a rizona s tate u niversity

www.asu.edu/asu101

Presenter Name, Ph.D.Presenter Title, Applied Learning Technologies InstituteArizona State University

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Intersection of Community and University

Excerpts from Presentations 2004-2007

Last updated 06-08-2007

© 2007 Arizona State University

T H E A C A D E M Y :

Universities that defined their time


University of Alexandria

5 T H C E N T U R Y


U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L E X A N D R I A

• Created as part of Ptolemaic vision to make the city one of the most influential in the world

• Site of the legendary Library of Alexandria

• Home to thinkers and scholars


Oxford University

11 T H C E N T U R Y


O X F O R D U N I V E R S I T Y

• Oldest English-speaking university

• Continuous operation for nine centuries

• Home to philosophers and political, social, and economic leaders


Harvard University

17 T H C E N T U R Y


H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y

• Oldest American university

• Evolved from an elite Protestant university to a secular, liberal institution

• Renowned alumni represented at highest levels of government, research, business, academia


The university as an elite, often religiously-based haven

for the creation and study of knowledge.


T H E C I T Y :

Communities that defined their time


Xi’an

1 0 4 6 B . C .


X I ’ A N

• One of the most ancient capital cities

• Capital city throughout 12 Chinese dynasties

• Starting point of the Silk Road trading route

• Cultural, economic, and political center for more than 1,900 years


Paris

2 5 0 B . C .


P A R I S

• Seat of the Merovingian dynasty in 508 A.D.

• Capital of 36 monarchies, three empires, and modern-day government

• Epicenter of the social, political, and economic upheaval of the French Revolution

• Home to thinkers, artists, and revolutionaries


New York

1 6 2 9 A . D .


N E W Y O R K

• Founded by the Dutch as a pluralistic community

• National Capitol,1785 – 1790

• International financial and cultural center

• Targeted as iconic American city in September 11, 2001 terrorist bombings


The city as a gateway and flourishing political, economic, and cultural center.


Where and howshould the “academy” and the “community”

intersect?

T W O P E R S P E C T I V E S


“The true task of academic work is the search for truth and the dissemination of it through teaching……..We should look to the practices in our own shop, narrowly conceived, before we set out to alter the entire world by forming moral character, or fashioning democratic citizens, or combating globalization, or embracing globalization or anything else.”

- Stanley Fish, former Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago

1.


“Preparing young people to be citizens in a democracy was the principal aim of education as long ago as ancient Athens….

- Derek Bok, former President, Harvard University

2.


We challenge higher education to become engaged, through actions and teaching, with its communities. We have a fundamental task to renew our role as agents of our democracy. This role is both urgent and long-term.

- Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education


Why is Social Embeddedness important?


• The growth of knowledge is too fast and too great to be kept isolated.

• The values of an inclusive, democratic, and civil society demand that knowledge and resources be shared broadly.

• The explosion of mass communications and technology create the potential for knowledge and community to be both more connected and also more complex.


A Transformative Process –

Creating the New American University Through Social Embeddedness

Traditional University/Community Relationships: One Way / Usually through “service,” research about communities, etc.

Expanded Relationships: Two-way Learning

Transformed University –Reciprocal relations with community, respect for community knowledge, long term partnerships, sustainable programs, evaluated for effectiveness for both community and university


“To be truly socially embedded, a university would need to be “open” to dialogue and challenge. It would need to build different kinds of relationships that might go against its traditional self-interest. It would require building trust and being willing to be flexible and organic. It would need to recognize the value of being interdependent with the community.”

- Community Activist


The Plan for Social Embeddedness

• Comprehensive and transformative

• Intended to be put into place over 7-10 years

• Implementation requires multi-faceted approach


Vision

A R I Z O N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

A university that is socially integrated and embedded within its many communities



Social Embeddedness

Core to the creation of ASU as the New American University

… a university-wide, interactive, and mutually supportive partnership with the communities of Arizona


• Five themes/strategies

• Four broad goals

• Creation of a shared and enduring ethos that can permeate the university and the community

The Plan


Social Embeddedness at ASU

D E F I N I T I O N

The ongoing integration of five innovative and distinct, yet interrelated actions (strategies):

• Teaching and Learning• Research and Discovery• Community Capacity Building• Economic Development and Investment• Social Development and Well-Being



Goals

• University-wide culture

• Internal structures and reward systems

• Partnerships with communities of Arizona to increase the state’s social capital

• National model for university-community partnership


Teaching/ Learning

Research/ Discovery

Community Capacity Building

Economic Development/Investment

Social Developme

nt

University-wide Culture

Internal/ External Structures

Partnerships with

Communities

National Model

The ASU / Community “Quilt”G

O

A

L

S

S T R A T E G I E S


Goal One: University-Wide Culture


Foster a university-wide culture that embraces responsibility for contributing to positive social change in the community and in the research, teaching, and service practices of ASU


Goal Two: Structures and Rewards


Develop internal and external structures and reward systems to encourage and support effective implementation and long-term sustainability of Social Embeddedness as a core value for ASU and the greater Phoenix community.


Goal Three: Partnerships with the communities of Arizona


Work in partnership with the communities of Arizona to increase the state’s social capital and to strengthen the capacity of communities.


Goal Four: National Model


Establish ASU as a national model for university-community partnership


Beyond ASU: The Vision

The Plan embraces a vision of Arizona where communities work together to cultivate their combined creativity, knowledge, experience, and resources to enhance, promote, and support the well-being of its people.


“Good is the enemy of great.”- Jim Collins



What do we mean by great?*

* in relation to ASU’s Social Embeddedness Design Imperative


G R E A T R E S U L T S

• Every resident and business in Maricopa County describes ASU as the all-important asset in the community

• Peer universities see ASU as a top tier research university based on its ability (and demonstrated experience) to integrate mutually beneficial and supportive community partnerships into teaching, learning, research

• National foundations that support higher education look to ASU for guidance in establishing criteria for university-community partnerships

• Measurements show that the communities of AZ are faring better than their counterparts in other states


G R E A T R E S U L T S

• ASU’s definition and standards for Social Embeddedness are copied and become increasingly influential

• ASU is seen as the national exemplar of Social Embeddedness as core to a new kind of university

• There is a change in the thinking about how research is designed; affected communities are part of discussions

• The greater Phoenix community shows gains in the health, housing, and economic viability of the population

• Communities of Arizona can better define their own goals for success and can more easily solve their problems

• Campus boundaries are diffused: more community in the university; more university in the community

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