Last week, ASU was named the most innovative college in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The prestigious ranking represents the culmination of years institutional development and expansion under President Michael Crow, and generated widespread acclaim on social media.
But among the student body of our University, the ranking inspired shockingly little discussion. While ASU’s crushing loss to Texas A&M in Houston and close victory over Cal Poly have been constant topics of discussion over the last two weeks, the U.S. News and World Report ranking barely registered.
This is not to say that students did not recognize and take pride in their university’s achievement. To Crow’s credit, the ranking is well deserved. From the creation and rapid expansion of ASU’s Downtown, Polytechnic and West campuses to the consistent improvement of department rankings, Crow has initiated improvement throughout the institution. Our University provides undergraduates across majors with unparalleled access and opportunity. We truly should be proud of our institution.
#ASU ranked #1 on @usnews "Most Innovative Universities" list. Great work ASU community! http://t.co/77TaeEtGgq pic.twitter.com/RPyitIWH3Q
— Michael Crow (@michaelcrow) September 9, 2015
Yet ASU’s longstanding legacy as a party school continues to degrade our institution’s academic culture. The city of Tempe and ASU have taken a heavy-handed approach aimed at changing this negative culture — including making ASU a dry campus and strict enforcement policies — but ASU's reputation as an easy school for fun in the sun persists.
This characterization does not accurately reflect the academic and institutional values of ASU, or many of its students. These conflicting portraits of ASU demonstrate the divide between the institution and all too many members of its undergraduate student body. ASU may be home to some of the strongest academic programs in the nation, but so long as our student body is more concerned with pool parties and football games, these rankings will not resonate among students and will have less impact on their academic careers.
Students have the right to take as much pride as they so choose in their school, and invest themselves academically as much as they want. But it’s time for our University to invest time and effort in working with students to change our institution’s academic culture from the bottom up. Until ASU invests more effort in fostering a strong academic environment (and less in increasing football ticket sales), ASU’s prestigious rankings will not resonate among the student body.
Related Links:
ASU professor Retha Hill looks for innovation through students
Poly students display research projects during Innovation Showcase
Reach the columnist at clmurph5@asu.edu or follow @ConnorLMurphy on Twitter.
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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