The association serves its members in two major ways. It assists members in developing national policy positions on issues that relate to academic research and graduate and professional education. It also provides them with a forum for discussing a broad range of other institutional issues, such as undergraduate education.

Structure and Operation

AAU holds two membership meetings annually. A fall meeting is conducted on a member campus; a spring meeting is held in Washington, D.C.

Member institutions are represented in AAU by their chief executive officer. The Executive Committee is charged with the general oversight and functioning of the association.

In addition to the Executive Committee, the association has a standing Membership Committee. Ad hoc committees of presidents and chancellors and their staffs are formed as needed.

Membership in the association is by invitation. The invitation of new members, which requires the assent of three-fourths of current members, is considered periodically.

Operation of the AAU Washington office and some of the general costs of AAU meetings are financed by dues paid by the member institutions.

AAU Constituent Groups

AAU Partners is the organization of partners (spouses) of AAU presidents and chancellors, which meets twice a year at the regular membership meetings to share information and address issues related to the myriad roles of the Partner on campus.

Each AAU president and chancellor names one or two institutional representatives to the AAU Council on Federal Relations (CFR). CFR members are typically senior officers of the institution with responsibility for federal relations activity and serve as the day-to-day point of contact between AAU staff and the institution.

The graduate deans of AAU institutions form the Association of Graduate Schools (AGS), which provides a forum for addressing issues concerning doctoral education and serves as an advisory body to AAU on graduate education policy.

The Chief Academic Officers of AAU universities (CAO) meet annually to discuss a variety of national and institutional issues. Their discussions help shape the association's agenda and policy positions.

Public Affairs Officers of AAU institutions participate in the Public Affairs Network (PAN), which promotes coordination of public affairs and federal relations activities on campuses, provides information on a wide range of issues affecting research universities, and serves as a forum for sharing information on public affairs strategies.

Senior Research Officers of AAU institutions (SRO) meet each year to identify issues that relate to the funding, conduct, and regulation of university research.

Affiliations

AAU is a member of the American Council on Education and often coordinates its activities with other higher education organizations, particularly the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR).

In matters of national science and research policy, AAU is actively involved with a broad cross-section of other interested organizations, including the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and other groups and professional societies.