Arizona State University

history

ASU University Office of Institutional Analysis. September 24, 2008
Polytechnic: ASU University Office of Institutional Analysis. September 24, 2008.
West: ASU University Office of Institutional Analysis. September 24, 2008.
Downtown Phoenix: ASU University Office of Institutional Analysis. September 24, 2008. |colors = Maroon and Gold
|nickname = Sun Devils |mascot = Sparky |affiliations = Pac-10 |website= »asu.edu |logo =
}} Arizona State University (ASU) is the largest public research university in the United States under a single administration, with total student enrollment of 67,082 as of fall 2008. It has four campuses across the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The university is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents.

ASU first opened as the Tempe Normal School for the Arizona Territory in Tempe, Arizona in 1885. It subsequently was renamed Arizona State College in 1945, but by 1958, steady growth and expanded academic offerings resulted in a statewide ballot initiative in which the voters of Arizona, by a two-to-one majority, mandated that the institution be given university status. On December 5, 1958, Arizona State College was renamed Arizona State University, the only institution of higher education to have achieved university status by popular mandate.

In addition to the original campus in Tempe, ASU comprises three additional campuses: West campus was created in 1984 in northwest Phoenix, Polytechnic campus was opened in 1996 in Mesa, and the Downtown campus in Downtown Phoenix was opened in August 2006. All four campuses are accredited as a single university by the Higher Learning Commission.»Accreditation status of Arizona State University Higher Learning Commission

In the 2007–2008 academic year, 14,535 students graduated from the university's four campuses. In 2008, 168 National Merit Scholars chose to attend ASU.»ASU Enrollment Press Release, Fall 2008 Arizona State University Many are part of Barrett, The Honors College, which has produced numerous grant and scholarship winners since its founding in 1988. Under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, ASU is classified as a "RU/VH" (very high research activity--formerly "Research 1") university.

History

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Originally named the Tempe Normal School, the institution was founded on March 12, 1885 after John Samuel Armstrong first introduced House Bill 164, "An Act to Establish a Normal School in the Territory of Arizona to the 13th Legislative Assembly of the Arizona Territory. Instruction was instituted on February 8, 1886 under the supervision of Principal Hiram Bradford Farmer. Land for the school was donated by Tempe residents George and Martha Wilson, allowing 33 students to meet in a single room.»More ASU History

Founding

Arizona State University was founded in 1885 as the Territorial Normal School at Tempe by an act of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona. But without the skillful political maneuvers of the young legislator John S. Armstrong and the support of town founder Charles Trumbull Hayden the institution might not have been located at Tempe.

The advocacy of territorial Governor Anson P. K. Safford helped Arizonans recognize the need for an institution to train teachers to work in the public schools, but it was not until the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly was seated in 1885 that the political will to address Arizona education was manifest. The Assembly would consider in this session big-ticket appropriations for a mental health facility, a university and a normal school. Citizens of Tucson also hoped the Thirteenth would restore the territorial capitol to their city since it was moved back to Prescott in 1878. As a result a number of political prizes were available for barter during this legislative session, and because of the substantial $100,000 appropriation attached to the mental health facility, it was this institution that many sought as their first priority.

At twenty-eight years old John Armstrong was the second youngest representative in the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly, a Democrat in his first term who was elected on a platform of securing both the mental health facility and the university for predominantly Republican Maricopa County. Upon his election he immediately applied for appointment to the House Education Committee. In a surprise move he was appointed chair of that committee by Speaker R. G. Rollins of Tucson, but his appointment was balanced by the assignment of the formidable C. C. Stephens of Tucson as chair of the Council (Senate) Committee on Education. Any bill to establish a normal school or a university would have to be approved by both the House and Council and signed by the Governor.

There are conflicting accounts of when John Armstrong decided to pursue the normal school for Tempe. The appointment of Stephens as chair of the Council education committee and of E. W. Risley of Tucson to the related House committee suggested that the Tucson interests could not secure the votes to return the capitol to their city. They were positioning themselves to bargain for the university. Armstrong apparently recognized the opportunity and built a coalition to bring the normal school to Tempe in exchange for supporting a public school reform bill and for locating the mental health facility in Phoenix.

On February 26, 1885 Armstrong introduced House Bill no. 164, “An Act to Establish a Normal School in the Territory of Arizona.” The bill would establish a territorial normal school at Tempe to train public school teachers and also teach "husbandry" (agriculture) and the mechanical arts. $5,000 was proposed for founding the institution and $3,500 was set aside for two years of operating expenses, after which the institution would be supported by tax revenue. The founding appropriations would be provided if the citizens of Tempe donated land for the school within 60 days of the bill’s passage.

