The new Trustees of ASU philanthropy board, which includes a Walter Cronkite School alumnus, will advise ASU President Michael Crow and share information about the university.
The new board, which is aligned with the ASU Foundation for a New American University, has been revamped in order to better serve the ASU community.
CEO of the ASU Foundation for A New American University Rick Shangraw, Jr. said the board, now called the Trustees of ASU, is dedicated to serving an advisory role to ASU President Michael Crow, as well as spreading the word about the university.
“What we’ve done is we have changed some of the requirements for participation in the board of trustees, we changed the nature and type of people who are going to be part of the trustees and we’ve changed what the trustees will be focused on, so it was a pretty big change,” Shangraw said.
Shangraw said the board is now made up of new members who have either been nominated by a college within ASU, the alumni association or other groups on campus, such as the Sun Devil athletics club.
“There are some basic requirements that the nominees must adhere to, including how much money they’ve given to the university over time, that they’ve been active participants in volunteering for the university,” he said. “We want people who are going to be active trustees and who are engaged trustees.”
Among those trustees is Craig Newman, a Cronkite alumnus and chair of Cronkite’s National Board of Advisors. Newman was nominated by Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan.
Newman’s nomination went forward to the trustee committee, which included the chairman of the trustees, John Graham; the vice chair of the trustees, Cindy Watts; and the president of the university, Michael Crow, Shangraw said.
Callahan said when the Cronkite School was approached to select a nominee, Newman was the perfect choice.
“We immediately thought of Craig, who’s been not only a terrific alum of the school, but a great leader among our alums for a number of years,” Callahan said. “In many ways he was a natural choice.”
Newman said part of his duty as a trustee is not only to advise Crow and Shangraw, but also to help make the world more aware of the university’s successes.
“Part of what we want to do is spread the word,” Newman said. “The Cronkite School is known fairly well nationally now, and it’s in large measure because of alumni, as well as people who are trustees being able to promote the Cronkite School and the other schools at ASU.”
Callahan said he believed Newman’s presence on the board will be highly beneficial to the Trustees of ASU.
“I think first and foremost, Craig, who will bring all of his expertise to the board, will add richly to the board,” Callahan said. “One of the main goals of the board is to provide important advice to President Crow, so I think the university will benefit greatly from Craig in that position.”
Shangraw said the board is organized in three groups: affinity, student success, and large solutions.
The affinity group will focus on creating a strong sense of long-term attachment to the university for people both inside and outside of the university. The student success group will focus on improving scholarship programs and ensuring a quality faculty. The large solutions group will focus on solving broader issues, including improving healthcare and sustainability, he said.
Newman said fundraising is part of the job as a trustee. However, the board’s responsibilities go beyond raising money; another main priority is achieving visibility on the global stage.
“The idea behind the trustees is that they will help advise President Crow and Rick in achieving the broader missions of ASU,” Newman said. “Part of what we are going to be doing will be outreach, connection with alumni and making sure that we’re able to really draw upon alumni who have graduated from the various colleges and schools at ASU.”
The Trustees of ASU board had its first meeting in November and will meet biannually to ensure the success of the university as a whole in the years to come.
“It’s not just about fundraising; it’s about making sure people are volunteering their time to help out, helping to make sure our alumni and our supporters in the community are more engaged in ASU,” Shangraw said. “It’s about how can we improve student success for ASU.”
Contact the reporter at sarah.e.mann@asu.edu
