AKAMAI UNIVERSITY PROFILE

Akamai University is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and
Universities (ASIC). Akamai has been designated as an ASIC Premier University for demonstrating several
quality areas of strength and good practice. Our mission and vision as an institution of higher learning is the
advancement of the human condition and sustainability of the planet. Akamai believes it is no small aspiration to
strive for a world filled with greater peace, balance, cooperation, and the promise of an evolved human fellowship.
We believe these goals are noble foundation stones upon which to establish the fundamentals of sustainable human
culture.
As educators at Akamai University, we are most comfortable with instructional methods that empower our students to
think beyond the confines of the classroom, building achievement and new learning fully engaged with their personal
and professional lives. We respect each student as a unique individual, academically and professionally. Freed from
traditional residency requirements, our distance learning students are able to pursue advanced study in a personalized
and self-paced manner while maintaining full time employment and family responsibilities. We honor the life pursuits
of our students, providing opportunities to integrate professional activities within their programs. As a non-profit
organization, Akamai has established the fairest tuition rates possible to provide access for students from across the
global community
Since its founding on the Island of Hawaii in 2002, Akamais primary quest has been the delivery of meaningful
educational programs, individualized to the academic and professional goals of our students. Under the direction of
quality faculty, our students are encouraged to create and evaluate, do independent and original thinking, make
judgments, communicate unique ideas, feelings and experiences, and design effective solutions within "real life"
situations. We believe this type of outcome contributes in a powerful manner to the development of effectiveness for
professional-minded individuals. Akamai encourages its students to individualize their studies, to address the
important needs of their home communities, and the changing demands of their professions. Our students pursue their
programs in a manner that is meaningful and relevant to the professional responsibilities and the life-style of working
adults. Being freed from traditional residency requirements, our students pursue advanced learning in a self-paced
manner, while maintaining their full time employment and family commitments. While Akamai programs are
delivered by distance education and cross-border models, our students find the university welcoming and friendly, as
our leadership upholds our students success and achievement foremost in their minds.

Akamai Multinational Student Body

Our Primary Fields of Study and Research

The programs of study at Akamai University evolved in support of its founding mission. Programs at the graduate and
undergraduate level have been established in the general fields of applied psychology, transpersonal psychology,
integrative and spiritual psychology, business and economic development, environmental and ecological studies,
education and literacy, health and wellness, peace, diplomacy and international relations, sustainability studies, and
professional studies.

The Quality of Akamai Faculty

Akamai faculty members exhibit understanding and sensitivity to the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural,
national, religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds of our students. Our faculty team meets rigorous professional
and academic standards, most having earned doctoral degrees at recognized and accredited institutions with extensive
experience in their areas of concentration. They uphold the highest standards of teaching, scholarship, and research,
and current knowledge of their discipline. They foster high aspirations in their students, promote autonomous learning,
establish participatory education environments, identify high quality learning resources and guide students in
developing broad networks of professional colleagues and advisors. They strive to instill in their students a sense of
responsibility and citizenship within a diverse global community.
Akamai Alumni Commentary
The challenging and interesting curriculum at Akamai helped pave the way for my post-doctoral position,
after I graduated.
The distance education model allowed me to work one-on-one with the instructors and effectively streamline
the courses to fit my teaching situation, experience and interests.
I have discovered that Akamais program has the same qualities as other accredited colleges, and the
knowledge level is equally high.
Akamai's instructional methods focus on teamwork and discussion of the matters concerned, and by this
means the students are always expected to creatively address the subject matter.
Please be informed that I am really impressed by the contacts I have had with the professors working with me
at the moment. I am convinced that I am not going to regret my choice of this university.
Most helpful at Akamai was the availability of the professors. In a regular academic setting, I know that I
would not have received as much personal attention and guidance.

