damnation.We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our LordJesus Christ.Daily Living ExpectationsThe following are fundamentals held to be essential, and theuniversity expects faculty and staff not only to believe in them,but to practice them in daily living:A caring, effective love both to God and humanityA Christlike unity and acceptance among believersA lifestyle dedicated to God’s will in societyA growing, victorious state of mind because of theindwelling ChristA daily affirmation of Christ as LordA willingness to serve the Lord, even when it involves sacrificeA desire to be sensitive to the personal work of the Holy SpiritA working faith in God’s promises for all needs and dailylife situationsA witness for Christ without hypocrisyA firm, committed desire to be God’s personStatements of Vision and Purpose/MissionAzusa Pacific Online University believes that biblical-basedtruth, knowledge, and scholarship should be available toeveryone, everywhere, who has a passion to learn andmake a difference in the world.Azusa Pacific Online University exists to deliver high quality,accessible Christ-centered education to learners everywhere.
ChristianWe are Christians who:believe that God is the origin of all things and the sourceof the values made known to us in His creation, in humanexperience, and finally and fully, in Jesus Christ.hold the Bible as the Word of God, the basis of our faith, andthe primary record by which these values are made known.rely on the Holy Spirit to help us discover these values,understand them, and live a life consistent with them.live as citizens of the Kingdom of God, who model its valuesand thereby call into question the values of the world.promote and expand the body of knowledge related to ourprofession or discipline.have a thorough command of the primary sources,methodology and research skills, major issues, vocabulary,and facts in at least one academic field of study andunderstand how the skills acquired in this way may beadapted to other fields of endeavor.encourage and make provision for any person to learn atany period of life.DevelopmentalWe are persons who:seek to develop a creative Christian lifestyle whose purposeflows from a commitment to God through Jesus Christ.honor our commitments and take responsibility for ourpersonal behavior, decisions, and continuing growth.confess Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives, our university, andour world, and as the final authority for our faith and life.know from experience that self-discipline, struggle, risk,and confrontation are necessary for growth, and recognizethat because of the grace of God we grow even throughour failures.recognize that redemption by Jesus Christ and personalacceptance of His forgiveness are necessary for humanwholeness.have experiences in self-assessment in every dimension ofour lives, in values-clarification based on biblical truths, andin planning for continuous individual growth and renewal.show love toward God (holiness of heart) and a love towardeach other (holiness of life) which express themselves inworship, self-denial, and a special concern for the oppressed,and which encourage us to abandon those distinctions thatdivide us.understand the capabilities of our physical bodies and arecommitted to the lifelong nurturing of our physical selves.practice community among ourselves as members of the oneBody of Christ and maintain a nonsectarian openness towardall Christians.AcademicWe are scholars who:believe that all truth is of God; therefore, we recognize theimportance of each field of study both for its own significanceand for its interrelationship with other areas of knowledge.believe that God desires that we pursue excellenceaccording to the standard of His will for us.exhibit intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and criticalopenmindedness.2012–13The essence statement of Azusa Pacific University is aphilosophical description of the institution and its people—students, staff, faculty, trustees, administration, and alumni—who we are and who we are becoming. We are an institutionof higher education with a tradition of Wesleyan evangelicalChristianity. While acknowledging that as individuals weare at different points along the way, we are all neverthelessjourneying toward the ideals described in the four perspectivesthat follow: Christian, Academic, Developmental, and Service.know the language, art, and customs of at least one otherculture or know the cross-cultural issues within one’s owndiscipline in order to develop understanding of, respect for,and cooperation with those of all other cultures.GENERAL INFORMATIONEssence StatementServiceWe are servants who:are able to follow joyfully Jesus’ example of service in theworld and pour out our individual and corporate lives forothers because of God’s love in Christ for us.share our faith unashamedly, disciple other Christians,participate in missionary endeavors, minister to the needsof all persons regardless of their agreement with our beliefs,and affirm the unique worth of every individual as onecreated by God, as one for whom Christ died, and asone who has been given individual gifts and talents to bediscovered, developed, and directed toward service.are faithful stewards of our time, talents, and resources;welcome and seek opportunities for service as a meansto clarify and practice our faith and knowledge.are able to deal with complexity and ambiguity, and tocommunicate effectively, weigh evidence, and make decisions.recognize that a knowledge of history is key to understandingourselves, our world, and our future.have a basic understanding of Christianity, the humanities,the social sciences, and the natural sciences.3
