Dear alumni,
Without question, the 2020-21 academic year proved to be one of challenge and blessing. Despite the disruptions, God wonderfully blessed APU through the resilience and support of our Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Friends, and Donors—thank you!
Through diligent effort, remarkable progress has been made over the past two years to improve financial systems and implement a stewardship-minded approach to all of APU’s expenditures. The APU Community also responded with incredible generosity and impact to our call to manage the fiscal impacts related to COVID-19. University friends and donors were exceptionally generous with increased giving of nearly $3 million to reach an $18.2M total for the year.
Under the leadership of Vice President Corbin Hoornbeek, the Division of University Advancement raised $6.5 million in private donations to fully fund a new 27,000-square-foot Student Commons on West Campus. This capital project outlined in Renewal will help APU better meet the needs of commuter students, who make up nearly half of our population.
The existing Heritage space will be transformed through creation of a prominent main entrance and courtyard, updated convenience, coffee, and retail spaces, tripled seating capacity, independent and collaborative study areas, rest areas, lockers, a satellite office for Student Affairs, an art gallery, and improved connections to the Darling Library and Athletic offices.
The President’s Cabinet has focused on the process of implementing our Return to Campus initiative. Please join us in praying for a safe and healthy return as well as His wisdom to continue to navigate the decisions supporting that return in the midst of a resurgence of COVID-19 and evolving public health guidelines.
Please also be in prayer for our Return to Campus activities, including Welcome Weekend and the Faculty/Staff Kick-Off at the end of August. We look forward to having our APU Community back together and seek God’s blessing for a smooth transition and revitalized community engagement. In that spirit, we hope that you will join us on campus for Homecoming February 11-12, 2022.
I encourage you to join me in acknowledging and giving praise for the significant achievement by APU Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Friends, and Donors in the midst of the unprecedented Pandemic challenge. I know you will agree with me, “To God be the Glory!”
