In 1996, ASU acquired the land of the former Williams Air Force Base, an 85-year-old pilot training facility, and transformed it into the Polytechnic campus.
Kurt Paterson, school director and professor at the Polytechnic School, said the campus was seen as an opportunity for the ASU enterprise to create something new, and it would mainly focus on engineering and technology.
Over the course of the subsequent decades, Paterson said the campus’ focus remained rooted in technology, but time also brought development. In the 2000s, the arrival of President Crow initiated the progression of the Polytechnic campus as a part of a bigger picture in his ambition for a more connected ASU.
Paterson said this resulted in several things, including the rebranding of the East Campus, as it was called then, to the Polytechnic campus.
The change was more than just a renaming. A polytechnic is a different kind of institution, dating back hundreds of years, Paterson said.
To be considered a polytechnic, Paterson said the school is infused with industry presence and engagement. Students learn through practical experience and are expected to create value to society while they are still students.
"The hope is that as a student with the right opportunities, you can contribute to society, whether that be the community or whether it be local businesses, in practical and helpful ways," Paterson said.
Alongside engineering and technology, the Polytechnic campus supports multiple other programs. Among these, Paterson listed health programs like pre-dental and pre-veterinary, W. P. Carey programs, and aviation.
The original buildings of the air force base support the campus and its programs. Paterson said many of the buildings were redone to be used as offices, student housing and instructional spaces.
"It's a really nice thread from history to today that we use some of those same rooms to train our professional flight students," Paterson said.
The historical polytechnic values are what make the campus stand out from the rest, and how students learn and engage with industries on campus makes it different.
Paterson said it is the expectation that the University provides the means for students to have off-campus experiences.
One way Paterson mentioned building those experiences is through student organizations.
Areebah Ahmed, a junior studying applied biological sciences, said the University took the initiative to reach out when the Pre-Dental Club at ASU Poly was starting out, where Ahmed is a co-president.
"They recognized the mission that we do have to bring the pre-dental students together and help them get on track for applying to dental school," Ahmed said. "It's really nice of them to recognize that and take the first step to help us out."
Vivan John, a junior studying applied biological sciences and a vice president of the Pre-Dental Club at ASU Poly, said the University helps the club gain members by allowing them to present their organization at campus events.
John also mentioned that club members were able to meet with the interim dean of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.
"We were able to express our feelings about the club and how we could help it grow and how we needed their help," John said. "They heard us out, and they've been helping us ever since."
Outside of the club, Ahmed and John expressed their appreciation for the campus's size, quiet environment, and faculty.
"I also love that Poly is such a tight-knit community because I know a lot of my peers," John said. "I have friends that go to Tempe and I go and visit them, and they're like, 'Yeah, I don't know anyone here.'"
John said it is easy to make and retain relationships when you often see the same people day to day.
"I personally really like it for the smaller class sizes," Ahmed said. "I feel like it's more involved and stuff like that, and it's easier to get to know professors."
Paterson echoed this idea of a connected campus. Faculty, staff and students can appreciate the sense of community that the campus brings, Paterson said.
Currently, the campus is working on constructing an addition to the student union that will open in Fall 2027, something Paterson says will create something like a "crossroads" or "town square". The campus is also working on relocating and remodeling career services on campus to help improve student access.
The biggest project coming to the Polytechnic campus in the near future is what Paterson tentatively calls a "polytechnic innovation zone", which will locate new businesses and other amenities near the campus with the hope to "activate the area in a different way".
"This campus is really well positioned for the next 30 years. It will, I'm sure, not look at all like it does today in many ways," Paterson said. "Even though technology and buildings and people will change over that time, it is really important to keep that polytechnic tradition and history going forward."
Edited by Dhemi Bell, Natalia Jarrett, and Claire Bixby
Reach the reporter at msweador@asu.edu and follow @miasweador on X.
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