Akamai Alumni Gathering November, 2013, Penang, Malaysia

Nonprofit School Charter and USA Tax-Exempt Status

Akamai was established as a nongovernmental organization and degree granting institution by school charter
on 30 May 2002. The Akamai charter permits our school to provide superior quality seminars and degree
programs, conduct meaningful scholarly research, and establish and manage demonstration projects
worldwide by virtual and traditional means.
On 14 November 2002, the US Department of the Treasury awarded Akamai University federal tax exempt
status under IRS Code 501 (c)(3). The school charter of Akamai University remains in good standing within
the State of Hawaii.
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Higher Purpose of the Akamai Institution

Akamai hopes that in time we will contribute favorably toward betterment of a number of vital human
conditions through quality ventures in education, research and community service. We feel it is no small
aspiration to strive for a world filled with greater peace, balance, cooperation, and the promise of an evolved
human fellowship. These are noble foundation stones upon which to establish the fundamentals of
sustainable human culture. They are spiritual principles that demand a worthy mission, and although the
tasks and goals before us seem immense, they are attainable with adequate understanding of the problems
and solutions, and the full commitment and participation of the global community.
Policy on Nondiscrimination
Akamai University admits students and faculty of any race, creed, color, national and ethnic origin to all of
the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.
It does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its
educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered
programs.
Quality of Faculty
To be admitted to the faculty at Akamai University, faculty members must meet rigorous professional and
academic standards. Most have earned doctorates at recognized and accredited institutions and have
extensive experience in their areas of concentration. Certain outstanding individuals who are recognized
experts in their professional field are accepted to the faculty with less than a recognized doctoral degree.
Under very special circumstances, exceptionally qualified graduates of Akamai University are also admitted
to the faculty.

International University Leadership Colloquium Co-Chaired by Akamai President Dr. Capogrossi, 2011

Akamais primary educational objective is to provide meaningful educational programs individualized to the
academic and professional goals of our students. Under the direction of qualified faculty mentors, our
students are freed to think beyond the confines of the classroom, building achievement and new learning
fully engaged with their professional lives.
Akamai students are encouraged to create and evaluate, do independent and original thinking, make
judgments, communicate unique ideas, feelings and experiences, and design effective solutions within "real
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life" situations. The nature of this type of outcome contributes in a powerful manner to the development of
effectiveness for innovative career-minded individuals.
We encourage our students to individualize their studies to address the important needs of their home
communities and the changing demands of their professions. We deliver our programs in a manner that is
meaningful and relevant to the professional responsibilities and life-style of working adults, freeing our
students from traditional residency requirements, allowing them to pursue advanced study in a self-paced
manner, while maintaining full time employment and family commitments.
Akamai University uses a blended model of education program delivery, utilizing tested models of
individualized mentored distance education, and cross-border residential models of delivery in cooperation
with international affiliates.

Dr Douglass Capogrossi, Ph.D.

President
Akamai University
187 Kino`ole Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 USA
Tel: 1 (808) 934-8793
Fax: 1 (808) 443-0445
dcapogrossi@gmail.com
http://www.akamaiuniversity.us
http://www.akamai-ecampus.com/application.htm

Mentored Distance Education

Akamai University is the leader in providing the highest quality of one-on-one mentored virtual learning,
conducted via an advanced method of delivery including:

One-on-one tutorial through electronic communication and correspondence between students and
world class faculty mentors
Mentored independent study with support from world class online library resources
Project-oriented learning environments, permitting students to explore first-hand the principles and
practices of the field
Instructional support using computer-centered technology over the Internet

Cross-Border Education
Akamai University collaborates with affiliated (licensed and recognized) education providers for crossborder delivery of superior quality education programs:

Residential seminar support instruction delivered in cross-border venues by Akamai faculty in

collaboration with educational affiliates that provide the administrative coordination.
Participation in collaborative education programs via distance mentorship, campus-based residential
classes, and residential seminars where the degree is awarded by an accredited college or University
other than Akamai University.

