Los Angeles Pacific University building with trees.

Celebrating 10 Years Online!

Rich Heritage, New Purpose

While we trace our heritage back to 1903 (and APU to 1899), we launched our first classes as a 100% online university on August 23rd, 2011. For 10 years, LAPU has been innovating online education to remain among the most flexible, affordable, and student care-focused universities in the nation.

You can also visit the Our History page for the full history.

Images says: Celebrating 10 years Online

Years As An Online University

US States with LAPU Alumni

3,741

Degrees Granted

Purpose

Celebrating a Decade of Hope
ONLINE

For more than a decade, LAPU has been living out its mission to create for people a
new hope for the future by investing in lives through learning pathways that are
Christ-centered, flexible, and accessible. “A Decade of Hope” points to the story of
a community of Christ-followers, committed to prayer, following a dream, and
choosing to trust God through an exciting season of growth. A commitment
to faith, life, and learning, faith integration, student care, service, diversity,
and religious expression combine to form the essence of our
mission-driven community. Join us in celebrating Ten Years Online!

Read our decade of hope book

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Dr. John Reynolds, PhD

Reflecting as the founding president of Los Angeles Pacific University (LAPU), it has been my privilege and honor to have led this amazing institution for 10 years, and to have served as the navigator for such amazing leaders this past decade.

What a God-thing this decade has been stretching back to 2010 when, with the Azusa Pacific University board, we began a vision of how to provide affordability and accessibility for the many who desired a Christian higher education experience, but just did not have a pathway to make this a reality.

Statistical Highlights

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University Milestones

Group of employees playing games and having fun

Laptop on desk with Navigators Leadership Program book

Technology Advancements

Over the last decade, LAPU has seen significant growth and innovation in the area of technology. As our IT and eLearning teams have grown, so have our investments in the tech that has helped us create a student experience like none other.

Informational Technology

July 2017: Introduced “Live Chat” into the majority of the student facing sites
Early 2019: LAPU begins to build independent technology infrastructure
March 2019: Implemented LAPU’s first SMS system
March-April 2020: Reconfigure our technical environment for a Hybrid
May 2020: Implemented Nelnet (Enterprise eBill system with Payment Plans)
Summer of 2020: LAPU’s technology infrastructure becomes fully independent from APU
May 2021: Implemented QAssign, a mass assignment tool that incorporates business logic and allows for auto-distribution of lead/student to staff relationships)
December 2021: Introduced Change Advisory Boards on enterprise technologies
June 1, 2022: Officially launched Slack as our Digital Officespace
Multiple Datacenter Migrations (3 in the past 7 years)
Workforce model (enabled secure remote access, remote support, remote onboarding & offboarding)

eLearning

Every year has led to discoveries in how to leverage our LMS softwarein new and exciting ways. We are now providing a fully mobile, onlinelearning experience that is engaging and easy to navigate.
We create massive amounts of learning media, have earned severalawards and accolades, including several OMNI Awards and Adobe eLearning Showcase Wins, and are currently growing a subscriber base on YouTube!
We now offer 20 programs, have designed over 270 courses, and launched a Professional Development platform called LAPUx offering professional badges and certificates.
We built and launched our own online bookstore with Akademos.
Several team members have been invited to speak and present at a variety of conferences and events including DevLearn, Adobe eLearning Unplugged, OLC Innovate, Ireland International Conference on Education, Falling Walls International Science Summit, and more…
The myLAPU mobile app was designed and implemented to provide our students with a way to engage with each other on-the-go. The app also provides students with access to important information and resources at their fingertips. The app now allows us to send push notifications for events and reminders…further improving the overall student experience.

Academic Advancements

LAPU’s emphases on affordability, flexibility, and accessibility are reflected in its core operating principles and distance education modality.

Launched APOU
Offered Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Management (now the BBA) programs.
Offered Additional Degrees
Added a certificate, three associate degrees, and a bachelor’s degree in 2012.
Offered First Master’s Degree
Began offering the first master’s degree in 2014. See program start dates table below for further information
Academic governance
Was reorganized from discipline chairs and program coordinators to the current assistant dean model in July 2015.
Faith, Life and Learning Online PUBLICATION
written by LAPU faculty and staff (published in April 2022), is important for publication and reputation, and also addresses the most common question asked by presidents of institutions: “How do you distribute information in an online environment?” Faith, Life and Learning Online shares ten years of experience working though different aspects of this.
Competency-based education (CBE) program
Applied for permission to start a competency-based education (CBE) program. Permission was granted to start a CBE program in July, 2022 making LAPU the second university to be approved by WSCUC to offer a CBE degree. The approved CBE program is a MS in Instructional Design and Technology, with an anticipated launch date in January 2023. This gives us an opportunity to serve a whole new population of people.

Leadership and Staff
Memories

“One of the best memories, I have is the building of Community at LAPU…”

I am so honored that I was part of the launch of the University, really by virtue of the relationship to APU but also because I believe in what you’re doing. God bless you and congratulations on a decade and many happy returns!
PEGGY CAMPBELL, FORMER LAPU BOARD MEMBER

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Back in 2011 there was a handful of us that were tasked with building a university and those were very exciting times. We were building a university that would open access to people who could otherwise not afford to go to a university. KURT TAKAMINE, FORMER LAPU VP/CAO CURRENT FACULTY

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We wanted an online university that was a little different than what you normally get across the country and in other words, that was more personal, more involvement with regard to the students and that would otherwise maybe not be able to go to an online university and yet, knowing that there were many advantages to distance learning. NICK VANDESTEEG, CHARTER BOARD CHAIR

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It was an amazing community of coming to work, in one location, as we dreamed big for what the future might be for online education for Los Angeles Pacific University. DEANA PORTERFIELD, FORMER LAPU EVP

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Reflecting on 10 years… When John Reynolds briefed me on all that he envisioned with the online college, it seemed like a long road ahead. Now flash forward and here we are, it’s incredible!
JENNA TALBOT, LAPU BOARD MEMBER

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Mike Wilday,
Manager of Learning Technology Solutions

Some of my fondest memories center around our time in the Citrus Edge building.

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Dawn McCool,
Executive Assistant to President / CEO

These words, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11)…

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Callista Dawson,
Senior Instructional Media Designer

My earliest memory is from the APOU ribbon cutting ceremony.

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Alex Mills, Senior Instructional Designer

I have so many special memories here at LAPU. The most significant impactful memories were when my son Jeremiah…

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Student Stories

“Most of the private universities I looked into were just too expensive. I have tried community college before, but it was too hard to get into the classes I needed for my prerequisites and I did not want to waste time in classes I didn’t need. Finding LAPU was an answered prayer!”

—LAPU 2019 Student

Hear from our Students