American Association of State Colleges and Universities

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges and universities and systems across the United States and in Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

AASCU has four fundamental purposes:

1. to promote broad public understanding of the essential role of public higher education in our society, and of the specific responsibilities and contributions of the public colleges and universities which constitute its membership;
2. to monitor public policy at the national, state and campus levels; provide information and analyses to those responsible for setting legislation, rules and regulations as well as to its members; and alert its members to changes that may affect higher education;
3. to respond to the interests of its members by providing policy leadership and programmatic assistance to strengthen academic quality, intellectual diversity and academic freedom, and to facilitate educational innovation at the institutional level;
4. to provide professional development opportunities and support for institutional leaders, especially presidents, chancellors and spouses.