Raising co-op awareness on campus

Why is America's vast co-op economy off the radar on most college campuses?

ASU's Vanna Gonzales, assistant professor of justice and social inquiry in the School of Social Transformation, and student Gene Kendricke Sanchez, were featured in the September/October 2011 issue of "Cooperative Business Journal" in an article that explored this question ("Back to School: What Co-ops Can Do to Raise Their Profile with Students"). 

Students from rural areas may be aware of farm cooperatives, but have little knowledge about how they work. Many students are exposed to housing or food co-ops while in college. But learning about the nation's vast co-op economy, noted the feature, is often dependent on "chance and persistence." 

At ASU Gonzales teaches Social Enterprises: Innovation, Justice, and Community Development (JUS 497/JUS 591) in the spring semester, which includes heavy emphasis on cooperatives.