C OM MU N I T Y Social Embeddedness Report 2018
ASU Charter 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 Design Aspirations Eight design aspirations guide the ongoing evolution of ASU as a New American University. These institutional objectives are integrated in innovative ways throughout the university to achieve excellence, access and impact. Leverage our place
Value entrepreneurship
ASU embraces its culture, socioeconomic and physical setting
ASU uses its knowledge and encourages innovation
Enable student success
Be socially embedded
ASU is committed to the success of each unique student
ASU connects with communities through mutually beneficial partnerships
Transform society
Engage globally
ASU catalyzes social change by being connected to social needs
ASU engages with people and issues locally, nationally and internationally
Fuse intellectual disciplines
Conduct use-inspired research
ASU creates knowledge by transcending academic disciplines
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ASU research has purpose and impact
Table of contents 4. How ASU engages with communities 5. A letter from President Michael M. Crow 6. 10 benefits of partnering
Mike Markgraf and Cindy Hikida, center, dance with ASU music therapy undergraduate students Tabitha Williams, left, and Rachel Quirbach, right, for their act during their end-of-semester performance at the Tempe Adult Day Health Center.
28. President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness 30. Partnerships for a 21st-century workforce 32. Interconnected partnership 34. Social Embeddedness Network 35. Rankings and awards
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How ASU engages with communities At ASU, social embeddedness is integrated into every facet of the university. As one of the university’s eight design aspirations, social embeddedness is a core value that empowers and inspires each unit to forge meaningful touchpoints with community partners. ASU inventories engagement activity across all academic and nonacademic units to evaluate our institutional social embeddedness and determine how ASU is delivering on its commitment to assume “fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.” In last year’s report, we explored HOW we are engaging in mutually beneficial partnerships with communities and identified seven distinct ways in which ASU is partnering to drive positive impact. ASU faculty and staff reported working with 2,178 unique partners on the latest annual ASU Social Embeddedness Survey. In this year’s report, we are exploring the WHY behind these partnerships. The following 10 stories highlight some of the many benefits to partnering and how collaboration has helped to advance the core mission of ASU, as well as enhance the important work of our community partners. Sincerely, Lindsey Beagley Director of Social Embeddedness University Initiatives
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Community-based teaching and learning ASU enables students to effect positive change in their communities while applying their knowledge, practicing their skills and broadening their perspectives on social issues as they learn from community partners in a real-world context.
Knowledge mobilization ASU builds a bridge connecting the knowledge enterprise and community by translating groundbreaking research into accessible and meaningful information the public can use to enrich lives.
Civic Engagement
Capacity-building and professional development
ASU cultivates conscientious students and graduates who possess the knowledge, skills, values and motivation to actively and responsibly engage in issues of public importance throughout their lifetimes.
ASU supports organizations to develop their core capabilities to enhance their effectiveness and sustainability while improving the knowledge enterprise’s ability to foster cross-sector collaborations.
Communityengaged research
Place-based partnerships
ASU empowers researchers to partner with stakeholders from across the community to collaboratively design and conduct even the earliest phases of the research process.
PreK-14 outreach ASU strengthens the educational continuum by increasing access to higher education and improving college readiness.
ASU advances ideas and co-develops spaces that embrace the knowledge enterprise’s unique culture and socioeconomic and physical setting.
A letter from President Michael M. Crow I am often asked what makes ASU the No. 1 most innovative university in the country. One of the key ingredients to ASU’s innovation is our ability to collaborate, blurring the lines between the traditional bounds of a university and exploring how partnerships can catalyze and advance new ideas. Even with ASU’s “We know that enormous research capabilities and power to generate new knowledge the university and cutting-edge technology, we of the future know that the answers to complex should not only real-world problems do not reside be accessible in the academy alone, but rather at the intersection of sectors, to all learners, programs, cultures, but also to their disciplines, communities and people. communities.” For us, partnering with our – M I C H A E L M . C R O W, communities is not an afterthought. P R E S I D E N T, A S U It is a fundamental part of our institutional identity. Tethering our success to the success of our communities has inspired us to achieve more and continually recommit to the public purposes of higher education as part of our pursuit of the New American University. We know that the university of the future should not only be accessible to all learners, but also to their communities. Accordingly, we are even re-imagining ASU’s physical presence and how we can be better built to partner. The new ASU 365 Community Union is a project that re-envisions the former Sun Devil Stadium as a community space, improving accessibility to ASU resources and leveraging it for cultural activities all year long to increase its utilization rate from 2 percent to 98 percent. Similarly, the Novus Innovation Corridor, the newest of six “Innovation Zones,” will drive economic growth to our region by attracting
global businesses, and connect ASU’s world-class research and technology to commerce. In FY17 alone, ASU’s economic impact resulted in $3.76 billion in gross product, $2.56 billion in labor income and 49,321 jobs. Still, we imagine something more for Arizona. Partnerships facilitate breakout innovation and drive myriad benefits that advance ASU’s core mission as a public enterprise, as well as create value for our communities and partners. Partnerships allow us to expand our reach into communities that are often forgotten, increase efficiency, prepare and strengthen a capable 21st-century workforce and amplify mutually desired outcomes. Together, we are capable of so much more than we are in isolation. Our dedication to working collaboratively is unwavering. Through partnerships, our local, regional, national and global communities are strengthened by the many tangible, reciprocal benefits associated with the broad deployment of ASU’s resources and expertise in addition to the critical insights and community knowledge our partners bring to the table. We look forward to another year of collaboration as we fulfill our commitment to social embeddedness and pursue a shared vision for our future. Thank you,
President Michael M. Crow Arizona State University
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benefits of partner 6
ring
Robotics engineering junior Curtis Sparks shows Ariana Kirk, left, and Alexis Kirk, right, how to control a soft robotic arm on display in the BioInspired Mechatronics Lab during ASU Open Door at the Polytechnic campus in Mesa.