Akamai has a Blended Model of Education

Akamai Model of Education

Traditional research literature shows overwhelmingly that distance learning can achieve cognitive outcomes
equal to those achieved by the more traditional means of educational delivery for adults. In fact, distance
learning is understood to have an advantage over more traditional strategies when learning is closely aligned
and related to the reality of life and work, such as under conditions where students remain fully engaged
with their professional tasks while under the mentorship of qualified academics.
The interrelationship of academic projects within the work situation of the student permits effective
integration of new learning with experience and the genuine tasks of the practitioner. This form of outcome,
applied and integrated, differs greatly from simply providing disconnected sets of theories, principles and
practices, no matter how well organized or financially endowed the presentation. Integration of knowledge
that is done by students is likely to be more meaningful than integration that is done for them. Thus,
engaging the adult student in creating and evaluating knowledge is viewed as a more viable epistemology. It
is this vital factor that justifies Akamais model of education, its systems of mentorship, independent study
and external projects, since this engages adult students in organizing their own knowledge, rather than
simply storing the inferences and appropriate sets of data that were put together by the experts.
This advanced instructional approach requires that the educational institution treat knowledge more in an
open-ended manner, allowing students to theorize more for themselves, giving them greater access to the
data, greater responsibility and freedom, and the opportunity to engage in critical thinking, matching
theories against real world observations. If an essential goal of higher education is to help students develop
the ability to continue learning after the formal education is complete, it seems reasonable that they should
have a good deal of supervised experience in learning independently. This can easily be carried out through
the types of educational experiences afforded by Akamai University in which qualified mentors help the
adult student formulate problems, find answers, and evaluate their progress themselves. (McKeachie, 1986,
p. 143)
In summary, delivery of distance education at Akamai University relies heavily upon vital instructional
models including one-on-one mentorship, responsibility and autonomy in learning, individualization of
study, the active learning process, applied and process-centered curricula, and project-oriented learning
environments. These elements of the Akamai instructional model for distance learning, assure maximum
benefits in serving the needs of our adult students. This advanced model of distance education, together with
high quality instructors, and access to a wide array of learning materials, permit Akamai to conduct effective
programs at a distance.
One-on-One Virtual Mentorship. The effort to develop an analytical disposition among students along
with skills in critical thinking seems to be an almost universal aim among educators in higher learning.
Among our nontraditional delivery models, one-on-one mentorship seems to best achieve this end, allowing
students to receive one-on-one guidance and individualized tutorial from qualified academic instructors,
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mentors, and professional advisors. Research has shown that mentorship is more effective at providing
necessary feedback to students, increasing student study interests, and in promoting critical independent
thinking. Mentorship is also capable of more clearly presenting and explaining the subject matter, and in
helping students to more fully understand the principles, concepts, and theories of the coursework. (Au,
1993, p. 108) Akamai, through its proper application of mentorship instills in its students a questioning
critical attitude that is accepted as one of the hallmarks of higher education. Students at Akamai who
participate through distance learning, in whole or in part, have the outstanding advantages obtained from
high quality one-on-one mentorship.
Responsibility and Autonomy in Learning. It is generally recognized in the traditional academic literature
that as students move toward autonomy, the teacher should remain in authority but transition progressively
less in authority and more as a facilitator, as the student develops. Structures and boundaries must remain as
features of the learning system but aspects of these should be less imposed and more negotiated. Effective
teachers of autonomous learners combine the roles of manager, facilitator, and resource person, without
excessively imposing their wills upon the students. (Elton, 1988, p. 219-220) Student autonomy has become
associated with concepts such as self-responsibility, helping learners assume accountability for their own
learning, and self-determination, based upon an awareness of needs and interests. Consequently, the target
audience of Akamai University is focused upon mature individuals capable of reflecting in some practical
detail upon their career field and the academic subject matter that informs that field of pursuit and inquiry.
Akamai students then have high potential and capability to become accomplished autonomous learners.
Individualization of Study. The scholarly research shows that autonomous learners pursuing
individualized programs of study, on their own initiative, learn both from themselves and others,
establishing a relationship of mutuality between themselves and their learning environment. At Akamai,
individualized learning can occur at the program level, by selecting course modules that address academic
and professional needs of the student, and at the subject matter level, through flexibility in designing subject
matter assignments or selecting learning resources for the modules themselves. Traditional academic
