Mission of Alaska Pacific University
The Board of Trustees adopted the mission of the University on December 8, 1995 in recognition of the evolving role of the University in meeting the needs of the University community.
Alaska Pacific University is a private, independent University that promotes the fullest development of its students through liberal arts and professional programs while emphasizing individual attention to students, the development of leadership abilities, and the nurturing of spiritual and moral values consistent with its Christian heritage while respecting the religious convictions of all.
Educational Goals
Emphasize personal growth through student-centered, experiential education using Alaska, the Arctic, and the Pacific Rim as laboratories for learning.
Develop leadership for active service to society by encouraging openness to positive change, innovation, and individual initiative.
Promote international and multicultural education, welcoming learners of all ages from Alaska with a special commitment to Alaska Natives, other states of the United States, and the international community.
Maintain academic excellence by combining the breadth, integrative understanding, and critical thinking of the liberal arts with practical and focused knowledge for professional careers.
General Strategies
Faculty and Staff: Attract, develop and retain quality faculty and staff by creating a positive environment in which to work, teach, and grow through continuing professional development.
Student Support Services: Provide students with the mentoring, counseling, tutoring, cultural and spiritual support services they need to succeed.
Recruitment and Enrollment: Develop effective recruitment programs that address the needs of potential students and their families with the objectives to increase enrollment and to attract diverse, multicultural students.
Financial Management: Ensure financial stability through budget discipline, efficient use of facilities and resources, and fundraising efforts based on broad community support.
Campus Facilities: Maintain first-rate facilities and an attractive, safe campus.
Communication: Maintain open and continuous communication among all constituents.
Academic Freedom
The integrity of a university rests on the capacity of its faculty to search for truth in a climate of free inquiry and instruction unencumbered by restrictions of prejudice, intimidation, or personal preference. Academic freedom is that climate of free inquiry. It preserves the University as an educational institution and protects its members in the advocacy of their rational convictions. Academic freedom imposes a discipline that is dedicated to intellectual honesty, that respects the dignity of others, and that acknowledges the right of expression for all.
In its desire to maintain its heritage and to grow as a repository of knowledge and understanding, to assert the dignity of humankind, and to ensure the freedoms and responsibilities of its faculty, Alaska Pacific University has established the following statement of Academic Freedom:
Faculty members are entitled to freedom in research and in publication of the results. Faculty are encouraged to conduct research that leads to publishable articles in scholarly journals or forums. Faculty have the academic freedom to contribute to their fields of study. Research for pecuniary return (i.e. payment for external work should be conducted based on an understanding with the University through the Academic Dean's Office.
Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject; however, they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relationship to the subject, nor introduce discussion that purposefully denigrates a person's race, ethnicity, gender, creed, religion, or age.
When Faculty speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the University.
Introduction
This handbook provides a summary of policies and procedures, principles, and objectives pertaining to the faculty at Alaska Pacific University. The contents are intended to enhance academic freedom, promote professional development, and stimulate enthusiasm for service to the University and the community.
Each faculty member has an obligation to read and understand the handbook and how it affects his or her role on the faculty. Any questions should be addressed to the Chair of the Faculty Assembly and/or the Academic Dean.
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