1. Expanded reach 2. Breakout innovations 3. Increased efficiency 4. Prepared graduates 5. Informed community practice 6. Impact-driven research 7. Strengthened social capital 8. Reciprocal outcomes 9. Amplified outcomes 10. Scaled solutions
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Expanded reach By leveraging technology and partnering with missiondriven organizations that have critical knowledge about local communities, ASU can expand the availability of knowledge and resources, even to those who have been traditionally difficult to reach.
SolarSPELL Digital Libraries
SolarSPELL inventor Laura Hosman, senior sustainability scientist and assistant professor in ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society, demonstrates the device’s capabilities to middle school students in Samoa.
While it is possible to deploy devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones in remote and resource-constrained communities around the world, they remain underutilized without reliable electricity and internet connectivity. As a result, they often fail to connect people to the vast knowledge and learning resources available in more developed areas. In response to this gap, Laura Hosman and Bruce Baike led an ASU team of staff and students to develop the Solar Powered Educational Learning Library (SolarSPELL), a ruggedized, portable solar-powered digital library that can be accessed over an offline WiFi hotspot and is designed to simulate an online experience. The innovative, low-cost solution uses solar photovoltaic panels that provide a lightweight energy source during the daytime and a Raspberry Pi3 microcomputer that can support up to 25 devices at one time. In order to train users without a physical presence
in those communities, ASU collaborates with the U.S. Peace Corps and its more than 7,000 volunteers who serve in 60-plus countries
“SolarSPELL has made me a more effective Peace Corps volunteer because of the various resources that I now have at my disposal. There’s so much more that I can do with SolarSPELL than I could with outdated textbooks and handmade instructional materials.” – PAT R I C K , P E A C E C O R P S VOLUNTEER
worldwide. More than 200 SolarSPELLs have been deployed at primary schools around the world, including Micronesia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa and Rwanda, without any hardware failures. SolarSPELL offers a high degree of reliability because it has no moving parts and electronic equipment is protected by a waterproof polypropylene case.
ASU subject matter experts and library science professionals curate culturally and linguistically relevant content to support identified Peace Corps focus areas.
Reciprocity in action PEACE CORPS
Accessible content: Faculty subject matter experts curate digital libraries that support priority areas of the Peace Corps and host countries, such as topics in education, health, agriculture, community development and youth empowerment. Reliable resources: SolarSPELL team members have engaged 153 volunteers and trained more than 400 people to use the devices to access critical information. Localized content: Peace Corps volunteers can access information that informs their lesson plans and community development projects. They also capture content that is valuable to the community that ASU then incorporates into the digital library. ASU
Experiential learning: ASU students travel to sites to learn how technology can be designed and deployed differently in various global settings. User-centered design: ASU researchers gain valuable user feedback, which helps them improve the utility of the device and advance global development research. Hands-on experience: ASU ignites local high school students’ interest in STEM fields by enlisting their help to construct the devices on “build days” at ASU every semester. 9
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Breakout innovations
Only by valuing the experience, knowledge and insight of community partners can ASU drive the innovations needed to solve society’s most pressing problems.
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ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (Teachers College) engages 20 Arizona school districts in its Educator Workforce Initiative, a comprehensive effort to rethink how teacher preparation programs can best serve both ASU students and the more than 500 K-12 schools with which the college partners. In fall 2018, MLFTC launched pilot programs with six of the school districts to reimagine the traditional one-classroom, oneteacher model that makes it difficult for schools to meet all students’ learning needs. The Educator Workforce Initiative identifies which education
roles, in addition to the classroom teacher, are required by schools and how ASU can prepare adults for those roles. For example, ASU could help recruit and train experts with specific business or technical experience to serve as mentors on student-driven projects or undergraduate science majors to serve as lab assistants to support teachers. Ultimately, the collaboration has the potential to deliver even more personalized, student-centered learning in schools. Additionally, these efforts can help Arizona school leaders address their teacher supply and retention problems by rethinking how best to attract, prepare and support a workforce of classroom teachers and other education professionals.
Avondale Elementary School District Historically, significant numbers of undergraduate and graduate students pursuing teaching degrees have given up paid jobs in order to complete their university coursework, meet family responsibilities and fulfill the rigorous clinical experience requirements of a teacher certification program. CHALLENGE
How can ASU and K-12 schools work together to design professional experiences that attract more people to the education profession, relieve the financial pressures on teacher candidates and deliver greater value to schools and students? COLLABORATION
Student teacher Ulises Aragon leads a lab in an environmental science class at Central High School in Phoenix. Photo by Ben Moffat
The Avondale Elementary School District and ASU piloted a new model of clinical experience in which ASU education majors are paid. Thirty-five of the 43 MLFTC teacher candidates working in nine Avondale schools in 2018-19 will be paid after being selected through a competitive application process. Through this pilot, the district and ASU hope to increase the number of students in teacher preparation programs, improve the retention rate at ASU and strengthen the pipeline and diversity of education professionals from ASU to Avondale schools.
Washington Elementary School District Communities are rich with knowledgeable adults who have significant life experience that could enhance learning for K-12 students. CHALLENGE
How can ASU work with community partners to bring their knowledge and expertise into schools in a systematic way that exposes students to more career paths and dynamic modes of practical learning? COLLABORATION
The Washington Elementary School District and ASU leveraged cross-sector collaboration to help middle school learners develop problem-solving skills through mentoring. At Cholla Middle School, WESD partnered with Bank of America to bring employees into the classroom and mentor students in areas such as life skills, career planning and problem-solving. ASU faculty provided the employees training on mentoring and strategies for guiding students in their learning. The experience introduced middle school students to new career paths and meaningfully engaged business professionals in school communities to help prepare the next generation of Arizona’s workforce.
