Contents > Downtown Phoenix Campus
Downtown Phoenix Campus
Mernoy E. Harrison Jr., PhD,Vice President and Executive Vice Provost,
Downtown Phoenix Campus
College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
The ASU Downtown Phoenix campus opened in August 2006 and comprises the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation, the College of Public Programs, University College, and numerous research centers—all relocated from ASU at the Tempe campus. These anchor units and other ASU programs will be joined in 2008 by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Eight (the public television station), and the School of Global Health. The product of an exciting partnership between ASU and the City of Phoenix, the new campus is partly funded by municipal bonds that were approved by voters in March 2006.
Facilities and Campus Identity
The new ASU Downtown Phoenix campus buildings include
Previously known as the ASU Downtown Center, the Mercado is home to the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation simulation labs, the College of Public Programs’ Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program, and other organizations, such as Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family, Arizona Prevention Resource Center, the Office of Youth Preparation, and Building Great Communities. The multipurpose Mercado provides facilities for academic instruction, conferences, and meetings, as well as leased office space for local businesses and government agencies. The Mercado is bounded by Fifth and Seventh Streets between Van Buren and Monroe Streets.
Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
The Nursing & Healthcare Innovation building, previously known as Park Place, is home to the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation’s student services and nursing research centers, as well as faculty, staff, and administrative offices. It is located at 500 N. Third St. The Student Health Center for the downtown campus can be found on the first floor and offers treatment and preventive services in addition to wellness and health programs.
Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory
Part of the College of Design, the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory (PURL), is situated on the two top floors of the historic Security Building at 234 N. Central Ave. PURL is a research center focused on seeking solutions to the most pressing design problems facing urban areas today. Complete with studio space, meeting rooms, offices, and a large-scale model of downtown Phoenix, PURL provides a place where decision makers, city leaders, and students gather to address urban design issues.
A distinctive example of the City of Phoenix–ASU partnership is the multipurpose use of the historic downtown Post Office located at 522 N. Central Ave. The renovated Post Office houses offices for student affairs, the provost staff, and other administrative and student support functions while continuing to provide standard retail postal services.
The Residential Commons at the Downtown Phoenix campus is housed in a remodeled hotel located at 401 N. First St. The residence hall accommodates wireless Internet and provides space for study sessions, social gatherings, and other student activities, within a convenient walk from classrooms.
Located at 411 N. Central Ave., the University Center provides students and faculty with modern classrooms, offices, labs, seminar rooms, and study areas. It also houses student services, an ASU bookstore, and a small café, as well as the Information Commons, consisting of the campus library and the information technology and desktop support center. The College of Public Programs, which occupies floors four through nine, is home to the School of Community Resources and Development, the School of Social Work, the School of Public Affairs, the Morrison Institute of Public Policy, the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management, the Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, the Center for Urban Innovation, the Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, and the Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program. The University College’s administration offices and student success programs also are located in this building at 411 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.
The Downtown Phoenix campus is committed to ongoing community engagement and interactive outreach projects. The campus hosts several ASU programs and partnerships, including administrative offices for the following externally focused research centers, programs and institutes:
Arizona Prevention Resource Center
The center is a statewide resource system, providing accessible technical assistance through training, information dissemination, and program evaluation for the purpose of building the capacity of Arizonans to encourage and develop healthy and successful families and communities. The Arizona Prevention Resource Center is located at MERCD.
Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program
This program provides quality professional development and interventions tailored to the specific needs of public organizations. Associated with the College of Public Programs, the Executive Education Program is located at the MERCC 110.
A liaison to targeted communities throughout the state, Building Great Communities creates alliances to improve the quality of life in Arizona, addressing specific social and educational issues through long- and short-term projects. Building Great Communities is located at MERCB 5.
Center for Community Development and Civil Rights
Associated with the College of Public Programs, the mission of the center focuses on civil rights, community improvement and empowerment through educational success, health and wellness, and informed knowledge of the Latina/o experience. The center is located at UCENT 650.
Center for the Future of Arizona
The center works with civic and political leaders to develop a statewide agenda to expand educational opportunities, encourage strategic investments, and achieve a sustainable quality of life for residents. Located at MERCB 5, the Center for the Future of Arizona is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management
This center promotes understanding of the nonprofit sector in community life and focuses on effective practices that help organizations meet their missions. The center facilitates relationships among students, faculty, and community organizations across the range of its research and outreach activities. The center is associated with the College of Public Programs and is located at UCENT 500.
