ASU’s West campus is newest ‘Point of Pride’

Arizona State University’s growing West campus has even more to brag about these days. It is one of Phoenix’s most recent honorees as a “Point of Pride.”

“This is wonderful recognition for ASU and the West campus,” says Elizabeth Langland, a university vice president and dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. “Everyone associated with the West campus has always recognized this setting as a special place to learn, as a place with world-class faculty, as a campus to be proud of.

“With this recognition, we continue to take our message to more people.”

Joining the West campus as a Phoenix Point of Pride are the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center and the Burton Barr Library – a trio of winners in a city contest held only once every four years.

The West campus was nominated in 2007 and was selected by the Phoenix Pride Commission as one of 10 finalists in December. Voting began in February and ended March 20. In addition to the three new Points of Pride, finalists were North Mountain Visitor Center, Chase Field, Royal Palms Resort and Spa, George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Cesar Chavez Park, Pioneer Living Museum, and Murphy Bridle Path.

The Phoenix Point of Pride program, created in 1991, recognizes a landmark or attraction unique to and located within Phoenix that evokes a sense of pride among area residents. Currently, there are 30 Points of Pride in the city.

In choosing the 300-acre home to four of ASU’s schools and colleges for Point of Pride consideration, the program’s commission noted the West campus’ creation by state legislature in 1984, its nearly 9,000-strong student body, and its location in northwest Phoenix where it serves as “the centerpiece of a burgeoning region of commerce, recreation, arts, and lifelong learning opportunities.”

Mark Ceser, an ASU alumnus who earned his B.A. in communications at the West campus in 1994, cast his vote for the campus, scheduled to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2009. “My pride in the West campus is a direct result of my experience there. Faculty and staff are constantly involved in improving the community – not just through their teaching and the education of students, but through actual, meaningful partnerships with outside organizations and individuals.

“I’m proud of the friends I made and the mentors I had at ASU who are people who will remain with me for a lifetime.”

The campus, home to ASU’s New College, College of Human Services, College of Teacher Education and Leadership, and School of Global Management and Leadership, offers more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs and is a commanding and respected component of ASU’s multi-campus “New American University” vision.

“The West campus is the embodiment of (ASU) President Michael Crow’s focus on excellence, access and impact,” says Langland.

“We have an obligation and a responsibility to the community to provide access to higher education and to be responsive to the explosive growth of metropolitan Phoenix, which continues to move west.

“There is excellence in our academic programs and the expertise of our nationally and internationally recognized faculty, and through our countless local, regional and even international partnerships, our impact is both significant and lasting.”

In addition to academic prowess, the West campus has also earned a reputation for its facilities and amenities, including a meandering “Plant Walk” that features a wide variety of native flora, contemporary artwork by internationally recognized craftsmen, award-winning architecture, and lush landscaping patterned after Oxford University in England.

For more information about ASU’s West campus, visit www.west.asu.edu.