ASU is developing a new model for the American research university, creating an institution that measures its academic quality by the education that its graduates have received rather than the academic credentials of its incoming freshman class; one at which researchers, while pursuing their scholarly interests, also consider the public good; one that does not just engage in community service, but rather takes on major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of its community. These tenets, first proposed by ASU president Michael M. Crow in his inaugural policy paper, A New American University:  The New Gold Standard , represent a new way of thinking about the fundamental objectives of a university—teaching, research, and public service. 

The eight design imperatives represent new standards—or guiding principles—by which to measure our progress.  The design imperatives were never intended to represent hard-and-fast categories—most of the accomplishments of the university do not correspond neatly to a single design imperative, but rather cut across many.  And because the research interests of ASU scholars are so diverse, not all design imperatives could possibly be relevant to any given individual or team.  The objective of the design imperatives is to spur new thinking, suggest new possibilities, and unleash the creative potential of our academic community.  The overarching objective is to transform ASU into one of the nation's leading public metropolitan research universities. 

1. Leveraging Place

2. Societal Transformation

3. ASU as Knowledge Entrepreneur

4. Use-Inspired Research

5. A Focus on the Individual

6. Intellectual Fusion

7. Social Embeddedness

8. Global Engagement

Source: New American University Whitepaper (Microsoft Word Document).