HB 164 passed the House Education Committee on March 3, and on March 5 Mr. Stephens introduced Council Bill no. 76, "An Act to Organize the University of the Territory of Arizona and to locate it at Tucson." This bill was read and referred to the Council Committee on Education. Back in the House on March 6, Armstrong called for suspension of the rules and a vote on HB 164. The members agreed and passed the bill later that day. Stephens spent the weekend assessing the prospects for his university bill and realized he needed Armstrong’s support for House approval. On Tuesday, March 10, Stephens moved that HB 164 and CB 76 be considered by committee of the whole, bypassing his own Council Education Committee and ensuring that the bills would be considered together.

On the morning of March 11, Council passed HB 164, sending the bill to the governor for signature and ensuring the establishment of the normal school at Tempe. During the afternoon session the House passed CB 76, establishing the university at Tucson. Governor F.A. Tritle signed both bills on March 12, 1885.

All that remained was securing for the school from the citizens of Tempe. One account states that Charles Trumbull Hayden arranged for a town meeting in January in which the citizens of Tempe agreed that a normal school was desirable, and that George and Martha Wilson’s cow pasture was the best location. The Wilsons originally agreed to donate in exchange for $500 raised by the citizens of Tempe at that meeting. Now they would have to donate their entire pasture, which was needed to support their business, the Pioneer Meat Market, to meet the requirement. On May 5 the Wilsons donated the entire in exchange for $500, creating the core of the original campus and ensuring the establishment of Arizona State University.Robert Spindler,"The Founding of Arizona State University", The New ASU Story »http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/asustory/index.html; Ernest J. Hopkins and Alfred Thomas, Jr, The ASU Story, Phoenix: Southwest Publishing Co., Inc., 1960; Armstrong, John Samuel III, comp., Papers Relative to John Samuel Armstrong, Tempe Pioneer and Founding Father of Arizona State University, Scottsdale: The author, »1996?; Journals of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona, »Arizona Territory, 1885.

Early years

Principal Hiram Bradford Farmer opened the Territorial Normal School’s four classroom building to 33 students on February 8, 1886, the first institution of higher education to open in Arizona. The Normal School was charged to provide "instruction of persons, both male and female, in the art of teaching, and in all the various branches that pertain to a good common school education; also, to give instruction in the mechanical arts and in husbandry and agricultural chemistry, in the fundamental law of the United States, and in what regards the rights and duties of citizens."Laws of the Territory of Arizona Thirteenth Legislative Assembly; Also Memorials and Resolutions, San Francisco: H.S.Crocker& Co., 1885. pp. 247-248.

Admission requirements were a minimum age of 16 years old and successful completion of an entrance examination. Advanced placement by examination was accepted with 22 weeks of attendance. Principal Farmer taught all subjects. “Sub-normal” classes were offered to students lacking a high school diploma until 1923. Upon completion of the requirements a diploma and teaching certificate were awarded.

In 1899, the requirement for a diploma increased to a three year course with a test of proficiency in academic and professional (teacher instruction) studies. By 1900 there were six faculty members and 131 students.

As a result of the opening of the Normal School at Flagstaff, in 1901 the legislature instituted the official and legal name Tempe Normal School that was presented in all official publications starting in 1903. The Department of Manual Arts (1906) and classes in Agriculture (1912) were introduced into the curriculum in accordance with requirements of the founding legislation. On March 20, 1911 President Theodore Roosevelt visited Tempe Normal School and spoke to the community from the steps of Old Main, two days after he dedicated Roosevelt Dam. In his thirteen minute speech he presented his vision for education of children, educational training and the development of the Valley.Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story; “President Roosevelt Addresses United Student Bodies of Tempe Schools”, Tempe Normal Student, March 22, 1911.

In the 1920s the »Alumni Association lead political efforts to rename the Normal School and advance to a more robust teachers college curriculum. In 1923 admission requirements were raised to a high school diploma. The Tempe State Teachers College established in 1925 boasted 41 faculty members and 672 students, and by 1929 the Arizona State Teacher’s College offered a four year-college curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Education. A two year curriculum was also available to secure a certificate of eligibility to teach in Arizona elementary schools.Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story; Thomas, Alfred, Arthur John Matthews – Educator and Administrator, Thesis (M.A. Ed.), Tempe: Arizona State University[, 1940.

