Here's how to improve the reputation and academics at ASU: don't accept every applicant to the university that has a pulse. The university should be more selective about who they accept. If less students are accepted, many parking issues will be solved and the repuatation of the university will be a more positive one.
Also, many of the buildings are in horendous shape. The chem labs (in PSH) look as though they havent been cleaned in GOD know hows long, and most of the equipment is archaic and broken. The LL building is a disgrace. The walls are 5 different shades of white and yellow and the desks are so uncomfortable that i would rather sit on the floor. Before you spend more money on elaborate new buildings, how about fixing up the ones we already have?

thanks,
Jeanine

You may have noticed a jump in comments this morning. There was an issue with some comments being marked as spam even though they contained no spam keywords. When they are marked as spam the only way to see them is to look inside the blog's database. We think we have the problem fixed, but we will have to patrol the database over the next few days to be sure. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Paul Emerson
Technical Support Analyst Principal
Office of the President

a couple of wee suggestions about the commenting mechanism on this blog. as wordpress is being used to power the site, there are several default presets that might be causing some comments to not show up immediately. comments sent from open or insecure proxies, comments that contain certain blacklisted words (as specified by wordpress) or comments containing more than two links are by default set to be kept in a moderating queue. this is simple spam-protection, which perhaps explain some instances. maybe a disclaimer on the comments posting section explaining that this might occur would be helpful.

additionally, i think the president is taking a brave and unusual step in even allowing anonymous comments on the blog. we are being presented with an open and direct forum for discussion. why not stand behind your comments with a name, or that of an organization you represent, and not simply a vague identifier? for many online community sites, reputation is established through trust built through verifiable and attributable transactions - be they monetary exchange, the sharing of advice or thoughtful commentary. i'm all for freedom of expression AND personal responsibility. perhaps name attribution might facilitate commentary that is both pointed and constructive...

So the Greek system is amazing, contributes to USG, and is the best thing under sun. Until I had to pick up my friend who ingested date rape drugs at one of the frat parties on campus and spend all night in the ER with her.

Yes. Let's expand a system that promotes more social crap.

Dear Dr. Crow,

I am very confident that your initiatives will make ASU one of the top Universities. There are lot of international students who come to ASU to pursue their under-graduate and graduate study. They are crucial part of the university system as they assist in teaching and research going on at the ASU. They also bring new projects from industries, which places ASU at a better position in university rankings. As a part of your new initiative to make ASU a better place, I am sure you have policies which attracts bright international students.

International Student Office (ISO) office at ASU is a BLEMISH to our university. People at ISO do not care about international students. They are reluctant to listen to students and their problems. I had a very bad experience with ISO. I got an internship in a reputed company in Tempe. I had to delay my joining date by one week because ISO took 3 weeks process my internship papers. I waited patiently for the first two weeks and only after I started calling them daily in the third week, they started working on my papers. When I informed the company about this, it left a negative impression about ASU. I have talked to students from other universities and they tell me ISOs in their schools are very helpful to the students. On the contrary, ISO at ASU is the least helpful to us. On many instances, they have misinformed students about the USCIS (formerly Immigration & Naturalization Services) rules and procedures to prevent students from going on internships.

Could you please look into this matter with more concern, since it is hurting the progress of students as well as reputation of ASU.

In regards to the all the ISO complaints: it's USCIS not BCIS.

A small number of people have reported problems posting comments to this site. We are not certain why these comments were not received, but we are looking into this issue. As previously stated, reader comments are solely moderated for vulgar language or spam.

If your comment does not appear within 24 hours, try again. If you still have issues contact me at paul.emerson -at- asu.edu.

Paul Emerson
Office of the President
Arizona State University

Thank you.

I actually talked to Adrian Sannier the other day and because of this I left a little better informed about Mr. Crow and some of the changes that have been going on around campus lately. I guess I am guilty of spreading rumors, such as the one million dollar conference rooms and for that I am sorry.

I guess sometimes when you believe in something then you are more likely to accept supposed facts that you may hear, which might turn out to only be rumors. So I guess after talking to Mr. Sannier I learned to always make sure you know the facts and not just rumors.

In response to "A Concerned Sun Devil", I posted something yesterday as well and it has yet to be posted.

You talk about the Foundation building being LEED Certified. I think this is commendable and a practice that should be continued as ASU grows. Being such a large university, ASU sets an example for institutions of higher eduacation all around the country, for better or for worse. I think complying with Green Building Council should be a priority especially here in the Valley, where the ongoing consequences of urban growth can be seen in the form of poor air quality, habitat destruction, etc. In this vein, are ASU's future growth plans in line with the Green Building Council (ex. seeking LEED Certification on new building, etc.)?

