The New American University is ASU’s reconceptualization of 21st century higher education

Arizona State University exemplifies a new prototype for the American public research university.

More than a decade ago, ASU set forth a new and ambitious trajectory to become a comprehensive knowledge enterprise dedicated to the simultaneous pursuit of excellence, broad access to quality education, and meaningful societal impact. From that point forward, and founded on a vision for a new “gold standard”, all of its energy, creativity and manpower have been brought to bear on the design of a uniquely adaptive and transdisciplinary university committed to producing master learners.

Discover how ASU is redefining the landscape of public higher education

ASU believes that learning is for everyone, which is why it has evolved a student-centric model that supports innovation, agility, change and collaboration to meet the needs of our learners. ASU’s success is measured by how its graduates thrive and their ability to tackle the world's most complex challenges

ASU Charter and Goals

ASU Charter and Goals

Learn about ASU's charter, mission and goals for 2025 and beyond.

ASU Design Aspirations

Design Aspirations

Eight design aspirations guide ASU's transformation.

Designing the New American University

Designing the New American University

ASU president Michael Crow has penned a book about transforming higher education

ASU Charter Video

ASU Charter Video

ASU established its first ever Charter, a comprehensive document focusing the university's mission on the inclusion and success of all its students, and on a fundamental social responsibility to the communities ASU serves.

See all

University News

From his roots as a fair-haired Minnesota farm boy to climbing the ladder of success in big pharma, to blazing a translational academic research path into life-saving therapies, Charles Arntzen has led one extraordinary life in science. During the course of a prolific career, Arntzen and his collaborators have gained international recognition and helped burnish a special shine on ASU’s...
Fifteen years ago, Michael M. Crow brought his idea of the New American University — an agile and radical reimagining of higher education — to ASU. Neither naysayers nor the Great Recession could derail his vision, and he has no plans to slow down anytime soon. In the first years after arriving at Arizona State University in 2002, Michael Crow...
Bill Dauksher has worked in clean rooms and labs for almost 30 years. For him, putting on lab coats, booties, a face mask and gloves is like putting on pants for the rest of us. The manager of the Solar Power Laboratory at Arizona State University’s Research Park, Dauksher conservatively estimates he has used more than 10,800 pairs of gloves...