Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research, policy, and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and higher education organizations. It has member campuses in all of the United States as well as the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico.

Membership

The association's membership includes 238 institutions, consisting of 209 campuses (75 of which are land-grant institutions), 24 university systems, and five higher education affiliates. APLU member campuses enroll 4.7 million undergraduates and 1.3 million graduate students, award 1.2 million degrees, employ 1.2 million faculty and staff, and conduct $42.7 billion in university-based research.^[1]

The association's membership includes 23 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), of which 21 are land-grant institutions (two under the 1862 Morrill Act; 19 under the 1890 Morrill Act). The organization also represents 13 international universities from Canada and Mexico, and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which serves the interests of the nation's 33 American Indian land-grant colleges.

Membership involvement

APLU draws on the strengths and talents of its membership by providing opportunities to serve on a series of Councils and Commissions. APLU Councils are composed of university administrators with similar job functions who come together to address critical issues and expand their knowledge base within their professional area of expertise.^[2] APLU Commissions cut across job function to enable individuals from multiple disciplines across universities to address critical issues and expand their knowledge base in areas of common interest.^[3]

Both Councils and Commissions work collectively to develop initiatives and programs that help advance public universities and their missions through meetings and events held throughout the year.

Membership criteria

Membership in APLU is automatically granted to land-grant institutions per the Morrill Land-Grant Acts of 1862,1890 and 1994.^[4] Public universities classified as Research (Very High) or Research (High) in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Instructional Programs are also eligible for membership in the association.^[4] APLU universities share a commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education as well as innovation and discovery through research and community engagement at the local, national, and global levels. Public universities with similar commitments are encouraged to explore APLU's membership criteria for more details.

Key areas of focus

APLU undertakes a broad array of initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening public universities by proactively tackling some of the most complex issues confronting public higher education today. APLU's complete summary of recent efforts can be found in the 2014 Annual Report.

• Access & Diversity
• Accountability & Degree Completion
• Agriculture, Human Sciences, & Natural Resources
• College Costs, Tuition, & Financial Aid
• Economic Development
• International Programs
• Learning Technologies
• Research, Science, & Technology
• STEM Education
• Teaching & Online Learning
• Urban Initiatives

History

The roots of APLU were established in October 1887 as the American Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, making it North America's oldest higher education association.^[5] The first annual convention was held that year in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Pennsylvania State University President George W. Atherton was elected president of the Board of Directors.^[6] Through the years, APLU has undergone a number of name changes to reflect its growing public higher education mission. In 1919, the Land-Grant Colleges Engineering Association merged with the association.^[7] A few years later in 1926, the organization changed its name to the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities.^[7] In 1963, the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities merged with the National Association of State Universities to form the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).^[7] On March 30, 2009, the association adopted its current name—Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.^[8]

Organizational structure

Association leadership

In 2005, M. Peter McPherson became the third president (and fifth leader) of the association.

Former Association Leaders:

Board of directors

The 26-member Board of Directors is the governing body of the association.^[9]

2015 Executive Committee

• Chair: James P. Clements, President, Clemson University
• Chair-Elect: Bernadette Gray-Little, Chancellor, University of Kansas
• Immediate Past Chair: William R. "Randy" Woodson, Chancellor, North Carolina State University
• Chair of the Council of Presidents: Teresa Sullivan, President, University of Virginia
• Secretary of the Council of Presidents: Michael Drake, President, The Ohio State University

Annual Meeting

The APLU Annual Meeting has become one of the world's leading events for public university leaders to meet, exchange ideas with colleagues and develop new initiatives. The meeting's diverse attendees include university presidents and chancellors, provosts, deans, and senior leaders for research, governmental affairs, public affairs, student affairs, finance and more.^[10] This year's Annual Meeting takes place in Indianapolis, IN November 15–17, 2015.^[10]

References

External links

• APLU's Official Homepage