Educator Workforce Initiative ASU and school leaders are exploring ways to integrate a range of full- and part-time educator roles in models that can deliver better personalized learning within existing school budgets. Educator roles receive more pay as they take on more managerial responsibilities and serve more students.
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Increased efficiency
Partnerships help reduce redundancies in efforts and costs while leveraging complementary strengths, capabilities and assets to realize a shared vision for the future. Center for Smart Cities and Regions ASU is a Research I institution that prioritizes transdisciplinary use-inspired research. One such example is its Center for Smart Cities and Regions in which faculty experts in engineering, sustainability, public policy, urban planning and law are exploring the opportunities and challenges of smart city technology such as autonomous vehicles and smart energy grids that allow more efficient management and stewardship of public resources. As smart city technology rapidly emerges and becomes a reality in public life, city leaders need the advanced skills and capacities to carefully design, plan for and manage the sophisticated infrastructure that accompanies these new technologies. CHALLENGE
How can ASU bridge the disconnect between technology innovators and the local needs of policymakers and communities? COLLABORATION
In partnership with the Institute 12
for Digital Progress, the CSCR serves as a central entry point for ASU’s myriad smart cities research initiatives and bridges the gap between science and technology research and urban governance. By leveraging ASU as a knowledge enterprise, cities can access ASU’s research capabilities such as: Engineering solutions for road safety, water management and sustainability. Evaluation expertise to ensure smart city technologies are increasing the quality of life of communities. The ASU Decision Theater to explore various scenarios that will inform policymakers’ decisions about how, when and where to implement smart city technologies to reduce unintended consequences and make more inclusive, vibrant, resilient and sustainable communities. In August 2018, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, City of Chandler, Intel Corporation, ASU and IDP shared the stage at an autonomous vehicles conference
to share how they have built a partnership based on mutual trust and reciprocity, and the role of the university in convening key players across sectors in this space.
“This partnership allows us to take ASU research and connect it into community projects that are already happening in 22 cities and towns. We can’t do that alone in our backyard. We need the credibility and knowledge that organizations such as IDP have to make that happen.” – D I A N A B O W M A N , A S S O C I AT E DIRECTOR , S CHOOL FOR THE FUTURE O F I N N O VAT I O N I N S O C I E T Y; A N D A S S O C I AT E D E A N , S A N D R A D AY O ’ C O N N O R C O L L E G E O F L AW
“Prior to the creation of the center, anytime we’d need to access ASU, it would be through siloed channels. The center now gives us a pipeline into ASU to more effectively and efficiently access the resources that ASU has to offer.” – D O M I N I C PA PA , E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R , I N S T I T U T E F O R D I G I TA L P R O G R E S S
ASU’s Diana Bowman meets with Dominic Papa, executive director at IDP, and Brian Dean, president of IDP, to discuss strategy after a webinar with national partners. Photo by Alex Davis 13
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Prepared graduates
ASU is committed to providing students with community-based experiences that permit them to contribute meaningfully to their communities, while also preparing them with the career-spanning skills they need to be effective as leaders and problem-solvers of 21st-century challenges. Biology and environmental sciences senior Dominic Troffer speaks with Lake Havasu City Mayor Cal Sheehy about solutions for Lake Havasu’s invasive mussel problem.
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Lake Havasu campus As a former flight paramedic and veteran Green Beret, biology and environmental sciences senior at ASU at Lake Havasu, Dominic Troffer, says he has always been the type of person who just “goes in and solves the problem.” Like many students at ASU’s Lake Havasu location, Dominic was exposed to experiential and community-based learning opportunities early on. This gave him a chance to understand local challenges through the lens of his interdisciplinary undergraduate coursework, while also
lending his problem-solving mindset to issues in his own community. Thanks to a course project with the city’s water conservation manager, Dominic discovered complex clean water supply challenges in Lake Havasu City and other Arizona communities, such as bacteria-laden water pipes and a quagga mussel infestation in the lake. By exploring different surfaces found in nature, he developed materials using the natural microgeometry of shark skin, which is known for its antibacterial properties. With support from the Draper/ASU Entrepreneurial Program, Dominic has expanded his knowledge about product development and explored how his innovation could be used to address both his community’s water problem and also other applications, such as food and beverage packaging. He hopes to keep his venture anchored in the Lake Havasu community, a testament to the town’s return on investment for supporting and guiding ASU student learning.
Design and Arts Corps Artists and designers build special skill sets that permit them to see challenges differently and draw from various sources to inspire original solutions. However, design and the arts are often considered nonessential to everyday life rather than critical to our ability to innovate. In a survey of more than 150,000 arts and design alumni, 85 percent reported working in settings for which they had not trained, such as libraries, hospitals, civic and social profit organizations. CHALLENGE
How might we prepare design and arts students to leverage their creative capacities across communities to advance culture, strengthen democracy, imaginatively address pressing challenges and contribute to human thriving?
A team of ASU interior architecture students assembled a Pause + Play structure in collaboration with children from Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, to explore the relationship between play and culture.
COLLABORATION
The ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts partnered with local and national community organizations to build a community engaged framework called the Design and Arts Corps. It aims to put student creativity to work while preparing students to make the world more equitable and just, no matter where they find themselves working. Design and Arts Corps features both an online, competency-based and individualized modular curriculum that uses micro-credentialing/badging to reflect successes as well as community-based projects where students’ craft and skills have measurable consequences. Students learn deep, equitable collaborative skills as well as how to apply their creativity across a range of industries and locations. The framework fundamentally shifts design and arts education to ensure that every student gets a chance to work with a community partner and to understand how they can equitably use their creative talent and imagination to improve their communities.
