ASU communications lecturer Maria Cordischi is challenging students to think outside the box in an assignment that asks them to give back to the University.
For a group project in her COM 259, Communication in Business and the Professions class, Cordischi asked her students to come up with innovative new projects that would benefit the ASU community.
Last year a group planned an underground tunnel; this year she has groups working on solar sidewalks, farmers markets and off-campus living resources.
“They were asked to look at what resources are available on campus at this time,” Cordischi said. “What hasn’t been addressed yet? What do students need?”
Sustainability management senior Charlee Jontz and his group are working on a resource for students living off campus or those who are interested in living off campus.
After one group member had a horrifying renting experience involving toxic mold, the group hopes to provide students with as much information as possible to give students the best renting experience possible.
Representatives from the law school will be made available to help students understand their rights in rental contracts, according to the group’s plans.
They are also planning to have an online database of off-campus homes available for rent, Jontz said.
“We would hope to be able to have some kind of verification process that shows that the houses we list are safe and reliable,” he said.
Another idea they had was to have a feedback section so renters could share with one another their experiences or any tips.
This will also be a great resource for out-of-state students looking to live with someone, Jontz said.
While out-of-state students might not know anyone around ASU to live with, the group’s project will also provide roommate pairing like they do first year in the residence halls, he said.
Marketing sophomore Alyssa May is working with a group that wants to replace the sidewalk on Palm Walk with solar panels from the Student Recreation Complex to the University Bridge.
“The main point in doing it is to make the school more sustainable,” May said.
Along with being more eco-friendly, she said it could also help with some of the costs ASU is facing in light of the budget cuts.
By producing its own energy, the University will reduce the school’s costs and perhaps become more affordable for student, May said.
While the main focus of the class is teamwork and communication, Cordischi hopes to make some of these ideas a reality for ASU.
“At the end of the semester I’d like to have one or two of the best ones passed on,” Cordischi said.
However, despite the creative new ideas, she has had a hard time finding the right people to share the innovation.
Cordischi said she has tried to talk to the office of the president a few times without result.
“Hopefully at the end of this semester a number of the resources will be put in the hands of individuals who may choose to advocate for the implementation or partial implementation of some ideas,” Cordischi added in an e-mail.
Kimberly De Los Santos, an employee from the Office of University Initiatives, said she was surprised Cordischi had been having issues getting these ideas noticed.
“[President] Crow is really open to and responsive to students and faculty,” De Los Santos said. “In a lot of what he is trying to do he actually borrows from student suggestions.”
In creating the New American University, Michael Crow has tried to implement many new ideas to better ASU. De Los Santos encouraged students to continue sharing ideas to add to ASU’s innovative community.
Reach the reporter at vajones2@asu.edu.