Students completing the four year course were eligible for graduate work in education at a university, and they would receive secondary certificates permitting them to teach in Arizona high schools. The requirement for a diploma and a grade school teaching certificates increased to a three year curriculum.

Gammage years

In the early 1930s, Arizona State needed national accreditation to be recognized as an educational institution of quality, but eligibility requirements of accrediting organizations specified that a large percentage of faculty must hold advanced degrees, particularly doctorates. As a result, under the leadership of President Ralph Swetman many faculty contracts were terminated and new faculty hired. In 1933 Grady Gammage became President of the Arizona State Teacher’s College, and later that year the North Central Association (NCA) granted Arizona State Teacher’s College at Tempe its first permanent and unconditional accreditation. In 1937 Arizona State offered its first graduate degree, the Masters in Education. Although courses were offered in other academic and professional disciplines, the school remained a teachers college until 1945.Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story. Dean Smith, Grady Gammage: ASU’s Man of Vision, Tempe: Arizona State University, 1989.

Arizona State College at Tempe dropped the teacher’s college appellation in 1945, and it was now governed by the newly established Arizona Board of Regents. The college offered a more diverse curriculum, but the only advanced degree available there was still the Master of Arts in Education. Military personnel who trained for their World War II service in the valley remembered the abundant sunshine and relaxed civilian lifestyle they witnessed before deployment. They returned to settle in the Valley of the Sun and advance their education with GI Bill dollars. As a result, ASC enrollment tripled between 1940 and 1949 to 4,094 students, and Valley manufacturing and industry exploded in this period as well.

In 1953 the Arizona Board of Regents (dominated by University of Arizona alumni), authorized the establishment of a College of Arts and Sciences and called for the United States Department of Education to evaluate the ASC program. Dr. Ernest V. Hollis’ 1954 report declared that ASC was "rapidly becoming a university" and proposed the establishment of four colleges: Liberal Arts, Education, Applied Arts and Sciences, and Business and Public Administration. The Hollis Report precipitated howls of displeasure from southern Arizona that echoed through the Board of Regents and the Arizona Legislature, but in the November 1954 Regents meeting Governor Howard Pyle cast the deciding vote to accept the recommendations, which were implemented the following year.

Meanwhile, a war of words erupted in legislative chambers, major city newspapers and alumni magazines over Hollis’ declaration that a second Arizona university was emerging in the desert. Arizona State College student leaders collected petition signatures, legislation was crafted and buried in committees, and Eugene Pulliam’s Arizona Republic justified references to Arizona State University as a matter of accuracy in journalism. But the powerful State Senator Harold Giss of Yuma unwittingly poured gas on the fire when in March 1958 he introduced legislation to name the institution Tempe University. Hundreds of angry students laid siege at the state capitol in Phoenix until Giss appeared at the balcony and promised to withdraw the bill. An embarrassed President Grady Gammage admonished the student behavior, and quietly appointed Alumni Association Executive Director James Creasman to coordinate the statewide initiative drive that would give Arizonans their second public university.

Five hundred and ninety-nine students formed a committee to collect petition signatures in the spring of 1958, assisted by the Alumni Association and the "Citizens for Arizona State University" led by Walter Craig and John B. Mills. They needed 28,859 valid signatures, but by July 1st they had collected 63,956 signatures and they delivered them to the capitol by armored car. Meanwhile the "Citizens for College and University Education" returned fire with editorials, radio ads and pamphlets declaring that the "name change" movement was wasteful duplication and poor educational policy. Mrs. Kathryn Gammage, first year football coach Frank Kush and college administrators and faculty toured the state to promote Arizona State University, while C.W. Laing and Tom Lillico barnstormed the state in their Yes 200 Piper aircraft. Opening day at the new Sun Devil Stadium featured the letters AS painted in the end zone, with room for the U to be added, while the opposition burned "No 200" into the turf at midfield.

Election day dawned on November 4, 1958 and an army of 1,500 student volunteers was deployed to assist with voter information and transportation to the polls. A communications center was established in the Memorial Union, and the students gathered outside as the polls closed at 7:00. The teletype chattered election results in favor of ASU two to one, and at 10:00 the Citizens for College and University Education conceded the election. Celebrations began, but thirty minutes later a wire service reported returns two to one against ASU and the tension was renewed. At 11:00 the teletype declared the previous reports inaccurate and Proposition 200 approved by a two to one margin. The celebration was renewed with the Sun Devil Marching Band, cheerleaders and pom-pom girls leading 5,000 jubilant students to Sun Devil Stadium. All that remained was the gubernatorial proclamation enacting the initiative results, and so on December 5, 1958, the governor signed the executive order that created Arizona State University.Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story. Dean Smith, Grady Gammage: ASU’s Man of Vision, Tempe: Arizona State University, 1989; The Sahuaro 1959, Tempe: Associated Students of Arizona State University, 1959, pp 12-29.