ASU student engagement quick facts (FY18)
73,762
student engagements across all socially embedded activities*
160
engaged courses
300+
study abroad programs available
21,295,811 2,600 hours of student engagement across all socially embedded activities
students participated in study abroad experiences
514
community-engaged programs that involve students
647 on-site
community-based learning opportunities
41%
community-engaged learning experiences located off campus in the community
*not a unique student count
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5 Conducting use-inspired research often means listening and responding to the needs of community partners with research-backed insights that will strengthen their capacity to serve communities effectively. 16
Informed
ASU and St. Vincent de Paul As part of its mission, St. Vincent de Paul offers a variety of nutrition and wellness education programs for children and families to prevent and manage chronic diseases like diabetes. CHALLENGE
In order for SVdP to secure additional funding and better serve communities, the nonprofit needed to validate its existing Family Wellness Program and build upon
the components that proved to be effective. COLLABORATION
In response to this need, ASU faculty at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation conducted a research study to determine if there was evidence of positive health outcomes for program participants. In addition to validating the program, ASU researchers found that a key predictor of success in the Family Wellness Program was the participants’ consistent
Families at the ASU downtown Taylor Education Kitchen learn to make healthy meals together as part of the pediatric diabetes prevention program Every Little Step Counts.
“We were able to teach our ASU partners about the reality of implementing these interventions in a community setting. In turn, they taught us how to be more methodical in our data collection, increase program fidelity and how we can be a part of the bigger solution at the policy level. This partnership has elevated our vision for how St. Vincent de Paul can make an impact.” – E LVA H O O K E R , FA M I LY W E L L N E S S P R O G R A M D I R E C T O R , S T. V I N C E N T D E PA U L
“The partnership has made me a much better scientist. It has extended the questions we’re asking and increased the impact of our work. We are creating bigger and stronger networks to address the diabetes prevention needs in vulnerable and underserved communities.” – GABRIEL S H AIB I , DIRECTOR , ASU C E N T E R F O R H E A LT H P R O M O T I O N AND DISEASE PREVENTION; A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R , A S U COLLEGE OF NURSING AND H E A LT H I N N O VAT I O N
community practice involvement in the exercise component. However, some community members experienced barriers such as access to local fitness facilities and lack of knowledge about how to use equipment. Building upon the findings from ASU, SVdP pursued a partnership with local YMCAs where they could offer nutrition classes at more accessible locations, while also increasing participant familiarity with the YMCA facilities and their comfort level with physical activity.
IMPACT
As a result of the collaboration, St. Vincent de Paul has enhanced its data management and refined its ability to communicate results to funders, which have included the Arizona Department of Health Services and the National Institutes of Health, as well as several philanthropic organizations. Since the inception of the ASU and YMCA partnership, SVdP has screened more than 2,000 families and enrolled almost 250 families in the year long Every Little Step
Counts program. AN IN-DEPTH VIEW
Since ASU Associate Professor Phil Mizzi first started volunteering with SVdP in the late 1980s, the partnership has grown in scope and complexity, with multiple collaborations including the Family Wellness Program. Learn more about the interconnected nature of the relationship on pages 32-33.
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Impact-driven research
By working with community partners in the research process, we gain critical insights and knowledge to advance sustainable and impactful outcomes for public benefit. Gila River Indian Community Sustainable Housing Co-design While many Indigenous communities have been creating housing solutions suited to their cultural context and climate for thousands of years before the western settlement of North America, federal housing development efforts have failed to incorporate these practices into tribal community planning and development. This is especially critical in Phoenix, the second-fastest warming city in the U.S., where extreme desert temperatures require environmentally appropriate design solutions. Gila River Indian Community members are disproportionately vulnerable to heat effects due to a combination of unvegetated landscapes, isolated residential units and socioeconomic factors. As such, GRIC Governor Stephen Roe Lewis initiated an effort to develop culturally responsive and energy-efficient housing designs, and invited ASU to take part in the challenge.
members felt about their current homes and how they envisioned the future of sustainable living in their community. Through a series of gatherings with more than 100 community members where food and stories were shared, ASU researchers listened to insights from elders who recalled building their own homes from adobe, while other members described the importance of space for social gatherings and connectedness among family members and kin. To honor data sovereignty, all results of the surveys conducted with the tribal community remain the property of the tribe. Researchers developed a mobile design lab
CHALLENGE
How might we restore traditional Native American architectural practices for adapting to hot and arid climates while co-developing new solutions for affordable and sustainable housing and culturally responsive community planning? COLLABORATION
In 2016, ASU researchers and students studying design, sustainability and construction set out to learn how GRIC 18
Gila River Indian Community member Billy Allen and his wife, Toni, talk about one of the several housing designs for the Gila River Indian Community.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis and ASU’s Wanda Dalla Costa discuss the possibility of adobe brick home construction in partnership with the Del E. Webb School of Construction. Photo by Christopher Lomahquahu/Gila River Indian News
at GRIC where they created a 3D prototype of a community shade structure. Providing the opportunity for community members to share real-time feedback and guidance enriched the outcomes for both students and community members, who, together, became co-creators of the proposed design.
“For Indigenous architecture, engagement is the critical piece. Because we’re outsiders going into self-contained economic, social and political systems, we must not start with our own research questions. Rather, we need to start with conversations to determine if there is a way to align our research with the community’s existing priorities.”
IMPACT
Using the co-created designs, master builders from GRIC erected four shade structures using traditional materials, including arrow weed for shading and adobe bricks for seating. More than 4,000 tribal members interacted with the solution during the 2018 Mul-Chu-Tha fair. The team of ASU researchers plans to expand its mobile design lab this fall while engaging GRIC residents in a residential prototyping mobile design lab to be held in the community. Topics for the fall event include innovative water, solar and septic systems, aiming toward increased flexibility in community planning, without sacrificing their valued way of life.
– WA N D A D A L L A C O S TA , FA C U LT Y, A S U H E R B E R G E R INSTITUTE FOR DESIGN AND THE ARTS; ASU SCHOOL O F S U S TA I N A B L E E N G I N E E R I N G A N D T H E B U I LT ENVIRONMENT
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Strengthened social capital
Co-designed environments and programs foster cross-sector collaboration, strengthen community networks and enable collective pursuit of a shared vision for the future.
