ASU recently answered Verizon Wireless' question, "Can you hear me now?"
The nation's largest wireless company based on revenue is the most recent Fortune 500 Company to partner with ASU in an attempt to generate additional income.
Verizon Wireless entered into a partnership with ASU to provide student, faculty and staff discounts for students on phone service.
For every student, faculty or staff member to sign up for a discounted service with the phone provider, ASU receives $75 for each new Verizon Wireless activation and $50 for every current Verizon customer activation, said Rose Snow, director of Information Technology Services.
Partnering with corporations is nothing new for ASU, who recently worked with Wells Fargo to provide a logo for the Downtown Student Center.
In addition to generating alternative revenue streams, corporate partnership also helps alleviate some ASU income pressures from student tuition and state funding, said Rob Melnick, ASU assistant vice president of Research and Economic Affairs.
But students like Danielle Levy say they wonder how much money received by ASU from corporations goes back directly to the students.
"I don't think the students and faculty are the first priority [with additional funding sources]," Levy said.
Melnick, who works with corporations to help fund or partner research projects with the University, said questioning the amount of funding between universities and corporation is an "age-old question."
He said working with corporations allows universities to be "ahead of the curve" and points to ASU's partnership with Google.com as an example.
Rather than try to build a state-of-the art e-mail system by itself, ASU partnered with Google to use their technology, Melnick said.
"ASU saved money and [now] uses a superior e-mail system," Melnick said.
But Verizon Wireless and ASU are also currently working a Verizon advertising design for the eight intercampus shuttles, Snow said.
Construction management junior Zac Levesque said the advertisements don't bother him.
"If ASU uses [the Verizon money] for the students, I don't see why it's a problem," Levesuque said.
Psychology senior Kate Murphy said the Verizon discounts are great for students and the additional advertisements are fine, but there could come a point where ASU has too much advertising.
"If [companies who partner with ASU] sent advertising over e-mail or if there are ads in your face all over campus," Murphy said.
When Melnick was asked if he envisions a day when ASU's mascot Sparky will support a corporate logo, he laughed.
"That's for a future generation of leaders [to decide]," Melnick said.
Reach the reporter at jeffrey.mitchell@asu.edu.