ASU established itself as a university in name, and it had the public support and regential authorization to offer advanced degrees, but the talented faculty, graduate students and laboratory facilities needed to establish university research programs in the sciences were generally not available at ASU in 1958. University administrators and faculty realized that fulfilling the promise of a university required much more than a name change, and as early as 1955 they worked overtime to create a research university from scratch.

Building a research university

National Science Foundation grant applications from Arizona State College in the 1950s and early 1960s often focused on teacher training programs or “Summer Institutes” in various science disciplines. However there were several faculty who served as the university pioneers in attracting federal grants for scientific research, mainly in the fields of biology, water management, meteoritics and solid state science.

In the mid 1940’s Dr. Herbert Stahnke received research support from the Arizona State Legislature through two appropriations bills for research projects relating to scorpions, snakes and other venomous animals. This work led to establishment of the Poisonous Animals Research Laboratory in 1945, which produced anti-venom for venomous species native to the southwest region. Stahnke’s zeal was honored by the college in this period since he was one of a handful of faculty writing research grants at that time, and he eventually received support from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. His provocative research led to a number of television appearances and a lecture tour of Europe in 1961. In the early 1970s Stahnke’s laboratory was threatened with elimination when university administrators questioned the quality of his anti-venom and the role of public universities in providing this service, but the lab remained in operation until 1988.

H. H. Nininger was a lay scientist and collector of meteorites who became an internationally recognized expert on the subject. In the late-1950’s he expressed interest in an association with ASU to support his research. While an early NSF proposal for Nininger’s meteoritics field research failed, he established a relationship with George Boyd (the university’s first Director of Research) that ultimately resulted in a grant of $240,000 from the National Science Foundation for the purchase of the Nininger Meteorite Collection, the largest meteorite collection hosted by a university and considered among the top five in the world. Given Nininger’s world-class stature as an expert in meteoritics, and a general re-examination of science education in America in response to the Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite, ASU’s acquisition of this collection in 1960 caught the attention of NSF and NASA.

Soon afterward Dr. Carleton Moore was appointed to serve as the first director of ASU’s Center for Meteorite Studies, which exists to this day. Dr. Moore acquired thirty-five research grants in materials science and geology from NASA, NSF and USGS from 1963-1987. Moore was selected to evaluate moon dust and moon rocks acquired from NASA’s Apollo missions in the 1970’s, and his research was particularly well-publicized. This work resulted in a large number of public speaking opportunities in Arizona, and set the stage for externally funded research in planetary geology and astrophysics by subsequent ASU faculty.

University scientific research also required laboratories, and founding dean Lee P. Thompson of the College of Engineering established collaborations with several industrial firms like General Electric, Motorola and AiResearch that enabled the purchase of expensive and specialized equipment. Early labs were built to support research in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and turbine engine development. The results of this research facilitated development of marketable technologies by Arizona businesses.

In 1960 the arrival of ASU President G. Homer Durham from the University of Utah marked the beginning of attempts to actively recruit research science faculty. Appointments of well-credentialed faculty such as Carleton Moore, Charles M. Woolf, Troy Péwé and LeRoy Eyring confirmed ASU’s ability to attract top notch researchers. These faculty members recognized the potential of ASU and were willing to build the infrastructure that eventually attracted many talented research faculty and resulted in the award of hundreds of science PhD's.Office of the President, Arizona State University, Records, 1863-1981. MSS-1. University Archives, Arizona State University Libraries. Gordon A. Sabine, G. Homer: President, Arizona State University, Tempe: Arizona State University Libraries, 1992.

