It’s not an uncommon sight nowadays: the face of ASU President Michael Crow gracing the pages of various publications, all while being recognized for his various innovative ideas and promoting the “New American University.”
All this press coverage — Crow is the cover story of the most recent ASU Magazine and Slate recently named him one of the top 25 most innovative thinkers — has earned him a position as a “rock star” in the world of higher education. He’s a well-known figure who has used this celebrity status to help the University.
Some may say his image is an artificial creation of his spectacular public relations department while others say it is a result from a genuine desire to see the University succeed. Either way, it is hard to argue that his stature has not helped the school.
The ASU brand now holds much more weight than it did a decade ago. Indeed some programs, such as the journalism and business programs, are among the best in the country.
Ten years ago, this University was known for its party culture, but that started to change when an ambitious new face took office in 2002. ASU started to sing a different tune than the rest of the universities in the country — we judged ourselves based on how many students we included rather than how many we excluded.
This rapid and massive expansion caused griping and grumbling from frustrated students. A common complaint is that the University is trying to pack sardines into a can. Valid they may be, Crow’s goal of educating all who deserve it is indicative of the attitude this state and country will need should we wish to progress. Inclusion is the new exclusion.
The “business model,” which some deride it as, has brought in millions of dollars in research grants and funding for groundbreaking initiatives. Perhaps the classic example is the School of Sustainability. It is the first of its type in the country, and just one more way ASU continues to break the mold.
The paradigm shift of ASU is most advantageous to the students and recent graduates. With such a great name behind the education, our students are more likely to be hired. While the University hasn’t exactly lost its party-school image, the institution is a developing academic heavyweight.
When it seems that Crow is running a business rather than a University, which we will admit is more frequent than we may like, his ambition and stature has done more to transform this University than any other single force over the past decade.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Follow The State Press on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
