Alaska Pacific University is the only fully accredited, independent private university in Alaska. It is situated amidst a 270-acre campus, on a narrow plain between the mountains and the sea, in the city of Anchorage. Alaska Pacific University was first chartered as Alaska Methodist University in 1957, by the territory of Alaska and was formerly dedicated to the public on June 29, 1959, a day before Alaska became the 49th state. It received its first students a year later, in the academic year beginning October 1, 1960. The academic infrastructure at Alaska Pacific University in its formative days consisted of Grant Hall - the academic and student center - and Gould Hall - the student residence dormitory. As enrollments and programs grew, a student center, apartment, and residence hall complex were added to the infrastructure. The Ruth and Homer Moseley Sports Center and the Carr Gottstein Academic Center followed in the mid-1980s and early-1990s. APU went through a period of financial crunch in the mid-1970s. As a result, the university was closed down for a year starting 1976. It was reopened in the fall of 1977 – adopting the present name - with 96 students and four faculty members, under the stewardship of the new president, Dr. Glenn A. Olds. Alaska Pacific University now offers 11 undergraduate majors and five graduate programs. The academic calendar is divided into semesters. Fields of study include Business Administration, Psychology Studies, Environmental Science, Liberal Studies, Arts and Education. Alaska Pacific University is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and the Alaska Post Secondary Education Commission.