Meanwhile President Durham also led efforts to expand ASU’s curriculum by establishing several new colleges (the »College of Fine Arts, the »College of Law, the »College of Nursing, and the »School of Social Work) and through reorganizing what became the »College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the »College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Expanding capacity

The next three presidents—Harry K. Newburn (1969–71), John W. Schwada, (1971–81), J. Russell Nelson (1981–89) and Interim President Richard Peck (1989) led the university to greater academic stature in the face of increasing demand for educational services. But early in this period ASU experienced the growth pains of a maturing university when the Arizona Board of Regents dismissed the irascible Morris Starsky, a tenured professor of philosophy, for cancelling class to participate in an anti-racism protest in Tucson and other improprieties. Even though two ASU faculty committees and President Newburn acquitted Starsky, the university was later censured by the American Association of University Professors for violating Starsky’s academic freedom.Morris Starsky Papers, 1946-2005, MSS-187, University Archives, Arizona State University Libraries. Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee Records, Accession # 1994-01253, University Archives, »Arizona State University Libraries. Office of the President Records. Newburn, Accession # 1994-01252, University Archives, Arizona State University Libraries. , In 1984 ASU responded to explosive growth in the Phoenix metropolitan area by establishing the ASU West Campus. ASU West was originally intended to serve as an upper division university that drew its student body from the Maricopa County community college system, one of the largest in the country. As demand increased the institution expanded into a four year program and it sought separate accreditation.

Under the leadership of Dr. Lattie F. Coor, from 1990 to 2002, ASU grew to serve the Valley of the Sun through multiple campuses and extended education sites. He established the ASU East campus (now known as the Polytechnic campus) at the former Williams Air Force Base, and he founded the ASU Downtown Center as the host for the College of Extended Education. His commitment to “four pillars” of diversity, quality in undergraduate education, research, and economic development underscored the university’s significant gains in each of these areas over his 12-year tenure. In 1994 ASU science researchers were honored by the Carnegie Center for Advancement of Teaching when they awarded Research 1 status to the university. The recognition was considered a remarkable feat for a university that is ineligible for the substantial research dollars associated with medical schools and land grant agriculture programs."Research I: Carnegie Lists ASU Among Select Universities", ASU Insight, April 8, 1994, pp 1. »http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/asustory/pages/29research.htm Another part of Dr. Coor’s legacy was the most successful capital campaign in university history to date, raising more than $300 million primarily through private donations from the local community. Among the campaign’s achievements were the naming and endowing of the Barrett Honors College, the Katherine K. Herberger College of Fine Arts, and the »Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management at »ASU East.Barby Grant, "Campaign for Leadership Tops $300 Million Mark", ASU Insight, October 1, 1999, p 1.

Campuses

Arizona State University comprises four campuses: the Tempe campus, which is the original and largest campus, the West Campus in northwest Phoenix, the Polytechnic Campus located in Eastern Mesa, and the Downtown Campus in downtown Phoenix.»ASU Campuses Although there is some redundancy in undergraduate academic offerings across the campuses, each campus was designed to host a unique set of colleges and departments.»One University in Many Places Explanation of the ASU campus organization All four campuses award Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, and Doctorates.

Unlike a university system, the ASU campuses are all part of a single university, with a common administration presiding over the faculty, staff, and students. Indeed, the campuses do not have separate admissions, and students receive the same diplomas regardless of which campus they primarily attended. As the original ASU campus in Tempe has nearly reached build-out, the university is reorganizing its colleges and schools, moving some to the newer campuses.

Although most colleges are localized on a single campus, some colleges have a presence on all four campuses, particularly Barrett, The Honors College, Graduate College, and University College.

Tempe Campus

ASU's Tempe campus lies in the heart of Tempe, Arizona, about eight miles (13 km) east of downtown Phoenix. The campus is considered urban, and is approximately in size. ASU Tempe Campus is arranged around broad pedestrian malls and is completely encompassed by an arboretum.»ASU's Tempe campus»Arizona Arboretums And Botanical Gardens Sitting next to Tempe Town Lake, it crosses University Drive and is defined by its borders on Apache Blvd, Rural Road, and Mill Avenue. Against the northwest edge of campus is the Mill Avenue district, which has a college atmosphere that attracts many students to its restaurants and bars. The Tempe campus has expanded to Mill Avenue with The Brickyard, which is a part of the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. ASU's Tempe Campus is also home to all the schools athletic facilities.

The Tempe Campus is the original campus, and Old Main, the first building constructed on the campus, still stands today. Not only is it the oldest but also the largest campus, with 52,734 students total.»http://uoia.asu.edu/files/quickfacts/Quick_Facts_Fall_2007.pdf There are many notable landmarks on campus, including Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Other notable landmarks include Palm Walk, which is lined by 111 palm trees,»Arizona State University: Virtual Tour Charles Trumbull Hayden Library, Old Main, the University Club Building, and University Bridge.