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ASU Downtown Phoenix campus More than 14 years ago, the City of Phoenix and ASU initiated a plan to revitalize its urban core by building a downtown campus with state-of-the-art facilities and strategic relocation of academic programs. The campus’ location enables students and faculty experts in nursing, public policy, social work, journalism, law and international business to partner with both public and private sector organizations to create valuable experiential teaching and learning opportunities while helping to build capacity in the community.
COLLEGE OF LAW DRAWS TOP LEGAL TALENT WITH CLOSE COMMUNITY TIES
Located within walking distance of major law firms, courts and government institutions, the Beus Center for Law and Society houses the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and other organizations such as the Arizona Justice Project and the Arizona Voice for Crime Victims, as well as other nonprofits and collaborations. The Arizona Legal Center, also housed at BCLS, provides free consultations or low-cost legal services to community members and also an opportunity for students to volunteer and gain valuable pro
Local philanthropists Mike and Cindy Watts invest $30 million in the new ASU Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. As one of the largest gifts in ASU history, it will fund scholarships, professorships and support initiatives such as the Maryvale Revitalization Project and One Square Mile Initiative, which aim to revitalize their hometown and surrounding neighborhoods.
enterprise, it moved to ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus with a $13.5 million investment from the City of Phoenix. Ranked No. 7 for “Best International MBA Programs” by U.S. News & World Report in 2019, Thunderbird’s move represents an increased opportunity for students to interface more with the business community in the heart of metropolitan Phoenix. The school will forge partnerships that drive social, economic and environmental progress, helping to transform Phoenix into a global city.
and schools, and has started a new “Translational Teams” initiative. These transdisciplinary teams of scientists, educators, practitioners, community partners and students self-organize based on interest and expertise to address a critical health issue. They solve multifaceted health problems with complex etiologies that are major drivers of health care costs and patient quality of life such as chronic pain, diabetes and caring for patients with multiple chronic diseases.
NEWS CO/LAB BUILDS TRUST BETWEEN MEDIA AND COMMUNITIES
bono legal experience. ASU Law has been ranked one of the top 27 law schools (top-8 public law school) by U.S. News & World Report, and experienced a 65 percent increase in JD applications from a year ago – one of only four schools in the country that has seen an increase of 50 percent or more. Approximately 57 percent of applicants are from out of state, indicating that ASU Law’s reputation is attracting the best and brightest students from diverse backgrounds to the area. THUNDERBIRD’S RELOCATION ENHANCES LOCAL IMPACT
In 2018, four years after the Thunderbird School of Global Management became an independent unit of the Arizona State University knowledge
The News Co/Lab at the ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication helps the public find new ways of understanding and engaging with news and information. In partnership with media organizations, the News Co/Lab helps newsrooms work with their communities to develop innovations that increase transparency, engagement, mutual understanding and respect. The lab plans to expand partnerships to include educators, librarians, technologists and community groups. TRANSLATIONAL TEAMS TACKLE CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES
In order to improve the process of translating discoveries into new practices and policies, ASU’s College of Health Solutions has restructured and eliminated its discipline-specific departments
Write On, Downtown “Write On, Downtown,” is a journal of student and community writing produced on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Co-edited by faculty, students and community members, the publication is committed to collapsing old paradigms and arbitrary boundaries between university and community, characterizing the city as an intercultural, intergenerational, collegial and community space.
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Reciprocal outcomes
All organizations encounter limitations to their resources, expertise and capacity. Successful “win-win” outcomes can be achieved for organizations that partner to leverage one another’s strengths and assets. Sustainable Cities Network As federal funding for city-level projects continues to wane, ASU resources and expertise can fill the gaps and increase capacity to solve local challenges effectively. Likewise, municipal projects provide valuable opportunities to train students to be effective problem-solvers within complex systems. As part of the ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability’s Sustainable Cities Network, the Project Cities program establishes long-term partnerships with local cities and enables ASU students from multiple disciplines to work collaboratively on each city’s sustainability-related challenges with the goal of proposing creative, feasible and research-backed solutions. In its inaugural partnership, the City of Apache Junction proposed a variety of backlogged or priority projects for which the small community of less than 40,000 residents had limited resources to address. One proposed project involved researching the improper storage, open burning and illegal dumping of solid waste throughout the city. Students analyzed a two-year log of relevant resident complaints, conducted a preliminary resident satisfaction survey, compared complaint system 22
capabilities and waste removal fee structures across comparable cities, and investigated environmental health concerns related to the solid waste issue. Students reported their findings and offered recommendations for the city council’s consideration. Some of the recommendations included entering into a shared-services agreement with an adjacent city for solid waste removal and recycling services, revising the city ordinance to include a mandatory subscription service, and tying complaint categories to existing codes or “Each project gave the city enforceable laws. objective insights into some of Since fall 2017, our ongoing challenges as a city Project Cities has and how we can better serve worked with 223 residents and visitors. The city students on seven is already using the report’s projects, which have findings and recommendations included housing to take the next logical steps in and land-use moving the projects forward.” planning solutions, – J E F F S E R DY, M AYO R , C I T Y O F A PA C H E J U N C T I O N historic preservation, homelessness, parks planning, positive community branding, revenue-generating policy options and solid waste and recycling program enhancements. SCN will issue an RFP annually to solicit proposals on university-city partnerships for the Project Cities program.
Sustainable Cities Network Director Anne Reichman welcomes Rudy Esquivias, Apache Junction senior planner, to the Project Cities Spring 2018 Student Showcase where five classes presented four sustainability projects to Apache Junction city officials.
