ASU President Michael Crow and other administrators updated students on the growth of the University and urged them to take advantage of available resources at a forum on Tuesday.
Held on the Downtown Phoenix campus, the forum was moderated by Undergraduate Student Government Downtown Phoenix President Laura Doyle, a senior studying public service and public policy, and Graduate Student Government President Bhagvan Reddy Vemula, a graduate student studying information technology and management of technology.
University and West Valley campus growth
Crow started the forum by sharing information about the state of the University.
This academic year, the school expects to graduate the most students in its history. It also saw a double-digit increase in applications for next year, Crow said.
"The University is in fine shape coming to the end of the fall semester," Crow said.
Students frequently asked Crow about expanding the West Valley campus. Many students expressed a hope for new facilities and programs, but Crow said those decisions come down to demand.
"Believe it or not, the facilities are underutilized on the West Valley campus in every case," Crow said. "When people say, ‘We wish we had this, we wish we had that' — well, we have to use what we have."
Crow said there is "no lack of desire" to build on the West Valley campus, but several things need to happen first. The key to financing more activities on the campus is growing its enrollment and students' use of services.
"We need to attract more students there," Crow said. "We need the students that are there to spend more time there."
On the West Valley campus, the University is currently focused on the expansion of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, including a forensics school. Crow said the University is also working toward expanding the campus's engineering programs.
Technology and sustainability
Crow said one goal for the University next semester is to develop an advanced technology assistance program and new tools to improve student learning, such as agentic AI.
Agentic AI tools are engineered to help students learn better with individualized approaches, Crow said.
He also pointed to "The Agentic Self," a new class on these tools taught by will.i.am for the first time in Spring 2026.
ASU Chief of Police John Thompson said the ASU Police Department is hoping to launch a drone program in the spring semester to proactively respond to crimes on campus.
"The drones that are being used by the police departments in this way can get on the scene within 90 seconds," Thompson said. "Within a minute and a half, the drone is now over top of you."
Thompson said the drones will allow police to assess a scene to better respond.
Sustainability on campus was also a focus of the event. After a question about how the University can promote recycling education, Crow said the University is "recycling almost everything."
He emphasized the University's use of renewable energy sources and said it's been able to lower its carbon footprint while expanding enrollment.
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The University is also considering building a farm to supply dining halls with fresh produce, Crow said.
Student resources
Students raised concerns about how to deal with issues like rising tuition costs and food insecurity.
A student noted tuition increases and asked about plans to offer more scholarships to students who cannot afford higher education.
In response, Melissa Pizzo, the assistant vice president of Enrollment Services and Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, referenced the Scholarship Universe website, which allows University students to search for scholarship opportunities.
"Every student who is admitted and enrolled has the ability to search for scholarships from private donors to Arizona State University or donors that exist across the world who are providing funds to help students pursue an education," Pizzo said.
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Another student asked about programs to combat food insecurity, particularly given recent issues with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Crow said the University will work to find a solution if a student struggling with hunger speaks up.
When asked to give students a piece of advice, he said they should pursue multiple areas of study to best prepare for the future.
"You'll have more opportunities, more alternatives to consider, more ways of enhancing your thinking, more ways to evolve over time," Crow said.
Edited by Carsten Oyer, George Headley, Sophia Braccio and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at msweador@asu.edu and follow @miasweador on X.
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