The Tempe campus comprises the following schools and colleges:»List of ASU Colleges

West Campus

The West campus sits on in northwest Phoenix, bordering the city of Glendale, Arizona; however, much of the campus is undeveloped land, with only of it fully-developed.As measured on Google Earth, not including satellite parking lots The West campus lies about northwest of downtown Phoenix, and about northwest of the Tempe campus. The West campus focuses on liberal arts and interdisciplinary programs, enrolls 9,572 students and offers 54 degree programs in five colleges. The campus originally focused on undergraduate education, but now offers numerous programs leading to masters degrees and doctoral degrees. As the campus continues to grow, additional graduate programs will be offered.»West Campus Gears Up for Growth

The West campus comprises the following schools and colleges:

Polytechnic Campus

Founded originally as ASU East, the campus opened in fall 1996 on the former Williams Air Force Base in eastern Mesa, Arizona. The campus opened with nearly 1,000 students enrolled in one of the eight degrees offered. The small campus started with two schools -- School of Technology and School of Management and Agribusiness. East College was added in 1997 as an incubator for new professional programs.

Today nearly 9,614 students are enrolled in 40 degree programs. ASU shares more than in eastern Mesa with Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Mesa Community College, a United States Air Force research laboratory, a Veteran's Administration Clinic and the Silvestre Herrera Army Reserve Center. These entities make up what is known as the Williams Campus.

The Polytechnic campus comprises the following schools and colleges:

Downtown Campus

ASU's Downtown is located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix. It is the newest of the four ASU campuses.»http://www.asu.edu/downtownphoenix/academics/colleges-schools.html Classes began there in August, 2006, with students from the College of Public Programs and College of Nursing. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication recently moved to ASU Downtown. Public Television station KAET is expected to move to ASU Downtown in 2009. As of the fall 2008 semester, 8,431 students were enrolled on the downtown campus.

The Downtown campus comprises the following schools and colleges:

Academics

ASU offers over 250 majors to undergraduate students, and more than 100 graduate programs leading to masters and doctoral degrees. These programs are divided into over a dozen colleges and schools, the largest of which is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which houses nearly 30 programs and departments. Degrees awarded include the B.A., B.S., B.S.E., B.I.S., M.A., M.S., M.F.A., M.B.A., L.L.M., M.M., M.Eng., Ph.D., J.D., Ed.D., and D.M.A..

Reputation and ranking

Undergraduate program

 ASU is ranked 121st in the top tier of "national universities" by the US News and World Report ranking of US colleges and universities. Barrett, The Honors College serves as a virtual university-within-a-university and maintains strict admissions standards while providing a more rigorous curriculum with smaller classes and increased faculty interaction.»Barrett, The Honors College - Arizona State University This honors college is largely responsible for the 168 freshmen National Merit Scholars, and 16 Fulbright scholars who entered ASU as freshmen in 2007.»ASU Quick Facts Arizona State University In addition, US News named ASU as the #4 "Up and Coming" university in the US, for substantial improvements to academics and facilities.»Up and Coming Universities 2009 US News and World Report

ASU has had a reputation as a "party school," and has been highly ranked in party-school lists published by Princeton Review and Playboy Magazine (in addition to being joked about on such shows as The Simpsons, The George Lopez Show, and American Dad!). In recent years, even though ASU's academic rigor has increased, ASU still regularly appears in several of the "top party school" rankings.e.g., »Top Party Schools 2009 The Princeton Review.

Ranked graduate programs

In the US News and World Report guide to graduate schools:

  • The W. P. Carey School of Business MBA program was ranked 22nd and the undergraduate business program ranked 25th. Many of the individual programs rank in the top 25 nationwide, including the 4th ranked program in Supply Chain Management and the 11th ranked program in Information Systems.

  • The Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, was ranked 41st and the graduate program ranked 47th. Many of the individual programs within the college rank in the top tier of over 300 nationwide programs, including five graduate programs ranked in the top 30 by U.S. News and World Report.»Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University

  • The College of Design is reputedly rigorous and highly ranked.»College of Design News 2005: ASU The Interior Design program was ranked 2nd and the Architecture Master's Degree ranked 10th in 2005 by America's Best Architecture and Design Schools.

In addition, ASU maintains several programs that are ranked among the top ten nationally according to the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index: Ecology & Evolution, Accountancy, Marketing, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Industrial Engineering, Speech & Hearing Science, Spanish, Physical Anthropology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Educational Psychology, and Social Psychology.[http://www.academicanalytics.com/TopSchools/TopPrograms.aspx#11 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index] Rankings of top programs

International programs

ASU is currently collaborating with several world class institutions in several countries such as China, Switzerland and Mexico. In Mexico, ASU collaborates with Instituto TecnolĂłgico AutĂłnomo de MĂ©xico (ITAM) in the ITAM/W.P. Carey School of Business Executive MBA Program. In Switzerland, ASU collaborates with HEC Lausanne, the affiliated business school of the University of Lausanne.

