Michael M. Crow, the president of our beloved university, has birthed an empire. His empire is not one of territory or political ambition or economic coercion, but one of education and of the mind. It is an empire of innovation, free thinking and broad demographic appeal, which is reflected in the ASU Charter: We are measured “not by whom we exclude, but rather by whom we include and how they succeed.”
Crow, in a nutshell, has taken the vision of the American founders — to create an empire with republican ideals, an environment where individuals, regardless of age, background, socioeconomic status or creed, could come, demonstrate their talents and ability to work hard, and become successful and achieve the highest honors — and he has revitalized it, refined it, reconceptualized it, and transformed it into a doctrine of education. Crow calls his new empire the “New American University.”
The result of this doctrine and the empire it has created is truly remarkable. ASU is now one of the most populated universities in the nation, and the innovation and research capacity of ASU, both in how it approaches the outside world and how it tackles its problems, has expanded beyond belief. ASU is also an “all-in” defense university, making impacts as far as the Pacific theater, as both Crow and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter pointed out in a recent visit that Carter made to ASU.
Crow hopes that his educational empire will expand, transforming the way that other universities handle and manage students and the research endeavors of coming generations. In his new book, “Designing the New American University,” which was co-authored with William B. Dabars (and a copy of which I am proud to own,) Crow details how the societal challenges that face the U.S. can be solved through the approach that the “New American University” takes to education, especially on the subject of acceptance. While some doubt that this can be achieved.
Now that Crow has built, solidified and explained the utility of his empire, he needs to go further. By reinvigorating the education of the youth of America, Crow has placed himself in a unique position to shape U.S. policy and place the U.S. back on the world stage as a country that will influence world events for decades to come. Crow needs to not only capitalize on this placement by expanding into the wider community of Arizona and the U.S. through exporting his brand of the New American University, but also by grooming students to become leaders in the global community. The U.S. must continue to dominate the world stage, and the New American University shows the way to do that.
To some extent, Dr. Crow is already doing this. The man is full of surprises. One of his latest was to partner with Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, in an effort to put thousands of baristas through an online college degree program that guarantees that these students’ tuition will be paid in full by Starbucks. On top of this, he is advancing American “soft power” through Study Abroad and exchange programs, as well as other partnerships, with Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, along with Shandong University and Sichuan University in China.
But the projection of power needs to go even deeper than this. ASU needs to go beyond producing great community leaders who have a wealth of background experience and cultural understanding. ASU needs to start creating young world leaders, men and women who will copy the experience of Malala Yousafzai, who two years ago spoke before the U.N. about women’s education in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a year later received a Nobel Peace Prize.
In short, Crow needs to create the young and vibrant leaders who will not only carry on the legacy he had created after he has gone, but will promote American innovative and educational prowess far into the future. The educational empire with republican and democratic ideals called the “New American University” must come to dominate the educational landscape of the world.
Reach the columnist at jbrunne2@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @JARBrunner4.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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