Reciprocity in action PARTNER CITY
Responsive to local needs: Based on specific local needs, city staff identify priority projects that require additional research capacity to advance and respond to the annual SCN RFP. Access to leading experts: In a resource-strapped environment, Project Cities offers partners research-based solutions, guidance from sustainability scientists and increased opportunities to connect and collaborate with other cities. Enhanced training for our future workforce: Project Cities offers a training ground for students, increasing the number of ASU graduates who can then be hired in the local communities, already informed and engaged with relevant issues.
ASU
Hands-on learning experience: ASU students apply sustainability principles from their coursework by exploring systems, investigating constraints and priorities, as well as engaging stakeholders. They generate feasible solutions and recommendations to present directly to city management. Transformed teaching role: ASU faculty leverage their scholarship to make a meaningful impact, enhance student learning outcomes and work collaboratively with academic colleagues in other disciplines. Improved knowledge exchange: Partner cities provide ASU faculty and students on-the-ground knowledge of sustainability trends and valuable insight on the impact of policies and decisions on local communities.
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Amplified outcomes
By collaborating, ASU and community partners can identify gaps that were previously unknown and enhance impact by co-developing solutions for a more diverse range of individuals.
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ASU School of Social Work students Elizabeth Solano Mejia and Seth Wilson volunteered at an AmeriCorps Day of Service. For this event, the Survivor Link program collected, organized and donated children’s books to children residing in domestic violence shelters.
Survivor Link Not all victims of domestic violence go to shelters. Many are seeking assistance for supports such as housing and employment. Often, victims do not have enough information to determine the danger they are in, or have information about the best ways to stay safe. While there is a clear need to provide personalized, differentiated support to individuals in diverse circumstances, social service agencies do not always have the resources or capacity to connect with survivors who are seeking help and provide individualized and evidence-based services specific to their particular situations. CHALLENGE
How can we use social science research to develop personalized, differentiated interventions for victims of domestic violence without overburdening social service provider agencies that are already at capacity? COLLABORATION
For the last four years, ASU’s School of Social Work has partnered with the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence to train and verify AmeriCorps members and ASU students
as advocates for domestic violence victims. Internships with the Survivor Link program allow student-advocates to provide direct services and advocacy in one of 40 partner organizations across Arizona that serve victims of domestic violence. After partnering with these agencies and identifying the gaps in their ability to serve victims, Jill Messing, an associate professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Office of GenderBased Violence, developed the Survivor Link program to educate students about domestic violence and build capacity within these organizations. Part of that work includes expanding the use of the myPlan app (www.myplanapp.org). The research-backed decision-aid tool helps those who may be experiencing violence to evaluate their safety and determine the best path forward based on a personalized priority-setting activity. myPlan users receive immediate feedback about their specific risks and a custom safety plan they can use to determine next steps. This fills an important need for those who experience domestic violence but are in complex circumstances and feel conflicted about taking action or are unclear about the best decision to make. Based on 11 years of testing and partnering to adapt the solution, versions of myPlan have been developed for various life stages such as college-aged users, as well as for those concerned about a loved one who appears to be in an unsafe or abusive relationship. Survivor Link is currently partnering with organizations such as the International Rescue Committee to develop a culturally appropriate adaptation of myPlan for immigrant women.
Kaity’s Way Executive Director Bobbi Sudberry, center, discusses solutions to fight domestic violence with her teammates during a session at a daylong conference sponsored by ASU and the Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. 25
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Scaled solutions
Mission-aligned organizations can leverage ASU’s cutting-edge technological capabilities to scale their field-tested solutions and increase their impact. ASU and Adaptive Training Foundation Former NFL player David Vobora opened the Adaptive Training Foundation in 2014 after identifying a lack of communitycentered sport training options available to veterans and other individuals with life-altering injuries, particularly once their basic functional rehabilitation services end. “The ATF culture is unique in that it focuses on resiliency more than the differences people may have,” said Courtney Spivak Smith, associate director of Sun Devil Fitness. “The culture is uplifting to anyone that walks through their doors and doesn’t focus on the things to improve, but focuses on the progress made. They do this by working as a community to achieve the best possible outcome in the most inspiring way.” ATF needed a way to scale its method for reigniting hope and competitive excellence in order to reach veterans across the country, as well as people with disabilities throughout the world.
“Adaptability and innovation go very much hand in hand. Diversity and inclusion aren’t just the right things to do, they actually make a better product. ASU gets that.” – D AV I D V O B O R A , C E O/ F O U N D E R O F A D A P T I V E T R A I N I N G F O U N D AT I O N
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CHALLENGE
How can we address the need for inclusion, community and well-being for veterans and individuals with disabilities at scale? COLLABORATION
For nine consecutive years, ASU has received a gold rating as a “Military Friendly School” by G.I. Jobs Magazine. With its global reach and core emphasis on inclusion at scale, the university initiated a multifaceted partnership with ATF based on deep mission alignment and complementary strengths. ATF is leveraging EdPlus’ instructional design expertise to scale its method to be globally accessible through a web-based train-the-trainer module. The Sun Devil Fitness Complex is developing a campus-based facility to bring ATF’s inclusive fitness culture to students while Sun Devil Athletics is exploring an externship program for student athletes to become ATF-certified, which will equip them with the skills to involve diverse athletes in their sport. Additionally, ASU will deploy interdisciplinary and use-inspired research capabilities through its Center for Cognitive and Ubiquitous Computing to explore new person-centered technologies, while ASU’s new Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience can help expand ATF’s approach to include evidenced-based mind-body wellness.
Marine Corps veteran and adaptive athlete Brian Aft cheers on his teammate, ASU student athlete Justine Callis, as they conquer an obstacle course during the ATF/ASU partnership kickoff event.
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Winners of the
President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness The President’s Medal for Social Embeddedness is an annual ASU employee recognition program that acknowledges interdisciplinary teams of faculty and staff that have demonstrated excellence in partnering with the community to develop and implement mutually beneficial solutions and outcomes.
