With the popular High Sierra semester being discontinued last fall, Azusa Pacific is introducing a similar study away program on the shores of Lake Tahoe
Beginning in spring 2020, Azusa Pacific will offer a new semester-long study away program on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. Housed in Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center in Zephyr, Nev., the semester consists of mostly general education classes and is open to students of any major.
According to Zephyr Point Program Director David Williams, the purpose of the program is to help students answer one primary question: “How, as a 21st century Christian, am I to interact with the environment?” The curriculum will help students answer this question through a combination of humanities and natural science courses, particularly ecology.
Zephyr Point students will collaborate with APU’s Sacramento Semester students on several occasions to study specific topics relating to the environment. Students from these programs will visit each other a few times throughout the semester, including a joint conference in February.
Photo courtesy of Carrie Ullmer
The program is similar in some respects to the High Sierra semester that APU discontinued last fall, but it will be much smaller. The Center for Global Learning and Engagement expects approximately 12 APU students to attend per semester.
“When we had to eliminate High Sierra, it wasn’t because [it was a] poor quality program. It was just too big for APU to fill all the time. So we brought that really large program structure and brought it down to [a] smaller, manageable structure,” said Carrie Ullmer, director of APU’s Center for Global Learning & Engagement.
The cost to attend the Zephyr Point program is roughly the same as the cost of a regular semester at APU’s Azusa campus. However, students who participate in the first iteration of the program this upcoming spring will receive a $1,000 discount.
The semester will consist of three phases. During the initial three weeks, students will spend the first phase on an introductory backcountry trip. The second phase is the academic portion of the semester, when most of the coursework will be completed. The final phase integrates the outdoor and academic aspects of the semester into a weeklong trip.
Photo courtesy of Carrie Ullmer
During the spring 2020 semester, students will be housed in cabins on the property and classes will be held in a conference room on site. However, there are plans to expand the program by partnering with other universities in the CCCU. Following some renovations, a building nearby will be capable of housing 30 to 40 students while also offering a large kitchen, common room, chapel and study area.
Kinesiology majors will benefit from the potential to have multiple major requirements satisfied by Zephyr Point courses, but the program is open to anyone.
Williams, who was a professor for the High Sierra program for 14 years until it dissolved last year, knows the value that outdoor-centric programs can provide.
“There is something about taking up your academic life and integrating it with your spiritual and your physical life in these amazing spaces,” Williams said. “It’s something I’ve seen over 14 years be very powerful and very efficacious in the development of students’ lives in all mind, body and spirit.”
Photo courtesy of Carrie Ullmer
Students will have access to a wide variety of outdoor activities, including skiing, kayaking, climbing, mountain biking and more. However, Williams emphasized that the program is not only for outdoor enthusiasts.
“I’d love to see students with zero outdoor experience attempt [it]. If you want to learn how to travel in God’s creation safely and ethically, it’s an amazing place to learn how to do that,” Williams said.
Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center is located roughly three miles from the city of South Lake Tahoe, Nev., where students can access coffee shops, grocery stores and other amenities. Transportation is provided by the program.
The conference center will remain active as a Christ-centered retreat center throughout the semester, so students won’t be alone during their stay. However, this will also afford students the opportunity to take a job while they are there.
“You have an opportunity to work in conference center-related positions, so foodservice, hospitality, housekeeping, maintenance, admin type stuff,” said Ryan McKenzie, director of program ministries at the Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center. The deadline to apply for Zephyr Point’s inaugural semester in spring 2020 was Oct. 15, but applications are still being accepted on a rolling basis. Students interested in applying can find out more information here.