research clearly demonstrates that the innovation of combining distance learning and guided individualized
study serves genuinely academic ends, enhancing the learning of facts and fundamentals, and the acquisition
of skills. Unlike outcomes of distance education alone, adding program adaptability alleviates the danger of
merely transmitting facts and opinions, which is so easy in highly structured programmed learning, as has
become common across the distance education programs administered by some of the more traditional
institutions. As adult students at Akamai search for facts in details, relationships, problems and solutions on
their own, they perform a truly effective and advanced academic activity. (Holmberg, 1992, p.12)
The greatest departure from traditional education by individualized distance learning is its explicit
recognition that education should be measured by what students know, rather than how or where they learn
it. (Perraton, 1982, p.7) Back in the late 1980s, with the support of the Fund for Advancement of Education,
a number of colleges experimented with large programs of independent study. It is important to recognize
that few differences were found between achievement of students working independently and those taught in
conventional classrooms. (Holmberg, 1992, p. 11)
The weight of evidence from traditional experimental studies suggests that approaches that individualize
instruction are reasonably effective at improving the acquisition of subject matter content over more
conventional subject matter approaches, such as the traditional lecture and classroom discussion. This
learning advantage appears to occur without giving rise to undesirable side effects in terms of negative
student attitudes toward instruction, increased withdrawal rates, or increased time required to meet course
demands. (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991, p. 89-93) At Akamai, our students are expected to individualize
their programs, both to the expectations of their careers, and the unique requirements of their geographic
areas. This is achieved by selection of the appropriate course array, and the individualization of the
assignments, readings, research, field exploration, and preparation of scholarly papers.
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Applied and Active Learning Processes. The passing on of academic content by passive assimilation,
"teaching by telling" and "learning by listening is less effective when working with career-based
individuals returning to the educational arena while remaining fully engaged with their professional pursuits.
The active learning process employed at Akamai University provides students the ability to apply new
learning within real "communities of practice" rather than within a classroom-like setting in isolation from
the real world. Akamai expects distance learning students to remain engaged with their professional
endeavors while pursuing their studies. They are further encouraged to make use of the professional
environment to individualize external projects and observations, as well as test the application of new
learning.
Project-Oriented Learning Environments. When the mode of instruction engages students with projectoriented learning environments, as it is at Akamai, truly effective outcomes are possible. By this system,
instructors are free to coach their students to view learning as an active process over which they should
take initiative and exercise a great deal of control. The focus is upon moving student learning to higher
levels of cognition, whereby they are required to create and evaluate, do independent and original thinking,
make judgments, communicate unique ideas, feelings and experiences, and design effective solutions to
"real life" situations and challenges. Akamai firmly believes that the nature of this type of outcome
contributes greatly toward the development of effectiveness among our mid-career adult students. (Syllabus
June 2002) Akamai makes full use of applied and active learning processes for each student, engaged with
the real world of work, and this necessity and expectation is integrated at the initial stage of planning a
students study options.
Process-Centered Curriculum. Research demonstrates that students experience more effective learning
outcomes by pursuing a process-centered curriculum. The more effective process-center systems are those
where students are involved in choosing where and when they will learn, using teachers as guides, mentors
and counselors rather than mere instructors, reflecting upon the learning process, and making significant
decisions about these matters on their own as learners. (Lewis, 1988) At Akamai, by making use of
processed-centered learning, students are more involved in the dialogue of understanding and identifying
learning needs, setting goals, planning learning activities, finding appropriate resources for learning,
working collaboratively with real world colleagues, selecting and defining learning projects, and creating
problems to tackle.
Research Mission
Akamai University understands and supports the need for research on all fronts of the human experience,
from the arts and humanities, religious and spiritual arenas of ideas, to the concrete world of hard political
and business decisions. The scope of research should reach from the realm of public health and disease
control to the recognition of the whole person in the healing process and from the study of the depth of
human psyche to the community as an incubator of social and psychological health. Our research scope also
spans the essential areas of environmental and life science. Through quality in research, Akamai hopes to
encourage the development of new systems addressing the need for each world citizen to acquire the
knowledge and empowerment to foster change in their world. Akamai Universitys research mission and
philosophy is to create and organize new knowledge and systems toward the amelioration of major world
problems, improvement of the human community, and sustainability of our planet