Dr. Crow,
I am a graduate student in the English program. I was also an undergraduate in the English dept. I have noticed over the last ten years of my education in the LL building that the conditions of the building become worse and worse while tuition and other costs seem to rise. The elevators do not function properly, the bathrooms are abhorred by most students because of the foul conditions of them, and the general comfort level in classrooms has lessened. Are there any plans to update this building, which is long overdue. I don't think it's fair to English students to pay more for classes, particularly graduate students, and have to attend such an outdated building. I hope that more attention and care will be shown to this large body of ASU's students.

I am a senior here at ASU and will be graduating soon, but in my time here I have noticed the amount of construction despite the conditions of some of the older buildings on campus. I was wondering what your plans were for these buildings, such as social sciences. Are they to be removed, replaced, or fixed? While I understand the need for these new structures on campus, it strikes me as odd that the older buildings would go completely untouched. Also, do you have any ideas for the parking situation on Tempe campus?

Are you having problems with this blog? Something I sent yesterday morning regarding the identity crisis of ASU West student has not posted...Do you only pick the postings that are agreeable to Dr. Crow?

I concur that ASU needs to not just be the largest University but the best as well. I feel that this open dialouge is a step in the right direction towards that goal. Progress is slow and resistence to change will also hinder progress somewhat however if ASU continues to take advantage of new technologies and begins to implement some cost reduction measures the changes can occur at a faster pace.

Thanks so much for the blog! It's a great idea, and very thoughtful! I think you are doing a great job at ASU. My concern though is the growth. I understand we are now the BIGGEST university in the nation. I would prefer ASU be the BEST rather than the BIGGEST. Are there any plans to stable off growth? We seem to be at capacity. If we attract too many students, I worry the quality of life will decline. Thanks again.

Dr. Crow,

Do you have any plans to address the issues raised about ISO. Please realize that there exists a striking difference between current ASU policies and the BCIS rules. The BCIS rules say that an internship can be an "Elective" course available for atleast 1 credit which the student may elect to pursue. While ASU policies says that the course cannot be an "Elective" but has to be an absolutely "Necessary" course with out which a student cannot graduate. I do not understand the reasons behind the misinterpretation of the BCIS rules in our school. A simple web search can produce scores of documents that can show the marked difference between ASU and other schools policies.

Dr. Crow

I would like to respond to the comment above posted by the Former Member of the Greek Community. I am a member of a social sorority at ASU and find this comment to be rather naive. Personally, I am not only in a social sorority, but I am also a member of the Honors College, a former member of the Panhellenic organization, and also an extremely dedicated student. I joined my sorority for its leadership opportunities, its international network of successful and motivated women, and I wanted to surround myself with women who valued a balanced lifestyle of work and play. I would contend that many women in the Greek Community joined sororities with the same objectives in mind.

It is easy to blame underage drinking and a top party school rating on Greek Life. Clearly, Greek Life is a target group since we are an organized body on campus with planned social events regulated by the University. Thus, this criticism of Greek Life is understandable, but to write off Greek Life simply because they have social events would be silly. As a side note, I'd like to mention that I see just as much partying among my friends who are not Greek. While our social events are superivised by alumna, and have strict guildlines and penalities in place for risky behaviors, non-Greek parties have no such thing.

I would like to highlight some of the things I see as very postive factors about the Greek system. Not only are fraternities and sororities social communities, but they are dedicated to service and fundraising as well. -With Greek Awards packets just turned it, the most up-to-date statistic on the amount of money raised and time dedicated to charities will be avaliable soon. I would suggest that you consult this information, and then take it into consideration before slamming the community.

In addition, Greeks contribute to something like 80% of the vote in Student Government elections. Greeks participate in Homecoming. Greeks involve themselves with PAB events. Greeks sponsor Guest Lectures on Campus. Greeks take leadership roles within PAB and USG. The University of Southern California (a institution noted for its excellent academic reputation) supports, and also regulates, its Greek System to the full extent. They have one of the largest almuni networks in the country. Their alumni are also one of the most generous groups when it comes to giving back to their alma mater. Greek Life fosters community not only within Greek Life, but the entire university. As a rule, I would say that Greek students feel more connected to this gigantic university than non-Greek students. This connection seems to be the thing that leads to donating alums. Thus, Greek Life is in many ways an investment in the university's endowment.

I should stop, I have a final to study for. I, too, would appreciate it if you would expand on your plans for the Greek Community at ASU. I hear a huge donation was just made by a Former Greek Member, leading you to make a statement supporting the Greek Community. Is this fact or fiction?

I applaud Dr. Crow for this effort. There is way too much misinformation floating out there. I encourage him to capitalize on this blog by using it to correct the misconceptions that some students hold. Case in point, on the other page a Greek individual perpetuated the (untrue) view that Dr. Crow is out to destroy the Greek system on this campus. I believe that some students do not completely trust the administration because of some of these rumors. Without correction, there will be no level of trust between the students and administration and therefore no effective communication.

