Leadership Breakfast Series recognizes faculty, staff

May 19, 2005

As the Valley expands and the challenges of serving an ever more diverse population continue to grow, Arizona State University’s many community outreach programs have become an essential component in the university’s efforts toward social embeddedness. This was the message delivered at the November 29th Leadership Breakfast Series event at which the faculty, staff and student coordinators of these programs were honored for their efforts.<separator></separator>Among the over 100 guests were the coordinators and representatives of a number of programs including campus-wide community service projects, legal clinics, health services, tutoring and mentoring, summer camps and college readiness programs.<separator></separator>At the event Dr. Ruth Jones, Vice Provost at ASU, spoke of her pride in the university’s long tradition of social engagement and community service. Jones noted that the best community outreach programs operate with “true partnership” between ASU and the community in mind.<separator></separator>Also speaking at the event was Dr. Kent Scribner, Superintendent of the Isaac School District, who was recently named an ASU Community Fellow by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy for raising awareness of local community issues. <separator></separator>Scribner praised the partnership between ASU and his district, which has been important to the success of each.<separator></separator>“There is a two-way flow between [the district’s] practice and ASU research,” Scribner said. Both components are essential, he said.<separator></separator>Scribner noted that in the last few years the Isaac district has gone from having six underperforming schools to having none, with seven schools designated by the Arizona Department of Education as “performing plus.” This designation means that students at these schools have performed at higher than expected levels in reading, writing and math.<separator></separator>At the breakfast, Kimberly Loui, Special Advisor to President Crow and the Executive Director of the Office of University Initiatives, announced the official launch of the ASU in the Community web site.<separator></separator>The new site compiles information about hundreds of ASU programs and activities with a wide variety of educational and service missions.<separator></separator>The ASU in the Community site was on display at the breakfast, and computer stations were available to allow attendees to try out its various features. These include program profiles, a search feature and a mapping tool that allows users to locate and identify programs by a wide variety of criteria.<separator></separator>“This site will be great for getting sponsorships and making more people aware of what we do,” said Consuelo Melendez of the Arizona Mentor Society, one of the programs profiled on the site.<separator></separator>In addition to the featured speakers and the unveiling of the new web site, the event’s attendees also spent time getting to know fellow coordinators and sharing ideas.<separator></separator>The Leadership Breakfast Series, a partnership between the Office of University Initiatives and the Learning and Performance Solutions group, provides a dynamic forum for the open exchange of ideas. Each breakfast attracts a diverse group of leaders from the university and the community. Breakfasts are held throughout the year, usually in conjunction with an established college lecture series.