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A RIZONA S TATE U NIVERSITY. Creating the New American University. “… There’s this thirst to be something really good, maybe even great…”. - Community Stakeholder. T H E A C A D E M Y. Elite, often religiously-based havens for the creation and study of knowledge. T H E C I T Y.
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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Creating the New American University
“… There’s this thirst to be something really good, maybe even great…” - Community Stakeholder
T H E A C A D E M Y Elite, often religiously-based havens for the creation and study of knowledge.
T H E C I T Y Gateways - flourishing political, economic, and cultural centers.
Early Thoughts on Social Embeddedness Leading toward Transformation - 1 - - 2 - - 3 -
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y September 2005 – May 2006 • Analysis of best practices • Social Embeddedness Steering Committee; monthly work team meetings • Presentations and ongoing interviews/meetings • Development of social embeddedness definition, vision, top level goals, proposed preliminary actions • Discussions on challenges, solutions, and impacts • Preliminary review of funding potential; draft of typical foundation proposal • Development of concepts and timeline for university-wide/community-wide process and implementation
D E F I N I T I O N Social Embeddedness Core to the development of ASU as the New American University; a university-wide, interactive, and mutually supportive partnership with the communities of Arizona
D E F I N I T I O N Social Embeddedness The ongoing integration of five innovative and distinct, yet interrelated actions: • Community Capacity Building • Teaching and Learning • Economic Development and Investment • Social Development • Research and Discovery
“Good is the enemy of great.” - Jim Collins
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y What do we mean by great?* * in relation to ASU’s Social Embeddedness Design Imperative
Every resident and business in Maricopa County points to ASU as the all-important asset in the community G R E A T R E S U L T S • Peer universities see ASU as a top tier research university that has integrated mutually beneficial and supportive community partnerships into teaching, learning, research • National foundations that support higher education look to ASU for guidance in establishing criteria for university-community partnerships
G R E A T R E S U L T S • ASU is seen as the national exemplar of social embeddedness -- as core to a new kind of university; definition and standards are copied and become increasingly influential • ASU is recognized as central to an increased economic, social, and cultural vitality in the region/state • The Arizona Legislature and other stakeholders recognize ASU as core to the future of the state • Measurements show that communities of color and lower-income communities of AZ are faring better than their counterparts in other states (particularly in those areas the university can impact)
There is a change in how research is designed, such that affected communities are included in the thinking about the process G R E A T R E S U L T S • The population of greater Phoenix shows noticeable gains in health, housing, education, and economic vitality • Communities of Arizona can better define their own goals for success and can more readily solve problems • Campus boundaries are diffused: more community in the university; more university in the community • Phoenix becomes the New American City
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Vision A university that is socially integrated and embedded within its many communities
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y What will it take to fulfill the social embeddedness design imperative of the New American University?
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Goals • University-wide culture • Internal structures and reward systems • Partnerships with communities of Arizona to increase the state’s social capital • National model for university-community partnership
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y PoliciesHow does it become university-wide at ASU?
Refine Mission Statement and Strategic Plan U N I V E R S I T Y – W I D E C U L T U R E • Integrate the social embeddedness vision and definition in all ASU materials • Actualize the definition (e.g. not one time only; and leaves behind expertise in community, and/or advances social development in community, and/or advances economic development, and is evaluated for outcome and impact for community) • Allow ample time for promotion and discussion • Host speaker series and seminars • Create evaluation model and tools; encourage cumulative learning and publication • Develop publication of critical case studies
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Internal Structure and Accountability:How will it really work at ASU?
Support for units to develop college-by-college implementation plans for social embeddedness; accountability through units; ongoing evaluation I N T E R N A L S T R U C T U R E & A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y • Regular progress reports from Deans/VPs re: units and colleges • “Review team” to provide guidance (ways for work of units to best meet social embeddedness definition) • Policies to address non-academic decisionmaking and accountability • Ongoing “reporting” to community
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Curriculum Change:What kind of curriculum changes should be considered at ASU?
Support curriculum changes within colleges through special ‘sabbaticals’ to develop new and to revise existing courses; appoint task force to consider university-wide capstone requirement C U R R I C U L U M • Create Curriculum Innovation Trust • Provide support to colleges to move social embeddedness agenda forward • Theme-driven university-wide approach (annual decision with community input re: theme(s)) • Course continuity -- as appropriate -- to enable seamless transitions between semesters (and change in students)
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Leadership:Who should drive the train at ASU?
President and Provost(s) provide overarching leadership to ensure university-wide expectations and action (“keepers” of qualitative and quantitative measures of success) L E A D E R S H I P • Creation of high level Director position with dual reporting channels – provost to ensure academic validity, president to support mission beyond academic sphere (Director to support college-by-college implementation) • Network of involvement through the Director to include community and university • National dialogue (summit, website) / engagement of foundations
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Building Understanding:How do you spread the word to faculty and staff at ASU and to the community ?
Emphasize comprehensive vision of social embeddedness as core to New American University C L A R I T Y A N D C O N S I S T E N C Y • Consistent articulation and examples • Clarify differences between social embeddedness and volunteerism, PR, etc. • Encourage the teaching of theory of social embeddedness across the curriculum and consider social embeddedness as a component of doctoral programs
Communication/update to all initial interviewees (200+/- individuals) C O M M U N I T YD I A L O G U E • Group conversations hosted by regional nonprofits • Visible large scale outreach into communities that surround all ASU campuses to ensure ASU’s goals for communities match goals set by communities themselves • Community dialogue on findings; joint theme-setting • Large scale dissemination of information (print/web) • Increased involvement with nonprofit boards
F A C U L T Y O U T R E A C H A N D R E W A R D S • Recognize accomplishments (inc. Insight) • Reward system (stipends, one-time and/or permanent salary increase, financial incentives or teaching assistants, travel, focused sabbatical program, Regents level professor as exemplar) • Reduced teaching load (competitive review) to plan for curriculum change • Presentation of examples and facilitated discussions at college/ school/ department meetings
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Branding the Concept:What’s in a name?
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y Sustainability:How do you make it last at ASU?
Not tied to single individual, but consistent support at highest levels of institution M A K I N G I T L A S T A T A S U • Unit-driven solutions with accountability and university-wide goals • Meaningful rewards, incentives, support • Increased attractiveness to core of like –minded faculty and students; include social embeddedness as a hiring criteria • Academic focus and validity • Ongoing commitment to evaluation and assessment • Core to the evolution of ASU as the New American University
A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y What can University Council do to implement the recommendations? • Include social embeddedness definition in materials produced by your unit • Analyze work currently being done by your unit to assess how it might be transformed to move from serving to empowering • Schedule conversations with your unit about hoped-for impacts your college, department, center can make • Consider ways to measure success