I love how you completely avoided answering the question regarding the International student office. These students don't matter? At least let us know where you stand on this, Dr. Crow.

Dr. Crow,

Since the subject of buildings and building construction has been raised I would like to ask a question in this regard. No one can go around campus without noticing, or being slowed down by, one of the many new building projects on campus. I like to see these new projects because I feel that they provide an increased resource for students and facutly to engage in the thoughful exchange of ideas in a more modern setting. My question is how will ASU expand while keeping in mind the social, historical, cultural and ethical consequences of its new building projects. The history of ASU and it expansion is not a glowing one. The place were the ASUF Building sits was once home to a large, ethnic community of Hispanic Americans that were forced to move because the school needed to expand. I believe that as the university's programs grow so do its facility needs, but I would like to make sure that this does not follow in the foootsteps of previous history and infringe on the culural and historical significance of many of the areas of Tempe which ASU will potentially build. If Tempe is going to be the home for the next great research institution, let it also be a place filled with visual and cultural representations of its past to show the multi-dimensional aspects of our community.

Do you screen comments?

First, I would like to congratulate you for putting up this blog. I believe that you truly want to improve ASU. This blog is definitely a huge step forward. I just hope your efforts will continue to make an impact of this university. I want to touch on a few issues that shocked me: the mandatory meal plan, recycling, and tuition.

I heard that you want to make a $3,500 mandatory meal plan for ALL freshman. Not only would mandatory meal plan for freshmen be a problem, as far as food, but eating the same thing everyday and the forms of food available are generally All-American and fatty. And by making a mandatory meal plan will be making the freshman 15 into a freshman 20 or 25. Along with this, I can guarantee that eating disorders will be on the rise. I purchased a $2,500 meal plan as a freshman and at the end of the year I had $700 left to spend at the end of the semester (In which I spent by purchasing large orders of dominos pizza for my friends).

Also, I heard you want to expand ASU to some 100,000 future students. If this happens it's important to consider the idea of accumulating more waste and ASU doesn't even have a sufficient recycling program! I wanted to recycle a plastic bottle at the MU only to find a single garbage can labeled recycling. However this trash can looked exactly the same as the others and by glancing in I noticed people were not using it for recycling. ASU, being the LARGEST university in the US, and we don't even recycle?! That is absolutely ridiculous. I believe that if we need a place outside of the MU for recycling things such as: plastic bottles, glass and paper, and by setting this system up, people will recycle.

Another issue I have regards an increase of tuition. This year tuition went up and next year I hear tuition is going up yet another time (25% next year, correct me if I'm wrong). This truly discourages me, especially since I am paying out-of-state tuition!

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Kristina

Thank you for creating your blog. Quick comment on the blog text. The color of the URL's is very difficult to pick up--for my eyes anyway.

cheers,

Cameron

Help! I am having an identity crisis. I attend at the West campus, and I THINK I attend Arizona State University. Many students are having problems with classes, with the same prefixes, being transferable between campuses. I thought that ASU West was a campus of ASU on the west side NOT an entirely different university. I know students who have gone to advising at the main campus only to be told that they don't "accept" certain classes from West -or- there is difficulty in signing up for online classes generated from main. It is very frustrating. We get one message from the top brass that we are one new American university and then we get another message when dealing with advising, registration, etc. What's the real story? I sense some bitterness from administrative people out here when they have to deal with the main campus exclusive red tape. Thank you for your response, from a proud Sun Devil...I think.

President Crow,
I am a recent ASU graduate, and I applaud you for all the positive changes you have made to our campus. There was a post on your previous message regarding your plans for the Greek system at ASU. Would you please elaborate on your vision for the future of the Greek system at ASU? Having been part of a social fraternity at ASU my freshman and sophomore years, I have to thank you for removing many of the fraternity houses from our campus. The social Greek system at ASU does not promote learning nor intellectual growth. I believe the current structure of ASU's social Greek system has no place in our academic setting. When I was a fraternity member, I saw many of my peers that may have had bright futures completely disregard their potentials. Rather, they involved themselves in a socially reinforced dangerous and thoughtless lifestyle that led to poor academic performance. I am not suggesting that the Greek system should be completely removed from ASU. It is a great way for new students to meet one another and become leaders. However, I believe future members of ASU's Greek system should be closely supervised by the university to prevent them from making irrational and immature decisions that will endanger their academic performance and future careers.

"We treat higher education like a private company made for profit rather than a non-profit for the greater good....And the public is losing confidence in higher education."
-- Dr. Roger Bowen, General Secretary, American Association of University Professors and former president, The State University of New York at New Paltz. (Quoted by Eugene Scott, Arizona Republic, Valley & State page B1, 6Dec05.)

Dr. Crow,

Do you feel these sentiments, in general, are accurate?

In particular, do you believe they apply to ASU and the New American University?

How should we respond to the concerns raised by Dr. Bowen?

Thanks,

David