Updates from the President

Arizona State University President Michael Crow joined author Amanda Ripley (The Smartest Kids in the World), and Starbucks partner/ASU student, Mary Hamm, to discuss the critical need to enhance access to quality higher education during The Atlantic Education Summit in Washington, D.C. The Summit convened educators, innovators and decision-makers to examine the U.S. education system and explore ideas for improving learning in the future. President Crow provided in- depth insight on the progress of the Starbucks-ASU partnership that was announced in June 2014 to address the need for greater college attainment. The interview included exchanges related to human capital development, lifelong learning and college tuition, and served as a follow-up to The Atlantic  April 2015 article, “The Upwardly Mobile Barista”.

The second in a three-part series dedicated to the future of higher education and co-sponsored by The Economist and Arizona State University, ASU President Michael Crow and Purdue University President Mitch Daniels joined U.S. Deputy Under Secretary for Education Jamienne Studley in a conversation examining the value of a college degree, the purpose of higher education, and the role of post-secondary learning in a democracy. The event series, titled “Re-inventing Higher Education”, aims to engage high-level policymakers, thought- leaders and stakeholders in a critical dialogue about the need for greater excellence and access in higher education. Video of the first two panels is available online (see below) and registration to view the final installment on “Personalised Education” will take place on September 17 at 9 a.m. (Arizona time).

As part of an exciting collaboration with The Markle Foundation, ASU President Michael Crow participated in this summer’s launch of America’s Moment: Creating Opportunity in the Connected Age a collectively authored book illustrating the impact of the nation’s economic transformation, and asking Americans to leverage available technology and globalization to create and maintain quality work opportunities for all.

In a related endeavor, President Crow also joined the Markle Foundation, edX, Maricopa Community Colleges and LinkedIn to kick-off “Rework America” in Phoenix, an initiative that seeks to maximize technology to create a digital labor market that helps link and support job seekers, teachers and employers with learning and job opportunities.

In support of the initiative’s prospective local impact, President Crow stated, “Rework America Connected has the potential to lower barriers to high-quality training and education options for job seekers in Arizona, enabling them to embark on a meaningful career in our new networked economy.”

For the last ten years, The Aspen Institute has hosted The Aspen Ideas Festival, a gathering of global thought-leaders and inquisitive participants from a wide spectrum of disciplines that consists of a week-long series of talks on society’s biggest challenges and most compelling issues. ASU President Michael Crow participated in two panels during the festival – “Deep Dive: Get a Job – Youth Employment and the 21st Century Economy” and “Restarting Opportunity in the Connected Age.” In his remarks, President Crow emphasized the need to prepare a well-educated, technologically-empowered workforce, the ramifications of failing to do so, and elaborated on what ASU is doing to address these critical topics.

Watch video 1