Arizona ranks 46th in the nation for establishing and maintaining conditions that promote successful educational outcomes for all students, according to a 2017 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In response, ASU Service-Learning established ASU America Reads, an after-school program that strives to address this community need by providing evidence-based intervention to support the increased academic achievement of K-8 students attending economically disadvantaged schools. ASU students provide one-on-one tutoring in academic skill-building and life-skills development, as well as facilitate interactive educational activities that correspond with the Arizona College and Career Readiness standards. America Reads matches 312 ASU students with 622 children through six partnerships at Boys & Girls Clubs and Salvation Army community centers in Maricopa County. The organization meets with staff at each location to assess resources and discuss how to accommodate their needs. The mutually beneficial collaboration between America Reads and its community partners has led to greater impact for all participants. Through the personalized tutoring and mentoring services, children, on average, demonstrated an increase of 8.37 academic standards, as measured by testing. Simultaneously, ASU students obtained real-world job skills with increased opportunities to pay for college expenses through federal work study funds.
America Reads
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College University Service-Learning
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North Desert Village Project ASU Polytechnic Facilities Development Management
The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students is a special education school that helps 14- to 21-year old students with emotional, intellectual or other disabilities to develop appropriate behaviors and academic skills. The ACES found that access to mentors, particularly in a controlled and established “I can honestly say program, was limited and that our partnership sought to form an alliance with ASU has put with ASU to create such an opportunity for its students. more hope and The ACES and ASU ambition into the facilities development students than management co-developed a program that provided anything I have an accurate model for the experienced.” students’ future workplace – CHRIS P ORTER , THE ACES experiences to build C O O R D I N AT O R , G I L B E R T understanding of socially responsible adult life. In fall 2017, ACES students worked alongside ASU grounds staff to beautify two acres of common area in North Desert Village. The ACES designed a structured lesson plan for
students to follow while ASU grounds staff provided mentorship and guidance to students, including instructions on landscaping techniques. The ACES students earned school currency that enabled them to practice money management skills. In its first year, the North Desert Village Project positively impacted both ASU and The ACES program. “After five years of teaching, I can honestly say that our partnership with ASU has put more hope and ambition into the students than anything I have experienced,” said Chris Porter, Gilbert, Arizona, The ACES Coordinator. “My students come to school with an eagerness and willingness to work hard and show off their labor skills for our new partners.” The mutually beneficial collaboration enabled The ACES students to develop skills needed for future employment while assisting ASU to maintain a welcoming, clean environment for a part of campus where many students and staff reside. 29
Partnerships for a 21st-century workforce The workforce is rapidly changing due to economic, demographic and technological forces. The jobs of the future will look dramatically different, and many will require some postsecondary education beyond high school. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities calls for universities, particularly public universities, to rethink their role in strengthening the 21st-century workforce. ASU forges mutually beneficial partnerships to produce graduates who are ready to meet both current and future demands.
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Cybersecurity Education Consortium ALIGNING CURRICULA WITH RAPIDLY CHANGING INDUSTRIES
Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care DEVELOPING SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE THROUGH RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Established in 2016, the formalized alliance prepares students for an increasingly complex health care system by developing their knowledge and skills across disciplines. Mayo Clinic medical students are able to complete their medical degree concurrently with a graduate degree from ASU in any number of specialties, including the science of health care delivery, health informatics, biomedical diagnostics, mass communication, business administration or law. Additionally, the alliance enables ASU nursing students to apply their knowledge and hone their skills in real-world settings through rotations at Mayo Clinic.
The Cybersecurity Education Consortium, housed in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, was formed to address the growing cybersecurity talent gap, which emerged as industry need outpaced the production of cybersecurity professionals. CEC collaborates with industry partners who advise and inform the curriculum development process to ensure that degree programs prepare students to solve current and future cybersecurity problems. CEC also works closely with schools and community colleges to help K-14 students with diverse talents and skillsets to explore cybersecurity as a career. CEC is particularly focused on using cybersecurity as a vehicle to improve diversity in STEM degrees and careers, and to use that diversity to facilitate creative problem-solving for cybersecurity’s toughest challenges.
eProjects ENGAGING LEARNERS IN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES
Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program BUILDING GLOBAL CAPACITY FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION
In collaboration with an expanding industry consortium, U.S. Agency for International Development and ministries in Vietnam, the Higher Engineering Education Alliance Program is revolutionizing and modernizing the top engineering and technical vocational universities in Vietnam. Through a series of training programs, HEEAP provides faculty and administrators with opportunities to upskill pedagogical practices to ensure that graduates are able to meet the demands of multinational partners. The latest program, BUILD-IT, enhances Vietnam’s social and economic development by linking technology and engineering higher education to the needs and capabilities of industry partners. Since 2010, more than 11,400 higher education personnel and 27,000 participants have been impacted by HEEAP programs.
eProjects at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering brings students and industry together to find creative solutions to complex challenges. Under the expertise of faculty members, teams of undergraduate engineering students practice their project management, teamwork and communication skills while applying newly acquired knowledge to solve problems that industry partners have defined for them. These partners provide valuable feedback about the proposed solutions while assessing potential candidates for internship or employment opportunities.
ASU-Eastern Arizona College partnership CULTIVATING HIGH-DEMAND TALENT
Launched in 2011, the partnership between ASU and Eastern Arizona College establishes a pipeline of students to high-demand careers in Graham, Greenlee and Gila counties. The program addresses the region’s critical employment needs by offering degree programs in nursing, secondary education and organizational or applied leadership from the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. By leveraging the strengths of both institutions, students can take classes without leaving the region, saving both time and money.
Pathway to Admission UPSKILLING FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT
After a successful launch of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, ASU and Starbucks developed the Pathway to Admission program to help more than 15,000 academically ineligible Starbucks partners (employees) qualify for admission to the university by completing a set of courses through ASU’s Global Freshman Academy. Starbucks’ partners have a dedicated enrollment coach, success coach and academic adviser to help ensure they reach their full potential. Since launching in 2018, more than 700 students have enrolled in the Pathway to Admission program, with more than 8,000 partners enrolled in the SCAP program overall. Nearly 1,900 partners have graduated.
