{"id":3894,"date":"2013-10-03T08:26:35","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T07:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/?p=3894"},"modified":"2013-10-03T08:26:35","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T07:26:35","slug":"a-new-american-university-embracing-complexity-though-none-too-clearly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/2013\/10\/03\/a-new-american-university-embracing-complexity-though-none-too-clearly\/","title":{"rendered":"A new american university \u2013 embracing complexity, though none too clearly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to Geoff Rose for pointing me towards Arizona State University's ambitions to be a new american university<\/a>. \u00a0ASU's website says this about its objectives ...<\/p>\n

ASU is a force that creates meaningful change.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

ASU has changed the objectives for the university as a whole and for individuals within the institution. ASU seeks to create meaningful change by producing knowledge that translates to action. On the individual level, that means listening to the needs that communities express and working together on solutions<\/span><\/p>\n

ASU embraces complexity<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It\u2019s all about networks. As a big university, ASU can offer a network of approaches to a network of problems. \u00a0ASU tackles large challenges with multiple, coordinated solutions. \u00a0ASU recognizes sustainability as one of the most important issues facing society today. \u00a0In fact, sustainability involves a host of problems, solutions, stakeholders, values, policies, geographies and people. \u00a0It\u2019s an enormous topic. \u00a0And that\u2019s our objective: <\/span>deal with the difficult issue. Create multiple, differentiated solutions to a thorny, multifaceted problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

ASU confronts sustainability questions through a global interdisciplinary institute, a school (the first school of sustainability in the United States) and a wide variety of initiatives undertaken by individuals across the university. \u00a0Among these is an array of approaches to producing renewable energy sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of ASU\u2019s biofuel projects uses algae to produce kerosene-based jet fuel in collaboration with Boeing. \u00a0Algal oil is surprisingly similar to vegetable oils, but algae produce a significantly higher oil yield, making the bacteria a perfect potential fuel source. \u00a0Creating jet fuel out of algae has major implications for human consumption of fossil fuels, but its potential won\u2019t be fully realized without simultaneous social changes. \u00a0So other teams of ASU researchers and entrepreneurs are figuring out how to address the policy, ethics and social intricacies that go along with this new technology. \u00a0One group looks at how science and technology policy might be improved. \u00a0Another team has started a nonprofit organization that advocates for biofuels in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

...\"<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fine words; I'm told there are objectives lurking in here somewhere, though I couldn't find them. \u00a0It was the same with ASU's vision<\/a>. \u00a0Far too many words; far too little clarity. \u00a0Here's an example:<\/p>\n

\n

Already, ASU has built a new physical and intellectual environment for learning and discovery. \u00a0ASU has changed the community of people who inhabit that environment. \u00a0And ASU has rewritten the objectives for the people in that environment as well as for the institution as a whole. <\/span>By breaking the mold, ASU has become a place where local solutions have global impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

ASU has clearly invested heavily in rhetorical futures. \u00a0UBC<\/a> can breathe again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to Geoff Rose for pointing me towards Arizona State University's ambitions to be a new american university. \u00a0ASU's website says this about its objectives ... ASU is a force that creates meaningful change. ASU has changed the objectives for...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":237,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comment","category-news-and-updates"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/237"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3894\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}