Starbucks and ASU partner in educating leaders for the world

June 15, 2014

In this Q&A, Starbucks and Arizona State University discuss their unprecedented education partnership.

What is this new program? Download Full Image

ASU is joining with Starbucks to offer an extraordinary new program, called the Starbucks College Acheivement Plan (CAP), to all of their full- and part-time partners of every brand, who are employed within the United States, the chance to finish a bachelor’s degree with full tuition coverage through ASU’s top-ranked degree program, delivered online.

Why is ASU partnering with Starbucks?

We both believe everyone deserves the opportunity to get a great education. Starbucks is establishing a new precedent for the responsibility and role of a public company that leads through the lens of humanity and supports its partners’ life goals with access to education. And we have a constant desire to find new ways to offer more people a quality higher education and the freedom to pursue their passions in any direction. With these shared values, this partnership was a natural for both of us.

Is ASU talking to other companies?

We have a constant desire to find new ways to offer qualified students the opportunity to receive a quality higher education, and will continue to seek out and evaluate partnerships with like-minded companies who are committed to the ongoing education of their employees. We will evaluate their mission and core values as a company, as well as the brand reputation and whether it will help elevate the prestige of the ASU brand. In addition, we seek to understand their commitment to their employees and how engaged their employees are with the company.

How many students can the infrastructure support, in terms of technology and offline support?

Our infrastructure is designed for scale, and can handle much higher demand than currently exists. We will proactively build out the infrastructure to meet any demand.

Are there going to be additional demands on the faculty to service these new students?

No. ASU’s instructional models, tools and curriculum are designed for teaching and learning at scale. ASU is ensuring we have all the faculty and support staff to deliver the same quality programs that ASU already makes available on ASU Online.

Will there be new faculty hired to teach these new students?

New faculty will be hired as needed by each department to maintain an average faculty student ratio of 1:24.

Will there be special courses developed for the Starbucks partners?

Participating CAP students will be offered the same curricula as ASU online students, which is the same rigorous content taught on campus by the same top-ranked faculty.

Britt Lewis

Communications Specialist, ASU Library

britt.lewis@asu.edu

ASU programs to enhance public safety on- and off-campus

New and enhanced programs and policies are focused on enhancing public safety and improving the well-being of the community and quality of life.

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ASU programs to enhance public safety on- and off-campus

June 16, 2014

Arizona State University will implement a series of new and enhanced programs and policies for the fall 2014 semester focused on enhancing public safety and improving the well-being of the community and quality of life for its students, residents in surrounding communities and campus visitors.

Jim Rund, senior vice president for Educational Outreach and Student Services, discussed ASU’s plan as part of the Statewide Student Safety Task Force public meeting hosted by the Arizona Board of Regents on ASU’s Tempe campus June 16. The University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University also presented their plans. Download Full Image

Highlights of ASU’s plan include:

• improving educational efforts aimed at new students and their parents so that the Student Code of Conduct is understood and standards of safety are clear

• extending university student support services to off-campus residences that are in proximity of campus to improve standards of safety and provide personal and academic supports that make transitioning to off-campus living less complicated for students

• working in tandem with local police departments to ensure routine matters of public safety are well coordinated and responded to

“We appreciate the opportunity given to us by the regents and ABOR President Eileen Klein to work through this process. It has led to a renewed cooperative relationship with the City of Tempe and shared goals as it relates to public safety and the well-being of the community,” Rund said. “We believe we have developed intended actions and recommendations to further enhance quality of life in Tempe and for university students.”

ASU’s recommendations focus on several areas:

Coordinate public safety:

• Arizona State University is planning to establish a joint strategic planning group and event task force with the City of Tempe to help make the campus and surrounding community safer.

• ASU will also develop and implement policy changes to address on- and off-campus public safety, to include security plans and safety standard for off-campus apartments, safety standards for first responders, revised standard for football game/event management and other sponsored events.

• A comprehensive memorandum of understanding between ASU and the City of Tempe Police Departments also will be implemented in September 2014.

University standards and expectations:

• All new students will be familiar with the ABOR Student Code of Conduct and complete online training relevant to university standards and behavioral expectations.

• Safety and security standards will be strengthened in off-campus student communities.

• Educational efforts focused on student safety, crime prevention, sexual violence and mental health will be enhanced and expanded.

• Positive social engagement and public events for community youth and university students will be expanded and enhanced.

Community outreach and education:

• Provide more visibility of ASU students and staff in local high schools through value-added programs/services (high school to college transition, mentoring, positive role-modeling).

• Set clear expectations for new students and parents (i.e. zero tolerance for behavior inconsistent with university standards).

• Prepare ASU student for transition to responsible citizenship while moving from on- to off-campus and becoming members of the local community.

• Provide ongoing education for persistent communication with all ASU students reinforcing institutional expectations for all members of the university community.

Additional recommendations for ABOR consideration include reviewing student safety policies on a regular basis; conducting an independent assessment of public safety needs at the three state universities; appointing a non-voting member for the Governor’s Office to focus on public safety and student safety concerns; and identifying funding sources for policing and public safety.

The Statewide Student Safety Task Force was established by ABOR in the fall of 2013 to promote the safety of students both on- and off-campus, and to seek best practices to support and encourage student safety and new ways to promote healthy behaviors and activities for students.

Each university established a local task force with representatives from the university, local law enforcement, local elected officials, Greek life, student government, parents of students enrolled at the university, on- and off-campus multi-housing units, an organization affiliated with extracurricular activities and the local school district.

The three state universities will have their final reports to ABOR July 1. Several working groups will then move things forward and affect changes so the recommended programs will be in place for fall semester.