ASU lauded for innovation, inclusion

In a recent report, Canada's Globe and Mail highlighted Arizona State University's radical departure from status quo to transform itself into an intellectual fusion powerhouse and help its students succeed. Titled "This U.S. university aims to be for everyone," the article was included in the 2014 Canadian University Report, the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. News and World Report.

The report traces the trajectory of ASU since its current president Michael M. Crow took helm in 2002. Journalist Erin Millar quotes Crow as saying that as a public institution, ASU's "...duty is to make certain that class is not the predictor of an individual's outcome, that merit and talent and energy are the predictors."

Helping faculty "rethink everything from how to measure the impact of their research to the structure of a semester or a class," Crow infused innovation into the university that has trickled down into the classroom.

Megan McHugh, a liberal arts and science student who worked on a project assisting a non-governmental organization in Cameroon to spark kids' interest in sustainable agriculture, was quoted as saying, "My profs encourage me to think about how to change the world."