Our Mission and Vision

The College of Public Programs was established in 1979 to bring together academic disciplines that have a focus on the community and a concern for relevance in education. Through teaching, research, creative activity, and public service, the faculty and students in the College attend to the ongoing dynamics of society and new economies. Civic responsibility, responsible democracy, and community identity are themes that hold us together and provide a vision for the future.

Mission

The College of Public Programs advances governance, community building and civic engagement to improve society through theoretical and applied research and instruction.

Vision

ASU will become the model metropolitan university for the 21st century. The College of Public Programs will provide local and national leadership in defining and carrying out the public mission of this exemplary metropolitan university. Programs within the College will gain national distinction for their scholarly activities including the integration of academic and applied dimensions. Through outreach and by offering rigorous, relevant, and interesting educational programs, the College will contribute to the statewide higher educational system by raising the educational level of Arizona residents. The College’s research and public-service efforts will contribute significantly to the state of Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area being model communities of the 21st century, characterized by:

a prosperous economy that benefits all people, especially the least advantaged;
a responsible, ethical media that informs and educates people, promotes democratic institutions, and serves the community;
governments, nonprofits, and social service agencies that are effective, ethical, accountable, civic-minded, committed to social justice and civil discourse and reflect the diversity of the community;
a natural environment that is accessible but protected from exesses of urbanization;
people who value diversity, engage one another in respectful communication, and have life styles that balance work with civic activities, continued learning, and recreation; and
neighborhoods that inspire a sense of belonging and inclusion and provide opportunities for rewarding use of leisure time.