A deal between Arizona State University and edX, a nonprofit Internet firm, aims to give future freshmen the option to take their first year entirely in MOOCs. The announcement by edX and ASU comes after a flurry of news articles last year critical of the “massive open online courses,” which…
A controversial proposal before the Arizona Board of Regents to offer a lower tuition rate to some undocumented immigrants would not be subsidized by taxpayers, board chair Mark Killian told New Times. Under the plan, outlined in a the agenda for the board’s next monthly meeting May 4, undocumented immigrant…
Arizona university students aren’t exactly happy to pay more tuition, but during a public meeting with the Board of Regents last evening, many said they support proposed price increases in the name of maintaining quality amid deep cuts to state funding. “It’s not students’ fault and it’s not the administration’s…
The girlfriend of a highly touted Arizona State University football recruit publicly recanted claims yesterday that her boyfriend assaulted her. Davon Durant, a junior college transfer ranked by multiple recruiting services as the nation’s top junior college linebacker, was suspended indefinitely from the team last month after his arrest on…
Three new videos of the arrest of Ersula Ore have surfaced, showing different perspectives of the infamous take-down and allowing viewers to hear the concern of witnesses. Arizona State University released the videos following a public-records request by New Times. Last week, ASU Officer Stewart Ferrin resigned, allowing the university…
Arizona State University Police Officer Stewart Ferrin resigned on Monday, about nine months after video of his violent arrest of a black professor went viral. Although ASU officials had said previously that Ferrin’s arrest of Ersula Ore on May 20 was proper, they flip-flopped when the public weighed in following…
Professor Ersula Ore, convicted for resisting arrest and suing ASU for $2 million, is defiant as ever in a new statement that blames Officer Stewart Ferrin for her troubles. “While I requested he respect the exercise of my constitutional rights, his anger clearly grew to frightening proportions. He unjustifiably grabbed me and threw me to the ground with the excessive force that he…
ASU is taking a hit in the news for offering a senior-level English class next semester called U.S. Race Theory and the Problem of Whiteness. The controversial 18-student class will be taught by assistant professor Lee Bebout, whose expertise is critical race theory, American studies, and Chicano studies. Critics of…
On Monday afternoon, Arizona State University approved a new student-faculty “amorous relationship policy.” Faculty members applauded when the vote was tallied, and Faculty Senate President Helen Ossipov told New Times she was “very glad this passed.” The university called it “an important step” toward “[ensuring] that faculty members and lecturers…
In a final vote Monday afternoon, the ASU Faculty Senate passed a new student-faculty “amorous relationship” policy. The vote was 76 to 11, with four abstentions, and came after months of vigorous and contentious debate…
Arizona State University Police Officer Stewart Ferrin wasn’t fired as expected today, and it sounds like it’s possible he may get a reprieve. Ferrin whose high-profile, video-recorded arrest of ASU professor Ersula Ore caused a public-relations nightmare for the university, will be employed for at least a little while longer,…
Arizona State University nearly begged Professor Ersula Ore to sue over her high-profile May 20 jaywalking arrest, and now she’s gratifying the university with a $2 million lawsuit. Last week, ASU responded — albeit indirectly — to her November 12 notice of claim by notifying the arresting officer, Stewart Ferrin,…
Arizona State University released a harsh statement on Friday night about the end of negotiations with USA Place, essentially accusing developers of lying. As we reported on Thursday, plans collapsed for the $350-million-plus downtown project that would have brought a hotel, conference center and the Colorado-based USA Basketball organization to…
USA Basketball, the governing body for basketball in the United States, may not be moving to Tempe after all following the collapse of the USA Place redevelopment project. As we reported earlier this afternoon, Arizona State University announced today that the USA Place project was dead but that it was…
Efforts to put together a financing deal for the basketball-themed “USA Place” development on Arizona State University land in Tempe have gone into overtime. The $350-450 million hotel-and-conference-center project was announced to the public in July 2013, with an expected groundbreaking that year. But it’s so far been unable to…
Twenty years ago, Arizona became the second state in the nation to allow charter schools to operate in the public education system. In honor of the anniversary, New Times is taking a hard look at charters in Arizona. Earlier stories in this series examined how charter schools often fail kids…
A week after David Garcia conceded to Diane Douglas, a campaign to recall the state’s new schools chief already is well under way. The effort is led by Anthony Espinoza, a public school teacher, and Max Goshert, an aquatic safety instructor with the Red Cross. The two had discussed their…
The Arizona State University Police Department is investigating a strange, vaguely threatening note left on a student’s car. The university confirmed the investigation but didn’t release details about the note. However, a photo of a note said to have been left on an ASU sorority girl’s car has been circulating…
Nearly a week after polls closed, Democrat David Garcia has finally conceded to Republican Diane Douglas in the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Garcia spent the week holding tight for a final ballot count, but conceded late yesterday night. The Associated Press declared Douglas the winner on Sunday…
With the full count from Tuesday’s polls finally in, it looks clear: Republican Diane Douglas has more votes than Democrat David Garcia in the race for state Superintendent of Public Instruction. But Garcia’s camp isn’t ready to give up, holding onto hope that the early ballots dropped at polling places…
With almost 97 percent of precincts reporting, the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction remains tight, and neither camp is ready to give up. Republican Diane Douglas currently has 51.08 percent of the votes, while Democrat David Garcia holds 48.79 percent. That 2.29 point margin represents a difference of 25,632…
A Fountain Hills teacher is fighting back after she claims she was wrongfully terminated for defending a student against racist bullying. Pamela Aister, a 70-year-old fourth-grade teacher, was fired this fall because of an incident that allegedly occurred at Four Peaks Elementary School in Fountain Hills in May. Aister had…
