Origins – Foundational research
ASU Charter
ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
Principled Innovation is a practice that offers a reflective approach to change that centers the well-being of humanity, communities and society as a whole. It is a framework for ethical decision-making that can be embraced by individuals, organizations and systems.
Even as we trace our foundations in the literature, this is not the end — Principled Innovation remains a living process. We will continue to learn and grow throughout all of ASU and beyond, and will continue to incorporate the latest research into our thinking and practice.
PI Ecological Model
The ecological model is central to MLFTC’s unique framework and illustrates how character develops as principled innovation is practiced in various learning environments. It represents an inductive and bottom-up approach to character, showing bi-directional movement as each environment interrelates with the others, contextually and in nuanced ways.
Within the different learning environments, individuals and organizations exhibit the character assets: intellectual, civic, moral, and performance. These assets cycle through each environment, in our case, the individual, the university, PK-12 learning environments, and communities of families and stakeholders. In this dynamic process, individuals develop a sense of understanding of oneself and others in relation to their environment which then affects the choices they make and actions they take within organizations and systems.
The Why, What and How of Principled Innovation
The PI Framework guides our ability to imagine new concepts, catalyze ideas and form new solutions, guided by principles that create positive change for humanity.