Fundraising and endowment

Created in 1955, the ASU Foundation is one of Arizona’s oldest 501 (c)(3) organizations. It raises, invests and manages private resources for Arizona State University. The foundation coordinates and directs major fundraising campaigns on behalf of ASU and its colleges and schools, and partners with the university to provide complementary support for entrepreneurial activities in technology transfer and real estate investment.

In fiscal 2007-2008, the university received private cash gifts of more than $120 million – only the third time in history that private support for the university has topped the $100 million mark. This gift total included six outright gifts of $1 million or more. In addition, there were five gift pledges of between $5 and $20 million each to ASU for strategic initiatives.

The ASU endowment has doubled in size over the past four years. During fiscal year 2008, the endowment increased by $29 million in gifts to new endowed funds or existing endowments reaching a total value of $493 million on June 30, 2008. The average annual return on endowment investments for the past three years was 11.2 percent, outperforming both the benchmark and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index for this period. In addition, the total assets managed by the foundation, which includes non-endowment assets, increased by $41 million, capping a six-year, $578 million growth.

Gifts, endowment income and entrepreneurial partnerships provide important resources that advance ASU's vision of a New American University.

Athletics

Arizona State University's Division I athletic teams are called the Sun Devils, which is also the nickname used to refer to students and alumni of the university. They compete in the Pac-10 Conference in 20 varsity sports. Historically, the university has shown great athletic dominance in men's, women's, and mixed archery; men's, women's, and mixed badminton; women's golf; women's swimming and diving; and baseball. In 1987, the football team won the Rose Bowl, and they have been to the Fiesta Bowl five times.

Arizona State University's NCAA Division I-A program competes in 9 varsity sports for men and 11 for women. The Sun Devil mascot is a devil named Sparky. The university is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference in all varsity sports. ASU's current athletic director is Lisa Love, who was the former athletic administrator at USC and in her tenure is responsible for hiring new coaches Herb Sendek, the men's basketball coach, and Dennis Erickson, the men's football coach.

ASU won national championships in men's archery 15 times, women's archery 21 times, mixed archery 20 times, men's badminton 13 times, women's badminton 17 times, mixed badminton 10 times, baseball 5 times, women's tennis 3 times, men's gymnastics once, men's track and field once, women's indoor track and field twice, men's indoor track and field once, wrestling once, men's golf twice, women's golf 13 times, women's softball three times, and women's swimming and diving 7 times, for a total of 136 national championships.

Football

The Arizona State Sun Devils football team was founded in 1897 under coach Fred Irish.»History :: The Arizona State University Sun Devils - Official Athletic Site Currently, the team has played in the 2007 Holiday Bowl, 1997 Rose Bowl and also won the Rose Bowl in 1987 as well as the Fiesta Bowl in 1982, 1975, 1973, 1972, and 1971. In 1970 they were co-champions of the NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship.

Fight song

Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation and athletic games is: "Maroon and Gold" and Arizona State Alma Mater.

Fight, Devils down the field
Fight with your might and don't ever yield
Long may our colors outshine all others
Echo from the buttes,
Give 'em hell Devils!
Cheer, cheer for ASU
Fight for the Old Maroon
For it's hail, hail, the gang's all here
And it's onward to victory!

Alma Mater

Where The Bold Saguaros
Raise Their Arms On High
Praying Strength For Brave Tomorrows
From The Western Sky
Where Eternal Mountains
Kneel At Sunset's Gate
Here We Hail Thee, Alma Mater
Arizona State!

Student activities

Extracurricular programs

 Arizona State University has an active extracurricular involvement program (Sun Devil Involvement Center) with over 500 registered clubs and organizations on campus.»Memorial Union - Student Organizations Located on the 3rd floor of the Memorial Union, the Sun Devil Involvement Center (SDIC) provides opportunities for student involvement through clubs, sororities, fraternities, community service, leadership, student government, and co-curricular programming.

