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Our Employee Values:


 

We, as education leaders, must obsess over our culture.
Why? Because we understand its profound significance.
Great higher education programs and services are the products we build for our students.
Culture is the product we build for our staff and faculty.
And we must tirelessly nurture it, day in and day out.

 



We take swift action to respond to opportunities and needs that better serve our students, always with a sense of urgency.

  • Do not let overanalyzing freeze your decision-making.
  • Not acting comes at a cost. Making a mistake comes with a lesson.
  • We make wise decisions despite ambiguity.
  • Strive for excellence, not perfection.
  • Embrace change. It is the only constant in life.

Otherwise, why bother? Become obsessed with being the best available option for the audiences we serve.

  • Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We create and communicate an ambitious direction that inspires results, and we go after our goals with everything we’ve got.
  • It is no longer enough to satisfy our students. We must exceed their expectations.
  • Listen to the market and prioritize student desires.
  • Student obsession: we start with the student in mind and work backwards.
  • We are never done learning and always seeking to improve ourselves. We can always serve our students better.
  • We create new ideas that prove to be powerful.
  • We are high performance people who are continuously self-improving through experience, observation, introspection, reading, and discussion.
  • We elevate each other through strong performance, forging a winning team where collective success is our shared goal.

We are known for candor and directness. Respectful disagreements are welcomed and valued among our community.

  • We know it is ok to respectfully disagree with our superiors. Great minds create innovations and a variety of solutions.
  • Constructive criticism may be difficult, but it is necessary. It allows us to address challenges we may not otherwise recognize.
  • Our community is encouraged to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. We do not compromise for the sake of avoiding a conflict. Once a decision is final, we speak with one voice.
  • We respectfully say what we think even if it is controversial.
  • We question actions inconsistent with our values.
  • We maintain calm poise in stressful situations.
  • Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.

Everyone, regardless of their position in the University, has an impact on the success of the student.

  • You treat people with respect independent of their status.
  • Each person is important; each has the opportunity and the obligation to make a positive and impactful difference.
  • If we all focus on our community all else will follow.
  • Everyone has open access to anyone in the University. We have an open door policy.
  • We all work to provide the best student experience possible.
  • We put ourselves in the shoes of others. Our care drives our community to perfect our craft.
  • We believe that if our staff and faculty are happy, they will be motivated to make our students happy. It is just the way it works.
  • The success of the University is the people, if our staff and faculty are happy, they will make our students happy.

We believe that continuous learning and improvement are essential. Challenges are opportunities to improve, and we strive to grow, adapt, and innovate in all we do.

  • Challenges are learning opportunities, and self-awareness helps us grow.
  • Taking smart risks and learning from mistakes drives growth and innovation.
  • We quickly recognize mistakes and take proactive steps to move forward.
  • We acknowledge mistakes, learn from them, and keep moving forward ensuring we don’t do the same mistake again.
  • If we don’t know the answer, we seek help.
  • We prioritize what’s best for our students.
  • We take ownership and responsibility in all we do.
  • We embrace continuous improvement—we are always evolving.

Great organizations always have great people.

  • We are great at attracting and retaining outstanding colleagues.
  • We are passionate about our mission.
  • We believe in the pursuit of doing good.
  • We are energetic about work.
  • We are optimists.
  • We have creative solutions to our problems.
  • We value what people bring to the table.
  • We welcome different perspectives, recognizing that unique experiences and backgrounds strengthen and drive our success.
  • We promote autonomy to allow team members to perform at their highest level.
  • We surround ourselves with people that challenge our ideas.
  • Our leaders advocate for the ability of their team members to carry out their responsibilities.
  • Our leaders develop future leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.

It’s the ultimate form of sophistication.

  • Making things simple is incredibly hard.
  • Truly “smart people” simplify things and reduce ambiguity.
  • We are concise and articulate in speech and writing. We can wade through the details and identify what matters.
  • We always look for efficiencies and ways to minimize and/or organize complexity.
  • We strive to accomplish more with less. Challengers promote resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There is nothing special about growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expenses.
  • We think strategically and can articulate, execute, and organize in simple terms what we are trying to do.

