ASU takes pride in West campus

Voting for the next City of Phoenix “Point of Pride” is underway and runs through March 20 for a group of 10 finalists, including Arizona State University’s West campus. Voting is open to the general public, regardless of residence.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to voice its support for what the university and this campus mean to the greater community,” says Elizabeth Langland, ASU vice president and dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. ‘We are proud to be among such an esteemed group of finalists, but the real reward is in our ultimate selection as a Phoenix Point of Pride.”

The public may vote online at http://www.phoenix.gov/email/appprideballot.html. The Web site lists each finalist, with a description of each, a photo and a link to the nominee’s Web site. When voting online, name and address is required to ensure voters are limited to a single vote each. The public may also vote by submitting one nomination per postcard to Points of Pride Election 2008, City of Phoenix, Public Information Office, 200 West Washington Street, 12th Floor, Phoenix, 85003. Name, address and signature must appear on the postcard to be valid. Postcards must be postmarked no later than March 20 to be eligible. Postcards also can be dropped off at the city of Phoenix offices (address above).

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. Voting takes place every four years. 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.”

The campus, home to ASU’s New College, College of Teacher Education and Leadership, College of Human Services, 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.