Universities do not rise to greatness alone. They are supported and nurtured by those who believe in them – the students who attend, the faculty who teach, the community that contributes.
The ASU Parents Association has contributed to ASU's rise to national recognition for the past 25 years. Started by a group of parents who desired to stay connected to their students while they attended ASU, the parents formed a community where they could share their knowledge and experiences and develop personal connections to ASU. The first expanded board of directors represented a total of 13 families with one-third of them being out-of-state parents – a ratio that has remained remarkably consistent over the years.
The Parents Association was initially started as a dues-paying organization, allowing parents to learn about ASU events and updates through newsletters, handbooks and resource guides. A decision to redefine membership to automatically include all parents of current ASU students was made in 2005, making these informative resources more widely available. Additional communications channels were designed as technology evolved with monthly online chats and e-mail updates sent to a current subscriber list of more than 16,000.
A commitment to student success was evident from the beginning and continues to be the backbone of the organization. Two years after the ASUPA was formed, the scholarship committee awarded two $250 scholarships. Ten years later, 24 students received a total of $30,000. Forty-six students were awarded scholarships last year totaling $185,000. Parents also elected to support the tutoring center which had more than 5,000 visits in 1996. Last year, a combined 57,335 tutoring visits were made to Student Success Centers at all four campuses.
Recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching began in 1994 in response to a student's desire to find a significant way to honor outstanding professors. Nominees for the Professor of the Year have nearly tripled from 15 professors the first year to 43 in 2008-09.
A grant process was designed in 2005 allowing ASU programs and organizations to receive direct support from the ASUPA. The Safety Escort Service, emergency crisis fund and student mentoring programs have all received funding to address a variety of student needs.
As ASU takes on some of today's most pressing challenges, the dedicated parents of the ASUPA stand firm in their commitment to support and nurture ASU students and their parents.