Serving the university and community, the center’s mission focuses on critical social science research, community engagement, and innovative education. Associated with the College of Public Programs, the Center for Urban Innovation is located at UCENT 450.
Megapolitan Tourism Research Center
The Megapolitan Tourism Research Center is devoted to studying the role of tourism in community development by examining its contribution to economic, social, and environmental systems, especially in megapolition regions around the world
Morrison Institute for Public Policy
Associated with the College of Public Programs, the Morrison Institute for Public Policy is an ASU resource for data driven policy analysis and expertise. The Morrison Institute researches public policy issues, informs policy makers and residents, and advises leaders on effective choices and sustainable actions. The institute is located at UCENT 900.
A nationally recognized program committed to increasing the flow of college-eligible minority students into higher education. The Office for Youth Preparation is located at MERCC 124.
Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory
Associated with the College of Design, the Phoenix Urban Research Laboratory (PURL) is an information-rich environment for researchers, decision makers, industry professionals, and students to debate, collaborate, and seek new solutions to the most pressing design problems facing cities today. It is located on the eighth and ninth floors of the PURL building at 234 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.
Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center
This center conducts multidisciplinary, community-based research on health disparities among populations of the Southwest. The center strives to increase the number and capacity of social work researchers working in the areas of substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and mental health. The center is associated with the College of Public Programs and is located at UCENT 720.
Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family
The Stardust center conducts research on social and economic foundations for permanent affordable homes for working families and studies the impacts of social services on family and neighborhood stability. The Stardust Center is located at MERCA 150.
Executive leadership for the development and management of the Downtown Phoenix campus is provided by the vice president and executive vice provost and a team of vice provosts, deans, directors, and department chairs, in collaboration with faculty and staff. The campus is home to the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation, the College of Pubic Programs, and University College. In 2008, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication-Eight (the public television station) will also move downtown.
These academic units develop and implement the teaching, research, and service programs of the institution. Additional support for the academic mission of the campus is provided by Library Services and Information Technology, in the Information Commons. For more information, see Downtown Phoenix Campus and Academic Organization.
The accreditation of ASU by the Higher Learning Commission and Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools includes ASU at the Downtown Phoenix campus. In addition, programs in Nursing are accredited by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Programs in the College of Public Programs that include additional accreditation are the Recreation program, which is accredited by the national Recreation and Park Association/American Association for Leisure and Recreation Council on Accreditation and the Social Work program, accredited through the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. See Academic Accreditation at the Downtown Phoenix Campus.
College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
The purpose of the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation is to provide educational programs that prepare professional nurses to meet the healthcare needs of individuals, groups, and communities. The faculty is committed to preparing nurses for compassionate and competent nursing practice, leadership in service to the community and the nursing profession, and who value lifelong personal growth. The college has evolved from a small baccalaureate program to the largest supplier of nurses in Arizona with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science nursing degrees, and is the only college in the state offering a Doctor of Nursing Science degree.
For more information, see College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation, or access the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation Web site at nursing.asu.edu.
The College of Public Programs is a community of scholars dedicated to knowledge-based social and economic change. Educational and research programs span the fields of social work, public affairs, and community resources and development, with undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree and certificate programs in each of these fields. The college is home to the School of Community Resources and Development, the School of Public Affairs, and the School of Social Work. Five centers and institutes, and one program are administered from the College of Public Programs, including: The Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Center for Urban Innovation, and the Executive Education Program.
For more information, see College of Public Programs, or access the College of Public Programs Web site at copp.asu.edu.
University College is a university-wide enterprise committed to innovative approaches to undergraduate education. The college provides an exceptional education for both new and returning students who are exploring and expanding their academic and career options. The Downtown Phoenix campus is the administrative home of University College and at this location the college offers a wide range of courses across many disciplines, incubates new degree programs, develops and manages integrated student services, and advises students who want to explore majors and paths. The college is home to the School of Extended Education, the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Student Success Center.
For more information about University College, see University College, or access universitycollege.asu.edu.
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