1999

Happy 100^th Birthday (January): The 1999-2000 school year marks the university’s Centennial Celebration. To capture the essence of this exciting year, a video, CD, and book are all commissioned. The book, Azusa Pacific University: One Hundred Years of Scholarship and Service, authored by professor emeritus of history and political science, Sheldon Jackson, PhD, receives an Award of Excellence from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District VII.

Good Morning, APU! (January): Broadcast on KAPU, APU’s first on-campus radio station, takes place. Listeners can log on and listen via the Internet anywhere in the world.

Home and Garden (February 2): APU acquired the 96-unit Citrus Gardens for $4.9 million. Renamed University Park, the new housing facility lies south of the university on Alosta Avenue. APU spent $1.5 million on renovations to prepare the first 48 units for occupancy in fall 1999. The remaining units will be ready for the 2000-2001 school year, bringing total occupancy to 268 students.

Executive Decision (March 22): Veteran faculty member and Interim Dean Ilene Smith-Bezjian, DBA, assumes the School of Business and Management helm. She becomes the first woman to occupy the position.

Last Hurrah (April 14): The final 10 Centennial Scholars claim their $5,000 scholarship. Awarded to juniors who exhibited qualities reflective of the university’s commitment to Christ, Scholarship, Community, and Service, a total of 30 students secured the funds over a three-year period.

Teaching Teachers (May): Upon completion of their course work, APU recommends more than 1,000 students to the state for credentialing. APU becomes the single largest private institution to do so.

Canyon City Scholars (May): APU’s Celebrate Azusa Citizens Scholarship Program awarded its first $5,000, renewable scholarships to Lidia Badillo ’04 of Azusa High School and Joseph Denny ’04 of Gladstone High School.

Degree Completion Milestone (May 11): The first graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Human Development matriculate. The other undergraduate degree completion programs include applied management, management information systems/computer information systems, and Christian leadership. An accelerated master’s degree in organizational management is also available. In August 2000, the accelerated RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing enrolled its first class.

Groundbreaking Event (May 14): Groundbreaking on the $14 million, 3,500-seat Richard and Vivian Felix Event Center takes place. The facility, slated to be one of the largest of its kind in the San Gabriel Valley, will provide APU and its neighbors with a place to hold sporting and other large-scale events.

Just a Little Friendly Debate (Spring): APU’s speech and debate team secured an impressive fourth-place finish in the 1999 National Parliamentary Debate Association National Tournament. The team competed against 244 other colleges.

Reaping a Profit (Spring): The university approved the Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership and Theology as well as a graduate certificate to equip those called to the nonprofit sector to affect change. These educational programs will pay dividends for years to come, both to the individual as well as the organization.

Looking Good (Summer): The William V. Marshburn Memorial Library undergoes extensive remodeling, adding 1,800 square feet of space for reading and a computer classroom. In addition, the library now contains Cornerstone Café, a coffeehouse featuring Starbucks coffee.

Honoring Madam President (Fall): To recognize the tremendous courage and example of APU’s first president, a bronze statue of Mary A. Hill is commissioned. Sculpted by APU art professor Bill Catling, MFA, the piece makes a striking image. Renovation of the Mary A. Hill Center, formerly known as Building #4, continues.

Get a Nurse, Stat! (September): APU’s School of Nursing celebrates 25 years of excellence in the preparation of generalist and advanced practice nurses. In addition, nursing faculty demonstrate a servant’s heart through their work at the Neighborhood Wellness Center in Azusa and the San Gabriel Valley’s homeless medical outreach.

APU Gets Physical (October 27): The Master of Physical Therapy Program receives initial probationary accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).