Dr. Douglas McKay North

Doug, as everyone at APU knows him, recently embarked on his 10th year as President of Alaska Pacific University. Doug and his wife, Dr. Ellen Cole, moved to Anchorage from Prescott, Arizona, where Doug was President of Prescott University. They arrived here at a challenging time for the university, but also at a time when there was much opportunity for positive change and growth.

When Doug arrived, student enrollment was around 300; it is now at a high of 585 full-time equivalent (FTE) and still rising. Since Doug's arrival, the university has not only nearly doubled its student enrollment, new academic programs and requirements have been added and the university is now on strong financial footing. Highlights include:

• The addition of the highly successful Early Honors Program that was championed by Dr. North
• New Masters of Business Administration concentrations in Global Finance and Health Services Administration
• New Masters of Science in Outdoor and Environmental Education
• A move to the focus on Active Learning, which has become the hallmark of an APU education
• Completion of a $25 million capital campaign that provided funds to renovate the Atwood Center and Grant Hall, construct a new dormitory (scheduled for completion in Fall of 2006), and to grow the APU Foundation
• Alaska Pacific University's consistent high rankings in U.S. News & World Report's Guide to America's Best Colleges.

Congratulations, Doug, on 10 successful years as president of Alaska Pacific University.

Contact is published by Alaska Pacific University
Office of Development, 4101 University Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4672 · Phone: 907.564.8250
Editor Jayna Combs