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The collaboration advances ASU student learning, faculty research and SVdP’s core mission. In addition to the positive outcomes achieved in the areas of social services, capacity building, health and sustainability, the partnership has yielded two published research projects and 43 Days of Service. Overall, 2,090 ASU students have 11,041 recorded service hours with SVdP to date.
Impact
3
ices serv l ia oc
Creation of partnership priorities
Generated long-term volunteer support
Long-term AmeriCorps member hired as Urban Farm manager
Piloted a program to end homelessness by reuniting families
Improved parent engagement, recruitment and retention for SAGE program
SVdP farms provide ongoing support, soil and other resources to SAGE
Enhanced best practices for thrift store marketing and branding
Co-developed best practices in volunteer management
Capacity bui ldi ng
Implemented The Limitless Greenhouse system for climate controlled growth
A Rob & Melani Walton grant supported the co-creation of methods and targets to increase social, environmental and economic impact of SVdP farms
While many ASU partnerships may begin as outreach and community service activities, mutually beneficial partnerships, such as the relationship between ASU and St. Vincent de Paul, rely on deeper collaboration over time. These two organizations continue to increase the number of interwoven touchpoints between each other for broader resource sharing, expanded capacity and more impactful outcomes.
He a
Co-developed the “Social Impact Through Urban Farming” guide
Improved Spanish translation services for Mayo Clinic students at SVdP
Established best practices for urban farming and enhanced composting processes
Sust ain ab i
Interconnected partnership
S
y lit
lth
ASU and SVdP began their partnership in the late 1980s when Philip Mizzi, associate professor of economics at ASU, started volunteering with the nonprofit and rapidly began inviting staff, faculty and students to join him.
Initiation
1 Barrett, The Honors College
College of Health Solutions
Office of Clinical Partnerships
Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability
Educational Outreach and Student Services
Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions
Clothe
Feed
Medical Clinic
House
Serve
Heal
Family Wellness
Volunteer Services office
Resource Center
Urban Farm program
Thrift stores
Spanish Service-Learning courses
Pre-health student internships
Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Services
Jointly-funded staff position
Public Allies
Next Generation Service Corps
Nonprofit Leadership Management courses
College of Nursing and Health Innovation
The partnership was formalized via an MOU in July 2017 to set priorities and initiate a jointly-funded staff position. Multiple units now engage to increase connectivity between academic disciplines and community needs. There are 212 mutually beneficial touchpoints including 26 faculty connections.
Integration
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Sustainability via Active Garden Education (SAGE)
Edmundo Hidalgo, vice president of outreach partnerships, Daniel Schugurensky, professor at the School of Public Affairs and student leader Kendon Jung from ASU’s Changemaker Central discuss civic engagement practices at the 2018 Social Embeddedness Network Conference.
Social Embeddedness Network ASU facilitates the sharing of boundary spanning practices As ASU deepens its commitment to being socially embedded, faculty and staff increasingly find themselves in the spaces between campus and community. They embrace new roles beyond their scholarly or administrative responsibilities and strive to develop additional competencies and the community knowledge needed to effectively navigate these spaces. Last year, the ASU Social Embeddedness Network was established to connect and support a web of social embeddedness champions from across the university to
Multiple ways to engage 34
share their best practices, tools and lessons learned. In April 2018, ASU hosted the first annual Social Embeddedness Network conference, attended by approximately 200 faculty and staff from 70 different university schools and units. Prior to the conference, attendees formed committees to identify discussion topics of common interest to tackle during conference breakout sessions. As the Social Embeddedness Network evolves, it will harness new ways to elevate the voices of our community partners as essential contributors to these discussions. Together, we can forge partnerships that are mutually supportive in pursuit of collaborative solutions.
Twitter @asuembeddedness Newsletter community.asu.edu/newsletter
Conference breakout sessions included: Ensuring valuable and positive outcomes for students and community partners during community-based learning experiences. Reconciling the varying speeds of partners’ responses to community needs and pace of rigorous academic research. Mitigating resource waste after an intervention appears ineffective to continue advancing research. Sustaining the momentum of a strong partnership even when research funding ends.
Slack asusocialembeddednessnetwork
Rankings and awards
Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Reclassification C A R N E G I E F O U N D AT I O N F O R T H E A D VA N C E M E N T O F T E A C H I N G , 2 015
President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Finalist C O R P O R AT I O N F O R N AT I O N A L A N D C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E , 2 015
ASU research intern, Jennifer Mendoza, takes part with students in garden maintenance activity as part of the Sustainability via Active Garden Education curriculum. SAGE is a free, garden-based physical activity and nutrition program that works with early-care and education centers to teach healthy habits while meeting national guidelines for child health. These South Phoenix Early Childhood Education Center students are encouraged to identify, touch and water the vegetables grown in the gardens.
#3 producer of Teach For America recruits
#15 producer of Peace Corps volunteers
Innovation & Economic Prosperity University
TE ACH FOR AMERICA ANNUAL R ANKING OF COLLEGES AND U N I V E R S I T I E S , 2 018
PE ACE CORPS TOP V O L U N T E E R- P R O D U C I N G COLLEGES AND U N I V E R S I T I E S , 2 018
A S S O C I AT I O N O F PUBLIC AND LAND-GRANT U N I V E R S I T I E S , 2 016
Learn more about the programs in this report at community.asu.edu 35
Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for four years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University by operating on the principle that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience, and the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students.
Produced by Arizona State University Office of University Initiatives Published 2018–2019 Photography by Deanna Dent, ASU Now Charlie Leight, ASU Now © Arizona Board of Regents 2019 All rights reserved