Nearly 300 miles north of Azusa, in the Sierra National Forest, lies 30 acres amidst the lush wilderness of Bass Lake. Here, a scholarly community thrives unlike any other.
Thirty students arrived in September for a different kind of college experience. They dine together. Study together. Bond during backpacking treks. They worship together. They are challenged by faculty, and they challenge back. They learn together. Live together. They become family. All this and more forms APU’s High Sierra Semester.
Also known as the Great Works Option, the concept originated during a conversation between President Jon R. Wallace, DBA, and long-time APU friend Steve Kuljis, owner of Emerald Cove Camp in Bass Lake. They dreamed of a semester experience that would allow students to study in the beauty of the High Sierras and in a close-knit community, where they could forge deep relationships and be challenged academically.
A faculty task force collaborated to design the program, and in 2001, the dream became reality. Now, each year when the Emerald Cove summer camp closes, the site transforms into an intimate academic community.
Students live on site in cabin-style dormitories with two-to-three students per room. Wireless Internet access enables students and faculty to facilitate scholarly research and keep in touch with those on the Azusa campus and at home. Secluded from bright city lights and billboards, the program offers a learning environment conducive to quiet reflection, growth, discussion, and deep relationships. The ability to participate in day hikes, mountain biking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, and fishing provides myriad opportunities for students to enjoy nature and connect outside the classroom.
