New Interdisciplinary Major Offers Customizable Approach to Education

This article originally appeared on apu.edu.

Azusa Pacific University offers more than 60 undergraduate majors for students to choose, ranging from accounting to youth ministries. The vast majority of APU students find that one of these majors meets their interests and will pave the way to a successful career. For some students, finding a major that aligns with their future goals is more challenging. APU’s Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, provides a solution.

Launched fall 2017, the interdisciplinary studies major allows students to combine classes from two or three programs to create their own degree. “Offering alternate pathways enables students to design their own education,” said Jeffrey Boian, M.A., program director. “A student may say, 'I love APU and I know what I want to do for a living, but I don't see a degree that's going to get me there.' This program helps students chart a course to their future job.”

The interdisciplinary program is different than majoring in one field and minoring in another. “Students who have multiple majors or minors are well studied in those areas. In contrast, this major focuses on the intersection of each area,” Boian said. “For example, an interdisciplinary studies major could choose to study biology and English if they plan to write about medicine.”

Boian pointed to several students who have designed unique combinations to suit their career plans. One student wants to be a general manager for a baseball team, so he combines business, communication studies, and psychology. Another is studying marketing, graphic design, and English because she wants to be a creative art director. “The sky's the limit with this program,” Boian said. “If you can dream of a career and articulate why combining a couple majors makes sense, there's a high likelihood we can make that a reality for you.”

Ryan Hartwig, Ph. D., chair of the Department of Communication Studies, helped spearhead the major. “We envisioned a program that would meet the unique needs of certain students and to respond to the changing trends in higher education. With the key outcome of employability in mind, this program encourages students to explore what they want to do, and then helps them create a way to prepare for their career,” said Hartwig.

“A lot of APU faculty use an interdisciplinary teaching approach, so there’s excitement surrounding this new way to serve our students,” Hartwig said. “Every other week I read an article in Inside Higher Ed or The Chronicle of Higher Education that highlights this trend.” Hartwig refers to this growing enthusiasm for tailor-made education as the Chipotle effect. “Everyone customizes their own meal at Chipotle and that's happening in higher education too.”

Sophomore Adia Middleton combines international relations, sociology, and social work for her interdisciplinary major. She finds the freedom of crafting a major empowering and plans to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship after she graduates. “I selected coursework to give me a broad platform for graduate school and beyond,” Middleton said.

The interdisciplinary studies major comprises 54 units, including an 18-unit vocational development core and 36 units of courses in two or three disciplinary areas of at least 12 units each. The core includes an internship and a capstone to prepare students for their careers. For more information on the Interdisciplinary Studies program, visit here or contact Jeff Boian: jboian@apu.edu.

Ancient Sculpture of Biblical King Discovered in Israel Draws Global Interest

This article was originally published on apu.edu. 

Also of note, this was originally published as a news release and was picked up internationally by over 300 outlets, reaching over 600 million people. In addition, note that this was a team project, with the original news release being written by Nate K Foster.

The latest artifact unearthed from Azusa Pacific University’s archeological excavation site with Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Tel Abel Beth Maacah has triggered a flood of news stories capturing the imagination of more than half a billion people around the globe, with the number of articles and interested parties continuing to grow. The identity of a 3,000-year-old miniature sculpted head of a king intrigues scholars and the public alike. Currently on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the head rotates slowly on a motorized base, enabling visitors to view its details and ponder its mysterious origin.

According to Robert Mullins, Ph.D., lead archeologist at Abel Beth Maacah and chair and professor in Azusa Pacific’s Department of Biblical and Religious Studies, the head measures 2.2 x 2 inches and has carefully executed features, including glossy black tresses combed back from a headband painted in yellow and black and a manicured beard. The figure’s almond-shaped eyes and pupils are lined in black and the pursed lips give him a look that is part pensive, part stern. The glazed surface is tinted light green due to the addition of copper to the quartz paste. Its elegant style indicates that the man was a distinguished person, likely a king. By all appearances, the head seems to have broken off from the body of a figurine that stood 8-10 inches high.

“Despite the head’s small and innocuous appearance, it provides us with a unique opportunity to gaze into the eyes of a famous person from the past, a past enshrined in the Book of Ages,” said Mullins. “Given the head was found in a city that sat on the border of three different ancient kingdoms, we do not know whether it depicts the likes of King Ahab of Israel, King Hazael of Aram-Damascus, or King Ethbaal of Tyre, rulers known from the Bible and other sources. The head represents a royal enigma.”