"ASU Cares" is the largest community service project sponsored by the university. It is an annual event that allows students to give back some time by helping residents and communities clean up, rebuild, and/or serve each other. Faculty, staff, alumni, members of the community and their families and guests are also invited to be part of this large ASU effort to help residents of the various communities surrounding the metropolitan area.»ASU Cares

The Freshman Year Experience (FYE) and the Greek community (Greek Life) at Arizona State University have been important in binding students to the university, and providing social outlets. The Freshman Year Experience at Arizona State University was developed to improve the freshman experience at Arizona State University and increase student retention figures. FYE provides advising, computer labs, free walk-in tutoring, workshops, and classes for students. In 2003, U.S. News and World Report ranked FYE as the 23rd best first year program in the nation.

Student media

ASU Student Media includes The State Press (student newspaper), the Web Devil (online news site) and Sun Devil Television (television station broadcast on campus and in student residence halls). The State Press is a daily paper published on Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, and weekly during the summer sessions.»ASU Web Devil - Monday, March 24, 2008 Student editors and managers are solely responsible for the content of all Student Media products. They are overseen by an independent board and guided by a professional adviser employed by the University.

During the fall and spring semesters 13,500 copies of the State Press are printed each week day. More than 96% of ASU students on all four campuses read The State Press at least once per week, and 65% read it every day or most days. There are an average of 2.5 readers per each copy of the State Press, resulting in more than 45,000 readers across all four campuses. In addition, the State Press Magazine, a weekly arts and culture publication, comes out on Wednesdays. The Web Devil, the online arm of the State Press, publishes the paper's daily content online, as well as independent news and editorial content.

The campus has two radio stations. KASC The Blaze 1260 AM, is a broadcast station and is not an official part of Student Media - it is owned and funded by the Cronkite School - but is completely student-run save for a faculty and professional adviser. The Blaze broadcasts local, alternative and independent music 24 hours a day, and also features news and sports updates at the top and bottom of every hour.»kasc - the blaze 1260 am - asu's original alternative W7ASU is an amateur radio station that was first organized in 1935. W7ASU has about 30 members that enjoy amateur radio, and is primarily a contesting club. »W7ASU - Amateur Radio Society at Arizona State University

Student government

Associated Students of Arizona State University (ASASU) is the student government at Arizona State University's campus at Tempe, Arizona.»ASASU Website It is composed of the Undergraduate Student Government & the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA). Members and officers of the ASASU are elected annually by the student body.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) of Arizona State University-Tempe is the student government for every ASU student living on-campus. The purpose of RHA is to enhance the quality of residence hall life and provide a cohesive voice for the residents by addressing the concerns of the on-campus populations to university administrators and other campus organizations; providing cultural, diversity, educational, and social programming; establishing and working with individual hall councils. In 2008, the RHA of ASU-Tempe was voted "Best School of the Year" out of over 400 higher education institutions.

Residence halls

Tempe Campus

 North Neighborhood
  • Manzanita Hall (Freshman)
  • Palo Verde Main Hall (Freshman)
  • Palo Verde East (Freshman)
  • Palo Verde West Hall (Freshman)
  • San Pablo Hall (Freshman and Residential College of Engineering)

Center Neighborhood

  • Best Hall (Freshman and Residential College-Barrett Honors and Arts)
  • Hayden Hall (Freshman and Residential College- Barrett Honors)
  • Irish Hall (Freshman and Residential College- Barrett Honors)
  • McClintock Hall (Freshman Residential College of Design)

South Neighborhood

  • Hassayampa Academic Village (A - E) (Mohave Hall-CLAS living and learning communities)(Arroyo Hall-Mary Lou Foulton College of Education)(Jojoba Hall - WP Carey School of Business)(Chuparosa Hall - First Year Residential Experience)(Acacia Hall - Live Well Community)
  • Hassayampa Academic Village (F - H)
  • Ocotillo Hall (Freshman)
  • Sonora Center (Freshman)
  • Adelphi Commons I (Panhellenic Sorority Housing; Female only) and II (Fraternity, Undergrad, & Grad Housing; Co-ed) - Privately managed by Campus Living Villages, owned by ASU

Campus Apartments

  • University Towers (Upper division)
  • Cholla Apartments (Upper division)
  • Vista del Sol (Upper division) - Privately owned, operated, and managed by American Campus Communities through an on campus Real-Estate Investment Trust (Student REIT) set up through American Campus Communities and Arizona State University. This agreement is one the first of its kind.

West campus

  • Las Casas

Downtown campus

  • Taylor Place

Polytechnic campus

  • North Residence Halls
  • South Village

Notable alumni and former students

Notable faculty and staff

Points of interest

Notes

External links

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arizona_State_University ". | compliance | January 07th 2009