We consistently evaluate all the available options to ensure that we focus efforts and resources on what truly matters.

  • Student success is what drives us to achieve our goals. How we define a winning mindset isn’t based on how we perform on our best days, it’s how we respond on the worst days. We hustle, fight, overcome adversity, and play to win because of the commitment we have to our community.
  • We identify root causes and get beyond treating symptoms.
  • We separate what must be done well now, and what can be improved later.
  • We seek what is best for our community, rather than what is best for ourselves and our team.

If we can’t measure what we’re doing, we probably shouldn’t be doing it.

  • We care about efforts that lead to brave mistakes OR great results.
  • Work smarter, not harder.
  • Sustained B-level performance, despite “A for effort” has little value. Sustained A-level performance, despite minimal effort, has a high value. A-level performance should always be the objective and we reward it.
  • Markets change, student needs change, competition changes. We believe in constant evaluation and adaptation.
  • Measurement is not just a one-time event; it's an ongoing practice to drive continuous excellence.
  • We highly embrace data-driven decision-making to ensure that choices are aligned with desired outcomes.
  • We set clear, measurable objectives and key results to provide a framework for success.
  • Each team member understands their role in achieving overarching goals through measurable results.
  • We foster a culture where responsibility is tied to measurable performance.
  • Profit is not the purpose of our University, but rather the test of our sustainability.

For us, the true definition of quality is delivering more than what is expected. Especially for our students.

  • We owe our students nothing less than excellence. They trust us with their education, time, and money.
  • We inspire others with our thirst for excellence.
  • Good just isn’t good enough.
  • We offer programs and services that we are exceptionally proud of.
  • We must love our brands if we want our students to love them too.
  • We have relentlessly high standards — many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. And that’s ok.
  • We are continually raising the bar and driving our teams to deliver high quality academic programs and services.
  • We take our marketing and communication very seriously and we are proud of everything that we put out there.
  • We never say, “that’s not my job;” we seek out the answer and how we can support the goal.
  • We see being great at something as a starting point, not an endpoint.
  • We are never satisfied and always focus on continuous improvement as a pursuit of excellence.
  • We set ourselves goals we know we cannot yet reach.
  • We encourage and give to our faculty all the tools to provide the best quality and experience to our students, students will always remember the professors/subjects that support their professional development.

Be confident, but never arrogant. Always listen, and always learn.

  • We will actively listen to understand in order to make informed decisions.
  • We seek to understand our strategy, market, and stakeholders to evaluate our goals, opportunities, and challenges
  • We are ego-less when searching for the best ideas welcoming diverse perspectives and opinions.
  • We support our colleagues and help them succeed, fostering a culture of trust and respect.
  • We share information openly and proactively in a timely fashion and seek feedback and input from others.
  • We admit and learn from our faults, even if it’s hard, and we help each other improve.
  • We know that we are good, but we aspire to be so much better.

Life is too short to spend it doing something you don’t love.

  • It is a short journey. Let’s make the best out of it.
  • We thrive on joyful work and spirited celebration.
  • We want everyone to enjoy the adventure we are on together.
  • We help each other to be great and to have fun.
  • We keep improving our culture and community as we grow.
  • Celebrating achievements reinforces the value of measurable performance and encourages a high-performance culture.

 

Quarterly we recognize employees who exemplify a subset of our APUSVibes:

We Move Fast

"I nominate Kim Otterstetter for the Q1 "We Move Fast" award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to WEBSoB. Kim embodies the criteria of this award through her swift and decisive actions, her ability to embrace change, and her commitment to excellence. There are two noteworthy examples of Kim's work detailed below.

First, as the SHRM faculty co-chair, Kim played a critical role in facilitating elections and onboarding new members with remarkable efficiency. Her ability to manage these processes quickly and effectively ensured that the 2025 leadership team could hit the ground running, better serving our students and advancing our chapter's mission.