Back in July 2017, high up on the summit of Abel Beth Maacah, Mullins and his team were excavating the remains of what could be an ancient citadel from the time of the Israelite kings. One room contained evidence of metallurgical activity. Another yielded an elaborately decorated Phoenician storage vessel. In the easternmost room, Mario Tobia, an engineering student from Jerusalem, picked up a small two-inch square “dirt clod” that encased this mysterious head.

The Israel Museum held a special ceremony in May featuring a presentation on the head and its discovery by Naama Yahalom-Mack, Ph.D., of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A more detailed article about the head and the current excavations at Abel Beth Maacah will appear in the June issue of the professional journal, Near Eastern Archaeology.

The ancient city of Abel Beth Maacah, mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible, has yielded other exciting discoveries from the 13 th century BC, including a silver hoard that contained silver earrings and ignots, and a stone seal depicting a ritual dance.

The 2018 summer dig season at Abel Beth Maacah begins June 24. The excavation site is licensed by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. This joint excavation is now in its sixth year.

Related links:

Read the Live Science article.

Read the Associated Press article.

Watch the film featuring Robert Mullins, Ph.D., and the Abel Beth Maacah Excavation Project.

APU Leadership Conveys a Commitment to Diversity

This article was originally published on apu.edu.

This summer, all 22 members of Azusa Pacific University’s President's Council and Administrative Cabinet are participating in the Executive Diversity Ambassador Seminar Series (EDA), led by the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence (CDEIE). Cabinet members, including President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, are learning how to best serve all students and faculty at APU.

The training is spearheaded by the directors of the CDEIE, Richard S. Martinez, Ed.D, executive director, and Susan R. Warren, Ph.D., director of diversity programs. "There is a growing excitement among APU faculty and staff surrounding our diversity initiatives," said Warren. "Now, this commitment from our upper administration adds momentum and support for our campus diversity efforts."

Martinez said that APU is a pioneer in offering training to university leadership and serves as an example for other universities. “The EDA provides strong support to the APU Strategic Priority #4––cultivate a Christ-centered inclusive institutional culture, which intentionally values people, diversity, and mutual understanding in community,” Martinez said.

"Richard and I began our careers as K-12 educators. It made a significant difference when principals would go through training alongside their faculty," Warren said. "When leadership rolls up their sleeves and comes alongside faculty and staff, it sends a powerful message."

The diversity training began in April and continues through August. Top administrators will meet four times for group training sessions. They will also read two books written and edited by APU faculty: White Out: Understanding White Privilege and Dominance in the Modern Age by associate professor Chris Collins, Ph.D., and associate professor Alexander Jun, Ph.D., and Diversity Matters: Race, Ethnicity, & the Future of Christian Higher Education edited by Karen Longman, Ph.D., director of the Ph.D. program in the Department of Higher Education, and articles by APU faculty.

These cabinet members join 212 faculty and staff as part of the Diversity Ambassador Program. The program provides extensive training on topics including cultural proficiency and diversity awareness. Participants create action plans alongside of their leaders, in order to promote inclusive excellence across campus. The program added more than 50 faculty and staff in each of the past two semesters, doubling the total number of ambassadors since its inception in 2014.

The Diversity Ambassadors Program was designed to meet the changing needs of the student population at APU. In 2010, the student population was 31 percent students of color, but in 2017 that group represented 53 percent of the student body. “It’s important for APU leadership to go through diversity training because we espouse God honoring diversity as one of our core values,” said Diversity Ambassador Chris Olson, Ed.D., the executive director of institutional research. “Diversity training can increase cultural competence by moving diversity from a mere talking point to an internalized value.” Olson said that he learned a lot about bias that was ingrained in his mindset, but through the training, he is working on improving his cultural competence. “One of my biggest epiphanies during the Diversity Ambassador training was finally beginning to understand what implicit bias was and what it looked like in my life. This has opened my eyes to how much more work lies ahead of me,” Olson said. “However, I believe that with intentional effort I can continue moving along the cultural proficiency continuum.”

Kenberly Ferguson ’18, served as president of the Black Student Association for the 2017-18 school year. She stressed that diversity training benefits the entire APU community.“Diversity training can enhance the cultural competence of administrators, increase their knowledge of other cultures, and inform their approach when interacting with students around campus and inside the classroom,” Ferguson said.