Change the future with New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
Always New, always innovating
Exciting new things are happening in the West Valley. New industries and companies. New population growth. And of course: New College.
Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, located on the beautiful West Valley campus, combines the nation’s largest, most innovative public research university with a personalized, studentfocused campus community. At New College, New is a mindset, not an age. New College will always be New, nurturing students to develop new ideas, discoveries, solutions and answers for complex challenges today and in the future. At the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, we take pride in breaking down disciplinary barriers and cultivating an environment where innovative research flourishes. Our faculty are not just educators; they are trailblazers in their fields, consistently expanding the frontiers of knowledge.
With four schools, including the School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the School of Interdisciplinary Forensics and the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, New College offers myriad opportunities for collaboration and hands-on learning.
Learning about the complex and unique ways that different fields of study interact and affect one another prepares our students to be successful and make an impact on the world.
New College provides extraordinary opportunities to shape the future.
Bringing the Charter to life through access
The opportunity to participate in hands-on research as an undergraduate student is one of many experiences that differentiate New College.
New College is also finding new ways to bring ASU’s Charter to life, eliminating barriers to enrollment and advancement for people from all backgrounds. College attainment has far-reaching benefits for individuals, families and the broader community. That’s why New College offers proactive outreach and robust support for first-generation and underrepresented students.
These support efforts have yielded impressive results: New College enrollment is growing by doubledigit percentages, and students are flourishing. In fact, first-year retention rates often exceed 90 percent. New College is committed to creating a world where everyone can succeed and thrive, no matter their circumstances or the challenges the world presents.
The research is clear: New College provides remarkable opportunities for students.
“We would like every student who steps on our campus to learn how to be a knowledge generator,” says Vernon Morris, Associate
Dean of Knowledge Enterprise and Strategic Outcomes at New College.
“Not just a problem solver, which is also critically important, but a knowledge generator.”
Enter NCUIRE: New College Undergraduate Inquiry and Research Experiences. Currently serving 100 to 150 students each year, NCUIRE gives undergraduate students the chance to work with faculty on vital research topics, from forensic evidence analysis to the mental and physical health of female veterans in Arizona. For students, NCUIRE is a catalyst to discovering a passion, pursuing a graduate degree or even becoming a published researcher. The hands-on research experience builds confidence, connections and persistence— ingredients in the “secret sauce” of New College student success.
Through Changing Futures, NCUIRE and other student research programs at New College will be scaled to offer more opportunities to more students, generating insights for years to come.
From the West Valley, for the world
The West Valley is the perfect place to explore societal challenges, working with local communities to ensure they have a place at the table for these decisions.
At New College, we’re working to change the future of the West Valley, Arizona and the world.
We believe that New College embodies the ASU Charter when we produce measurable, real-world impact in the communities we serve. Our faculty work tirelessly to address social, economic and environmental challenges faced by communities in the West Valley and far beyond.
Take, for example, Desert Health for Planetary Health. As nations around the world work toward net-zero carbon emissions, faculty at New College recognize that this transition comes with its own set of serious challenges. Extracting the resources needed for renewable energy can have negative environmental and social impact, with threats to indigenous lands and sovereignty.
Under-resourced communities are especially vulnerable to the impacts of a shifting workforce in the wake of electrification. According to Associate Dean Morris, “Without reskilling, without paying
specific attention at the zip code or congressional district level, you’re going to have job loss, which is going to be catastrophic if you’re at the lower socioeconomic status.” With the right strategic insights, we can avoid this peril and fundamentally reshape our relationship with the planet for good.
Desert Health for Planetary Health will work with community, government and industry stakeholders to forecast the consequences of electrification and ensure that at-risk communities maintain access to basic needs, economic opportunity and power (of the social and electric variety). Laboratories, artificial and augmented intelligence, machine learning and other analytical tools will enable scenarios and simulations that will ultimately lead to the best decisions for people and the planet. The insights shared will not only benefit Greater Phoenix, but similar arid regions around the world.
Support New College and shape a better future
New College is leading the way on a number of critical issues: legal system reform, gender equity, public health and more. From the West Valley, for the world, your support for New College is truly Changing Futures.
New College students enjoy a personalized experience and close-knit community on ASU’s West Valley campus.
Change futures by supporting
Transform global education
Experiential and Inquiry
Based Learning programs, such as New College Undergraduate Inquiry and Research Experience (NCUIRE) and Future Leaders and Geoscience High-Road Internship Program (FLAGSHIP), are well-established at New College. These initiatives eliminate financial barriers to experiential learning, ensuring access for students who might not otherwise be able to pursue undergraduate research. By providing mentorship and real-world experiences, NCUIRE and FLAGSHIP lead to enhanced critical thinking and problemsolving skills among participants, not to mention a wealth of opportunities post-graduation. Changing Futures will scale these programs and others like them, making strides to provide experiential learning for all students at New College.
Build the future of health
The Center for the Future of Health Data aims to address the gap in actionable health data resources for underserved communities in Arizona and around the world. Using machine learning and AI, the Center will make health data actionable at the community level, empowering leaders to identify and address emerging public health issues. The Center will focus on health issues such as air quality impacts on respiratory diseases, mental health service utilization, and food insecurity’s effects on overall health, empowering local stakeholders to articulate their health needs through data-driven insights. Through Changing Futures, we can foster inclusive and equitable health outcomes through the power of data and community voices.
Reshape our relationship with the planet
New College’s work in planetary health centers on innovative desert science with global applications. Our programs—including the desert restoration zone, carbon sink and learning forest, among others— explore the evolution of desert ecosystems. Our interdisciplinary research not only fosters healthy desert environments but also supports overall planetary health. From examining how global wind patterns influence desert ecology to pioneering cutting-edge sustainability innovations, we are dedicated to advancing Desert Health for Planetary Health.
New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
College success is a path to Generational Wealth and Community Transformation. Today, less than half of adults in the West Valley have a post-secondary degree. This initiative empowers families and brings degree attainment within reach through increased preparedness, financial support, guidance and community engagement. By providing families with knowledge and resources, this initiative seeks to shift community attitudes toward higher education and create supportive environments for students, particularly first-generation and underrepresented individuals. Through Changing Futures, we will create a successful, sustainable model for educational attainment in the West Valley, leading to brighter futures for students, families, and our community.
The ASU Law and Behavioral Science Initiative is designed to create a more effective and just legal system by understanding how human behavior influences laws and policies. It’s easy to point to negative unintended consequences in our legal system, but harder to understand the flawed assumptions about human psychology that cause them. This initiative is a collective of faculty, students, research centers, labs and academic programs using psychology and behavioral science to address these critical issues. Changing Futures will formalize the Law and Behavioral Science Initiative into a driver of research, education and training.
Innovations and Advances in Gender Equity will address the needs of New College’s growing female student population by improving access to education, leadership opportunities, and equitable advancement. With women soon representing nearly 70 percent of students at West Valley campus, we must create educational strategies that support vulnerable groups, including single mothers and women of color. Through Changing Futures, we will inspire future leaders and foster gender equity, empowering women to overcome barriers and realize their full potential.
Student Success and Persistence will scale proven interventions to support firstgeneration and disadvantaged students throughout their college journey. Key initiatives include the Peer Mentor Program, which pairs first-year students with upperclassmen, and West Valley Common Read, fostering community connections through shared reading experiences. Our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club builds pathways to student success before enrollment, ultimately creating a brighter future for students and their families.
About Us
New College is a community of interdisciplinary learners: Focusing on a personalized learning experience and on the complex and unique ways that different fields of study interact and affect one another to better prepare you for the future.
ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
ASU Charter