Second, Kim demonstrated her dedication to excellence by completing her first course development assignment of 2025 weeks ahead of schedule. Her development work is stellar, and her proactive approach allowed the course to move to Instructional Design earlier than anticipated, which will ultimately bring this improved course content to our students much sooner.

Kim's ability to make wise decisions despite ambiguity, her willingness to embrace change, and her commitment to excellence make her a standout candidate for this award. Her contributions have had a significant positive impact on our university, and I believe she is highly deserving of this recognition."

"Paul Tate embodies AMU’s “We Move Fast” mindset, taking swift action to create meaningful impact. In just a few months time, he transformed one of the Military Outreach Team's largest installation offices into a fully operational, self-sustaining unit. His leadership and urgency in driving key partnerships have strengthened AMU’s presence within military, veteran, and legislative communities around Fort Cavazos.

Paul has been most instrumental in his work with the National Guard, taking decisive action to advance education benefits. Just last month, he met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to submit legislation aimed at expanding educational opportunities for all National Guard members and their families. His ability to navigate high-level discussions and push initiatives forward ensures AMU stays at the forefront of military education policy.

Beyond policy work, Paul moves quickly to enhance internal team performance. This month, he stepped up to lead professional development sessions for the Military Outreach Team, sharing valuable insights that elevate team effectiveness. He also continues to drive AMU’s mission forward by coordinating major events, establishing critical partnerships, and engaging directly with military students.

Paul doesn’t wait for opportunities—he creates them. His ability to anticipate needs, take immediate action, and deliver results makes him a force multiplier for AMU’s success. His unwavering commitment to our students, his team, and the broader military community makes him a standout leader who consistently exceeds expectations."

“Amanda went from idea to implementation in just a matter of days in order to bring our #BeWell group in CareerLink to life. In order to ensure our institutional commitment to wellness is more than just a single campaign/communication, Amanda developed a group within our CareerLink platform that allows all community members - students, alumni, faculty, and staff - to connect with each other and to share their goals related to wellness this year.

We are kicking off our wellness focus with a physical step challenge: March to Commencement. Amanda's creativity and hard work is helping to make this challenge a reality. Thank you, Amanda, for your effort to create the step tracker, develop the relevant wellness resources, and to connect with each of the group members within CareerLink. Here's to a year of many more wellness initiatives that will benefit from the work you did this quarter to get us started.”

We Are Ambitious

“Jim had the idea to develop a course offering where an Industry Expert was brought into the classroom and paired with a faculty member. This Team Teaching model was piloted at the end of 2024 and shows great promise. We were able to work with an Industry Expert who has worked in the NBA, NFL, and NBA G league along with numerous other high profile sporting entities. This shows the caliber of buy in from the industry.

Additionally, this model engages students and connects them directly to real world happenings while they continue their academic course work. It also provides opportunities to develop their network and solicit mentors. Beyond the student impact, this initiative also positions the Sport Management program as a thought leader within the sport industry, innovating to ensure the highest quality education for our students. Kudos to Jim for such an innovative idea that shows we (and he) are ambitious and always play to win!”

“Loren Rovere is the kind of leader who doesn’t just show up—she dominates. As her direct supervisor, I’ve seen firsthand how she turns ambition into action, always pushing boundaries to ensure we are the best available option for those we serve. She doesn’t settle for participation; she plays to win.

Nowhere is this more evident than in her role as Student Veterans of America (SVA) Chapter Advisor for American Military University (AMU). Under her leadership, AMU’s SVA chapter didn’t just grow—it became the largest online SVA chapter in the nation. This wasn’t by chance. Loren saw an opportunity, built a strategy, and executed relentlessly. She cultivated a powerhouse community of student veterans, ensuring they had access to the connections, resources, and opportunities necessary to thrive.

She didn’t stop there. Recognizing the need for veteran leaders to have a presence at national events, Loren secured a $5,000 travel budget for SVA chapter officers—funding that allowed them to attend critical conferences, expand their influence, and forge high-value relationships. Because of her efforts, our student veterans had a seat at the table where decisions were being made.

Loren also played a pivotal role in the SVA Legacy Project with the Library of Congress, ensuring that veterans’ stories were recorded and preserved for eternity. She saw beyond the present moment, recognizing that this initiative wasn’t just about history—it was about impact. Thanks to her leadership, countless veterans were empowered to share their experiences, creating a permanent record of their service.

Loren is the definition of a high-performance leader—relentless, strategic, and results-driven. She doesn’t just work hard; she works smart, ensuring that every effort translates into tangible, lasting success. Any organization looking for a leader who plays to win should look no further."

“Michaela is someone who understand that success is a team effort and works to create a supportive and collaborative environment where everyone can thrive. She makes sure to help out the team whether its questions in the chat or offers through a one-on-one basis.

Michaela has also taken it upon herself to do learning checks each week for the team to make sure the team is up to date on their knowledge in financial aid. She ensures to help mentor new team members to develop their skills and knowledge through these learning check. Michaela has helped me numerous times and I always feel confident to reach out as I know the information she provides will be a positive outcome. She is a valuable asset that I know information provided will be accurate. For instance, as someone who handles emails on a daily basis, I had a difficult email I couldn't close. Not only did Michaela offered to call me through teams to review the issue with me, but she also walked me through the process to get it closed to ensure I was not wasting time to move on to the next task. Michaela is always one to offer her long-term knowledge with the university and is willing to help out anyone to make sure the team is successful as a whole.”

We Are Honest

“Kylee is a very outspoken advocate for the student and for her colleagues. She is a change maker and champions changes that will benefit all. Kylee does the selective and MyCAA ETP training. She has been involved in all types of trainings for new employees and existing employees. She is also willing to do impromptu meetings for things like selective assistance as well as generally being a supportive colleague. She has historically been very present to help in the group chat, and she's very involved with the Social and Wellness Committee. She is so deserving of this award!”

“Mr. Murali Ramaswamy has consistently demonstrated the values of honesty and courage in his role as an instructor, making him an exemplary candidate for this recognition. Mr. Ramaswamy's approach to teaching is characterized by candor and directness. He provides personalized feedback that helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses, offering constructive criticism that allows them to address challenges they may not have otherwise recognized. His commitment to respectful disagreements is evident in the environment he creates, where students feel encouraged to participate in discussions and express their views.”

Mr. Murali Ramaswamy demonstrated honesty and courage as an instructor when he voluntarily regraded assignments for an instructor and student who were in conflict with the views of the assignments and grading results in WEBD241 Web Development Using JavaScript®. He rescued this situation and brought forth an acceptable solution for the student, faculty and the program. He consistently tackled several challenging issues, where he delivered with satisfying results for faculty who needed help teaching certain subjects. He inspired and significantly enhanced teaching and learning experiences for many faculty and students through various systematic methods.

Mr. Ramaswamy is not afraid to challenge decisions, when necessary, even if it is uncomfortable. His responsiveness and helpfulness in teaching show his dedication to addressing student concerns and ensuring that their voices are heard. He maintains calm poise in stressful situations, ensuring that students receive timely and constructive feedback. As a leader, Mr. Ramaswamy guides students and faculty members forward, providing quality instruction and mentoring and using various means such as teaching and reinforcing tools. His sincere and caring devotion as an instructor sets high expectations for his students, which they frequently meet. His energy, enthusiasm, and strong commitment to his students have resulted in many students celebrating their learning achievements due to his influence.

He demonstrated exceptional engagement and effectiveness in his teaching, receiving a high SSI score of 99.6% in his teaching. Overall, Mr. Murali Ramaswamy's dedication to his students and peers and his commitment to the values of honesty and courage make him an excellent candidate for the "We are honest and courageous" award."

“I know that technically David Rizzo works for APEI and not APUS but hear me out please! The amount of help that he provides on a DAILY basis for the Academic Advising department is substantial enough to merit recognition. David is my go-to person for all things IT… the people who have been here for some time in IT have been so important during their transition because they are our intermediaries when something isn't getting fixed due to a miscommunication. They just overall make us feel like the issue is being worked on so as a Manager I can take a step back assured that my Academic Advisor is being assisted and will be back online in a timely manner.

David Rizzo is this person for me. He does all of the above and so many more things! And he does it all when he knows that we're frustrated. Facing a frustrated manager and her whole team of 16 Advisors when you know they are ALL frustrated calls for a level of honesty and courage that I don't think many people have. David has to give bad news sometimes and I don't like to receive bad news! But he does it in such a gracious way that he makes it okay. At the end of the day, all anyone wants to know is that they were heard and that someone is trying to help. David Rizzo is consistently a helper in the most honest and direct way possible and I GREATLY appreciate him.”

Everyone Matters

“Dr. Gardner is everything a Professor should be and is a tremendous human being. Because of Dr. Gardner, I've gained back so much in life: confidence, esteem, and a terrific education. This man is more than a professor; he is a hero in so many ways, a true inspiration. What I am asking from the college is to offer Dr. Gardner a certificate or an award. I am asking this because I have been diagnosed with an incurable blood disease, which will ultimately take my life. I am asking because of the good that he has done for me and many other people at American Military University, I'm asking because I do not believe I will be around for the next ballot or voting for Educator of the Year, please consider my request as Dr. Gardner is very deserving of this special acknowledgment. Something to let him know how appreciated he is.

Dr. Gardner is a Hero, and I am proud to call him my Professor. He has helped me in more ways than any of you could know in education and just being there to help me cope with what is going on in my life and my struggles.”

“Kim Jacobs has focused on including everyone in the faculty development offerings. Her actions of drawing out others' strengths have been clear throughout the recent past and over many years as she captures specific ways people illustrate a teaching idea, integrate technology, or better serve students. As you look through APUS Engage, for example, you see practices and contributions from a wide variety of faculty and department chairs. She notices and invites others to contribute what they can and helps everyone truly feel that they matter!”

“Althea is a long-term employee with APUS, beginning in SSC solely but moving to Student Accounts and has been a wonderful addition to the team from the beginning. Her loyalty to the University and our students is exemplary. I wanted to highlight her for Everyone Matters. Althea has great patience and empathy, not only for our students but for her coworkers. She is very understanding of another representative's day and workload. She is never accusatory if she reaches a rep having a bad day but understands and lifts them up. She personifies the Everyone Matters value and understands that it takes all of us to be successful, no matter what department or affiliation. She has mentored and trained many representatives and always takes the time to listen to concerns, whether they relate to her or not. Althea is a true teacher and bestows her grace on her team, students and all of the departments she works with. She understands each of us play a role in our success. She leads by example, and we are truly grateful for her work.”

We Embrace a Growth Mindset

“Biz demonstrated a remarkable growth mindset by responding to a request to design a secure, innovative AI-driven solution to improve student mental health support. Volunteering his time and expertise, he not only built a customized web triage platform, but also led the early development of an AI integration framework focused on safe and ethical use. His initiative came in response to a complex challenge: how to offer timely, effective support to students navigating mental health needs.

Despite the demands of his regular APUS role, Biz devoted many weekends to architecting and coding the platform, preparing it for presentation at the Higher Learning Commission’s April gathering. He is deeply dedicated to perfection and continues to work diligently to ensure that this design becomes fully operational as he recognizes the urgency and scale of the growing student mental health crisis. His pursuit of this innovation will help to implement a sustainable solution that connects students with the mental health care they need without navigating bureaucratic labyrinths.

His commitment to continuous learning, his technical excellence, and his drive to make a real difference exemplify the APUS spirit of embracing growth, overcoming challenges, and using innovation to serve others. I am very thankful for exemplary growth mindset!”

“Simeon has taken on a role totally outside of his knowledge. He lost his support staff person in July 2024 and has had to assume her responsibilities as well as co-lead a finance policy project and assume leadership of the Academic Scheduling Team. He has learned various policies and processes that he has not needed in his previous role. He’s taken on this new role with a positive attitude and has learned new policies and processes that impact staff, students and faculty. He has been successful with absorbing these new responsibilities while simultaneously participating in the decommissioning of Quintiq, the scheduling platform for faculty.”

“Vaughn exemplifies the growth mindset every day in APUS Advising. He hit the ground running when he started his role as an advisor in October 2023 and truly has gotten better with every single student interaction. As a lifelong athlete, Vaughn brings the kind of resilience, determination, and focus on improvement that creates winning seasons, and that effort really shined throughout Q2. Transitioning from the playing field to the setting of academic advising hasn't been without challenges, but with each hurdle Vaughn takes ownership and embraces feedback. Even when receiving praise, he makes a point to push the goalpost even further with the desire to continue growing and learning.

Vaughn works a unique schedule within the department which means he is presented with questions about every program and course we offer, which can be very overwhelming. Not all departments or support is available during the evening hours, so Vaughn has worked hard to strengthen his customer service skills to successfully navigate situations where he might not have the immediate answer, he adds value with encouragement and assurance.

A quality that I value so much in Vaughn is that he trusts his instincts and prioritizes what is best for our students. So many times, Vaughn has been proactive in seeking feedback about a student situation where he wasn't certain exactly what we could do to support the student, but he knew that within our team we could work together to improve things. Vaughn is always eager for new opportunities to learn and develop his advising skills and that energy is contagious! In his efforts to be the best he can be, he brings our team and students right with him and for that he deserves this award.”

We Surround Ourselves with Amazing People

“Dr. Ashar has been a mentor to me since my first day at work at the University. She was not assigned to be my mentor, she just did it out of the goodness of her heart. I greatly appreciated her guidance while I was getting acclimated to the system and the University and still to this day as she is always willing to help with any questions I have even if they are not of an academic nature. Recently Dr Ashar invited me to be on the CRC committee where we review proposed changes to the curriculum. She has assembled an amazing team of people which makes all of our work on this difficult committee quite easy. Dr Ashar is one of the greatest mentors I have ever had as well as one of the most amazing people I have met. She truly deserves to be recognized for all that she does for the University is my hope that you will provide her with the Achiever Award. Frankly I feel so strongly about this that I will continue to nominate her until I see that she wins. Dr Ashar is one of the people that makes this university an amazing place to learn and work.”

“As the University Archivist, over the past two months, Justin was instrumental in the decommissioning of the physical Trefry Archives & Library and exemplifies the Vibe of We Surround Ourselves With Amazing People. Justin led the onsite efforts in coordinating the proper packing and shipment of archival material as well as finding very reputable homes for the Trefry archival collections. Facing a quick turnaround in moving the materials from the Archives & Library, Justin worked diligently and efficiently by carefully inventorying each item, working with APUS remote and onsite personnel to coordinate the transfer and movement of items, while packing up most of the items himself. We couldn't have completed this move in such an organized and seamless way without his attention to detail and dedication. Throughout the entire move, Justin maintained a positive and professional demeanor and continued to provide the highest quality of reference front line services to our students and all APUS constituents. Justin is truly amazing!!!”

“Jaclyn is always super helpful in the SGS chat. She provides helpful answers and resources. She is great at cultivating templates that other group advising members can use to give our students important, detailed information. Before I could manually register students, she was always willing to lend a helping hand with registrations. She is a valued member of our team!

I’m proud to nominate Jaclyn Liss for exemplifying the spirit of “We Surround Ourselves With Amazing People – Great organizations always have great people.” Jaclyn consistently brings empathy, insight, and collaboration into every interaction. A recent example stands out—she offered to help me write a sensitive email to a student, and her guidance was thoughtful and supportive. Rather than simply offering edits, she asked meaningful questions and suggested approaches that prioritized the student’s experience and well-being.

Jaclyn is also a reliable presence in our Teams communications, often one of the first to respond when someone needs help. If she doesn’t know the answer, she asks—with curiosity, humility, and a genuine desire to grow. Her commitment to learning, collaboration, and keeping students at the center of our work makes her an invaluable colleague. Jaclyn truly reflects what it means to surround ourselves with amazing people, and she makes our organization stronger every day by not only her eagerness to help, but her empathetic approach to offering this help.”

Congratulations to these employees!

View Past Winners: 2024 | 2023