American Association of State Colleges and Universities
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees. AASCU grew out of the Association of Teacher Education Institutions that had been organized in 1951 to serve public comprehensive institutions. Most of the original member institutions began as single-purpose institutions, most commonly normal schools.
 | |
| Formation | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Location | |
Membership | nearly 400 |
| Website | aascu.org |
Purpose
The AASCU has a four-fold purpose:
- To promote appreciation and support for public higher education and the distinctive contributions of our member colleges and universities;
- To analyze public policy, and to advocate for member institutions and the students they serve;
- To provide policy leadership and program support to strengthen academic quality, promote access and inclusion, and facilitate educational innovation; and
- To create professional development opportunities for institutional leaders, especially presidents, chancellors and their spouses.
Comparison with Association of American Universities
Unlike the AASCU, the Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of leading research universities primarily devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. It consists of approximately sixty public and private universities in the U.S. and Canada.[1] AAU was founded in 1900 by a group of fourteen Ph.D.-granting universities in the U.S. to strengthen and standardize U.S. doctoral programs. Today, the primary purpose of the AAU is to provide a forum for the development and implementation of institutional and national policies promoting strong programs in academic research and scholarship and undergraduate, graduate, and professional education. A few institutions are members of both the AAU and the AASCU.
Membership
There are nearly 400 member institutions: AASCU Members by State & Territories.
See: List of members of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities