More than 12,300 students graduated from Arizona State University (ASU) this fall, setting a new record and marking a 9% increase compared to last year. Nearly 7,000 of these graduates completed their degrees through ASU Online. The fall graduating class also included 1,596 international students, representing a rise of over 15% from the previous year.
During the Graduate Commencement at Desert Financial Arena and the Undergraduate Commencement at Mountain America Stadium on December 15, ASU President Michael Crow addressed the new graduates. He emphasized the importance of contributing to American democracy and highlighted the ongoing nature of democratic progress.
“It’s a project. It’s an undertaking. It’s a goal. To get there, that means we have to build universities that share these ambitions,” Crow said during the undergraduate ceremony.
He referenced the first sentence of the Constitution’s preamble and explained how ASU’s charter is designed to uphold those rights: “One of which is the inalienable right to learn, to live your life, advance your life, to build your world, to give you a sense of liberty, to make things happen, to make your family successful and to make your community successful.”
Crow encouraged graduates not to be discouraged by current global challenges. “We’re just getting started. We’re just figuring out how to do this,” he stated. “Everything has to advance — new universities, new kinds of graduates, new ways of doing things, new ways of solving problems, new ways of making things happen, new ways of figuring out how to treat everyone as equal. And this university is built on that idea.” He concluded by asking graduates: “What are you going to do to make this work?”
ASU has been recognized for its commitment to innovation; it was named number one in innovation for eight consecutive years in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges rankings. The ranking is based on nominations from college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans who identified institutions making significant advancements in education (source). Additionally, ASU ranked No. 23 in Best Undergraduate Business programs, No. 29 in Best Undergraduate Nursing programs, and No. 33 in Best Undergraduate Engineering programs.
The university continues partnerships aimed at community improvement as well. For example, it is collaborating with Argos Vision—a tech startup founded at ASU—on a pilot program with the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department involving ‘smart’ traffic cameras designed to improve safety by analyzing traffic data (source).
As approximately 8,000 undergraduates joined thousands more graduate degree recipients this semester at ASU ceremonies in Tempe, President Crow’s message focused on optimism for the future and a call for active participation in shaping society.
