More than 12,500 students set to move in Aug. 16-21


August 13, 2013

Editor's Note: Fall Sessions A & C begin Aug. 22 and Fall Session B begins Oct. 16.

Arizona State University welcomes the class of 2017, including more than 12,500 students moving into campus residence halls Aug. 16-21, for the 2013-2014 academic year. Download Full Image

Returning Polytechnic campus students and members of Barrett, the Honors College are scheduled to move into their rooms on Aug. 16. Students at the Tempe, West and Downtown Phoenix campuses will move in on Aug. 17 and 18. Volunteers will be available to assist students and families with moving, address questions and make the move-in process seamless and stress-free.

Note that Rural Road in Tempe will be restricted to one lane in each direction from south of Apache Boulevard to just south of University Drive until October. One lane for northbound Rural to westbound University left-turning movements will be maintained. One lane for southbound Rural to eastbound University left-turning movements will also be maintained. Right hand turns will be permitted. The restrictions will be in place 24 hours a day and significant delays are likely.

Students, volunteers and staff are strongly advised to stay hydrated throughout the week. Water stations will be placed at check-in areas on all campuses. While moving into residence halls, it is also a good idea to wear sunglasses, hats and sunscreen to protect skin from the sun.

All incoming freshmen are assigned to one of ASU's 13 residential colleges based on the discipline the student has chosen to study. The residential college model integrates the experience between academic and residential life to help students become more engaged in their specific academic discipline, and ensures that freshmen successfully acclimate to college life. Residential college students experience the cohesiveness and intimacy of a smaller community while still enjoying the cultural and scholarly resources of a large university. The residential colleges also cultivate achievement, engagement, responsibility and a sense of community.

This year more than 800 students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will move into the newly renovated 215,000-square-foot Manzanita Hall. As part of ASU’s residential college housing model, the Manzanita experience will include programs and amenities that complement and support students in their chosen field of study. The newly renovated building will house multipurpose spaces on the first and lower levels, as well as the addition of basketball and sand volleyball courts outside.

The Sun Devil Fitness Complex on the Tempe campus has also undergone a redesign. The expanded complex now boasts an additional weight and fitness area, two multi-purpose studios for group fitness classes and student sport/activity clubs, a three-court gymnasium for sports and campus events, and a wellness suite. The new ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus Recreation Center features three multi-purpose studios for group fitness and mind/body classes, a two-court gymnasium, a rooftop outdoor leisure pool and a multi-purpose area for student clubs. New Sun Devil Fitness Complexes are open at both the Polytechnic and West campuses, as well.

For more information, visit the Fall Welcome website.

Note for media:

Parking in ASU lots/structures is free and open to the public during move-in weekend. Live trucks may set up on the east side of Wells Fargo Arena in the yellow loading zones. Blocking sidewalks or building walkways will not be permitted. Contact Natasha Karaczan at 480-965-6991 if you wish to set up a live shot on Aug. 17 and 18.

ASU nursing, VA partnership to help recruit nurses into veteran health


August 13, 2013

The College of Nursing & Health Innovation at Arizona State University is one of six nursing schools in the country selected for the VA Nursing Academic Partnership program through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.2 million registered nurses (RNs) will be needed by 2020 to deal with an expected nursing shortage. As the largest employer of nurses in the U.S., the VA launched academic partnerships like this one to help recruit additional nurses into veteran health.

The five-year program provides $4 million to fund three additional faculty positions at ASU’s College of Nursing & Health Innovation, and seven additional faculty positions at the Phoenix VA Health Care System. It also is expected to increase ASU’s undergraduate nurses by 80 students. Download Full Image

Even more, the grant provides ASU nursing students with unique clinical experience working directly with U.S. veterans in the Phoenix VA Health Care System.

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with the Phoenix VA Health Care System in a way that benefits both students and our valued veterans,” Brenda Morris, associate dean of ASU’s College of Nursing & Health Innovation said. “The program builds a collaborative model that blends the best of both worlds – providing students with clinical experience and quality care to patients in need.”

The students who participate in the program will gain expertise working in interprofessional teams to provide health care to veterans. Their clinical rotations will provide them with experience meeting the health care needs of veterans with multiple trauma, brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder – a post-combat condition that plagues hundreds of thousands of veterans each year.

“We are pleased to announce the activation of this new program which will expand nursing education opportunities and enrollment of students at Arizona State University and expose future nursing leaders to our Veterans-centric health care system,” said Sharon Helman, medical center director.

ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center will also connect veteran students interested in a nursing degree with the opportunity to apply for the program.

“This is a great new chapter in a long history of partnership between ASU and the VA,” Captain Steven Borden, director of the Pat Tillman Veterans Center said. “Not only does this offer a new opportunity for our veterans seeking a career in nursing, but it will be an encouragement to all our veterans as they see ASU and the VA dedicated to working together to better meet the health needs for our vets.”

Other schools selected for the grant include Emory University, Marquette University, New Mexico University, Oregon Health and Science University, and the University of Minnesota. Nursing students interested in the program can contact Amanda Burnes at (602) 496-0888 or Amanda.Burnes@asu.edu

Media contact:
Melissa Wenzel, melissa.wenzel@asu.edu
(602) 496-0915 direct line
602) 579-5204 cell