Last week the New York Times ran a front page story about the difficulties faced by state universities competing for a spot in the top research category, using Arizona State University as the prime example. [right, Biodesign Institute, ASU]
The article questioned the ability of a school to aim for 100,000 students while growing into a major research center. But they note since Michael Crow became president, ASU "has hired more than 600 tenured or tenure-track faculty members, and last year, for the first time, won a spot on the National Science Foundation’s list of the top 20 research universities without a medical school, along with powerhouses like MIT and the University of California, Berkeley."
But, to deal with the state budget cuts, ASU eliminated more than 500 jobs, will close 48 programs, cap enrollment, and make every employee, take 10 to 15 unpaid furlough days this spring.
The student newspaper carried the headline, “The New American University has died; welcome to the Neutered American University.”