The CornerstonesChristBelief in Christ is central to all that we think and do, and whowe are. It is this understanding of God’s love that informs allour pursuits: academic, service, and community.“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over allcreation. For by him all things were created: things in heavenand on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powersor rulers or authorities; all things were created by him andfor him. He is before all things, and in him all things holdtogether. And he is the head of the body, the church; he isthe beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, sothat in everything he might have supremacy.”Colossians 1:15–18ScholarshipWe are called to scholarship permeated by our Christianfaith. We are committed to teaching excellence. The liberalarts is central in the curriculum, for we are dedicated to theeducation of the whole person. At the same time, we valuethe role of professional offerings that prepare students forspecific careers.“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my wordsor swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she willprotect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdomis supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have,get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embraceher, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace onyour head and present you with a crown of splendor.”Proverbs 4:5–9CommunityWe believe in community. We are a richly diverse peoplewho value the worth of each individual. Our mission is toencourage, equip, and enable each student to fulfill his orher great potential, and in turn, encourage, equip, and enable others.“May the God who gives endurance and encouragementgive you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you followChrist Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you mayglorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acceptone another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order tobring praise to God.”Romans 15:5–7ServiceService is at the heart of our endeavors.“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what isgood. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honorone another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, butkeep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope,patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s peoplewho are in need. Practice hospitality.”Romans 12:9–134The MottoThe earliest declaration of the university motto, God First wasoriginally adopted in the early part of the twentieth century toreflect the desire and commitment that this institution remainsspiritually alive and vitally Christian. An early publicationstated that “it is the foremost thought of our every activity, theprincipal lesson of every class and the utmost desire of everysoul.” The foundational proclamation, God First, continues tobe central to sustaining the identity.University Student Learning GoalsThe following student goals reflect the university’s missionand priorities. These broad learning goals form the foundationfor specific program-based student learning outcomes.Students who complete degrees at Azusa Pacific OnlineUniversity shall:Christ Explain the relevance of Jesus Christ and His teachingsto their major discipline, personal and professional values,ethics, and commitments. Explain how Scripture, tradition, experience and reasoncontribute to the student’s understanding of God’s purposesin their personal, social, and professional choices.Scholarship Demonstrate effective written communication and onlineinteraction skills. Critically evaluate, integrate, and apply knowledge. Achieve quantitative, technical, linguistic, andinformation literacy. Demonstrate competence in the content and methods oftheir chosen field of study.Service Apply acquired competencies through contributions topersonal, academic and professional settings.Community Evidence an understanding of human behavior thatrecognizes the influence of diverse worldviews andexperiences on societal or interpersonal relationships.APOU anticipates its students will continue to develop anduse their knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and faith throughouttheir lives to benefit society, the Church, and themselves.Commitment to Student LearningOutcomesAzusa Pacific Online University is committed to universitywide assessment processes. Each program has identifiedprogram-specific student learning outcomes, which areavailable in the catalog description of each degree program.Diversity StatementAzusa Pacific Online University is deeply committed toGod-honoring diversity as reflected in its mission, academicvision, position statements, and the institution’s strategicplan. As part of this commitment, each individual shouldexpect to be treated with respect regardless of personalbackground and abilities.
The university recognizes that academic freedom hashistorically been defined both by broadly accepted academicstandards and by the mission and character of the institutionin which it is practiced. Azusa Pacific Online University seeksto maintain an academic community in which faculty are freeto engage in rigorous scholarly inquiry and expression withinan intellectual context shaped by the evangelical Christiantradition. In addition to this freedom, Azusa Pacific OnlineUniversity seeks to pursue scholarly inquiry and expressionin a way that extends and enriches the academic disciplinesfrom the unique resources provided by the institution’s identity.Thus, at Azusa Pacific Online University, academic freedomis defined both by the commonly accepted standards ofthe academy and by those commitments articulated in thedocuments that are central to the university’s identity as aChristian university. These documents articulate the centralcommitments which shape the academic community, andthus the practice of academic freedom, at Azusa PacificOnline University: a belief in God as the Creator of all things,in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, in the Holy Spirit asteacher and guide, in Scripture as God’s authoritative andinfallible revelation, and in the Christian community as anexpression and vehicle of God’s redemptive work in this world.The university follows these principles in its practice ofacademic freedom: Faculty are entitled to the rights and privileges, and bearthe obligations, of academic freedom in the performanceof their duties. Specifically, faculty are free to pursue truthand knowledge within their disciplines in the classroom, intheir research and writings, and in other public statementsin their field of professional competence. At all times facultyshould strive for accuracy, e
Azusa Pacific Online University believes that biblical-based . truth, knowledge, and scholarship should be available to everyone, everywhere, who has a passion to learn and make a difference in the world. Azusa Pacific Online University exists to deliver high quality, accessible Christ-centered education to learners everywhere.
