Atmospheric video showing life at Azusa Pacific University.

The Provost

The provost guides the strategic academic vision for the university and oversees all academic matters and initiatives, setting policy.

Azusa Pacific University’s provost, Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD, enacts the mission of the university by holding the faculty in high esteem, elevating academic excellence, and ensuring the education of the whole student.

Anita Henck smiling

“Across Azusa Pacific University’s 125-year history, our reputation has been well established through our academic programs and external partnerships across Southern California and beyond. With a renewed focus on innovation and agility, APU’s academic future could not be brighter and our mission could not be more clear.”

- Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD

Henck’s expertise lies in aligning programs/institutions with best academic practices; developing innovative curriculum and student service programs; building strong, healthy teams; and leading turnaround assignments in administrative areas. Her experiences and responsibilities at Azusa Pacific University, Eastern Nazarene College (Quincy, MA), and American University (Washington, DC) have included assignments as dean, department chair, program director, faculty member, vice president, board/press liaison, policy and speech writer, ombudsperson, and assistant to the president and provost.

Prior to her role as provost, Henck served as dean of APU’s School of Education since 2011, where she provided turnaround leadership during major transition, improved enrollment, enhanced fiscal health, led a team that reshaped the curricular portfolio, redesigned the EdD in Educational Leadership program with a 96 percent completion rate, and launched the Next Generation Superintendent’s professional development group.

Education

  • PhD, Education Leadership, Higher Education Administration and Student Development, American University
  • MA, Educational Administration, American University
  • BA, Psychology, Indiana University
Note: This information is current for the 2024-25 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information.