Use of the Association of American Universities’ ("AAU") World Wide Web pages (“AAU website”) is subject to the terms and conditions (“Terms of Use”) set forth below. Any use of the AAU website constitutes the user’s agreement to abide by the following terms and conditions. If you do not agree with these Terms of Use, you must immediately terminate use of the website. AAU may change these Terms and Conditions of Use from time to time, without notice and at AAU’s sole discretion. Continued use of the AAU website following the posting of such changes will constitute the user’s assent to all such changes. If you violate any of these Terms of Use, your permission to use the website automatically terminates.
Copyright and Trademarks
All website content (“AAU Content”) on this site is owned by AAU, its licensors, or other third parties and is protected by law including, but not limited to, United States copyright, trade secret, patent, and trademark law. Except as specified below, reproduction, retransmission, distribution, sale, publication, broadcast, circulation, reprinting, or dissemination of any AAU Content is prohibited without prior written permission from AAU or the other copyright owner if AAU is not the owner. You may not alter, delete, obscure, or conceal any copyright or other notices appearing on the AAU Content. Any use of the AAU Content not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use is a breach of these Terms of Use and may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.
The name Association of American Universities®, the initials AAU®, and AAU Logo trademarks are proprietary marks registered to AAU. Misuse, appropriation, or other violation of AAU’s trademarks is prohibited and may violate federal and state laws.
Use of Content
AAU’s website is designed for informational purposes only. AAU authorizes you to view or download a single copy of the material on the website solely for your personal, noncommercial use if you include the following copyright notice: "Copyright © [year], by the Association of American Universities. All rights reserved" and any other copyright and proprietary rights notices that are contained in the AAU Content.
A user may create a hyperlink to any document on AAU’s website, provided that the hyperlink does not create the appearance that there is any sponsorship or endorsement between AAU and the user and/or the user’s organization.
All other reproduction, retransmission, or reprinting of all or part of any AAU Content found on this website is expressly prohibited, unless AAU has expressly granted its prior consent to so reproduce, retransmit, or reprint the material. If you violate any of these Terms of Use, your permission to use the AAU Content automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any copies you have made of any portion of the AAU Content.
If you have any doubt about whether a particular use of the AAU website is permitted or prohibited, or if you are a commercial user, please contact us here.
Online Conduct
You warrant that you will abide by all applicable local, state, national and international laws and regulations with respect to your use of the AAU website and not interfere with the use and enjoyment of the AAU website by other users or with AAU’s operation and management of the website. You agree to use the website only for lawful purposes and are prohibited from posting on the website any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, obscene or otherwise objectionable material of any kind, including, but not limited to, any material which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national or international law.
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold AAU, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors harmless from and against any claims, actions or demands, liabilities and settlements including without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, resulting from, or alleged to result from, your violation of any of these Terms of Use.
Disclaimer of Warranties
This website and the AAU Content are provided on an "as is," "as available" basis. AAU AND ITS LICENSORS, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTY OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT OR ANY WARRANTY ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING, USAGE OR TRADE PRACTICE.
Disclaimer of Endorsement
The AAU website may also include links to other websites or social media platforms. These links, offered solely for the convenience of users of the AAU website, do not express or imply AAU’s endorsement of the linked websites. AAU hereby disclaims all responsibility for the content of, or views expressed on, the linked websites.
Disclaimer of Liability
You assume all responsibility for the use of this website. Under no circumstances, including negligence, shall AAU or anyone else involved in creating or maintaining this website be liable for any claim, loss, or damage (including, without limitation, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL or CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, or LOST PROFITS of any kind whatsoever) in connection with, as a result of, or arising from the use or inability to use the website and/or any other websites that are linked to this website, including, but not limited to: (i) reliance by a member or visitor on any information obtained via the website; (ii) mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files, viruses, errors, defects, or any failure of performance, communications failure, theft, destruction or unauthorized access; ) any interruption in the availability of the website or AAU Content; (iv) statements or conduct of any third party on the website; (iv) any other matter relating to the website.
Any claims arising in connection with your use of the website or any of the AAU Content must be brought within one (1) year of the date of the event giving rise to such action occurred. Remedies under these Terms of Use are exclusive and are limited to those expressly provided for in these Terms of Use. In states which do not allow some or all of the above limitations of liability, liability shall be limited to the greatest extent allowed by law.
Governing Law/Forum
These Terms of Use are governed by the internal substantive laws of the District of Columbia, without respect to its conflict of laws principles.
You expressly agree that exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute with AAU, or in any way relating to your use of the website, resides in the courts of the District of Columbia and you further agree and expressly consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction in the courts of the District of Columbia in connection with any such dispute including any claim involving the website or AAU and its employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunication providers, and content providers. In any court action arising out of these Terms of Use, the prevailing party shall have its reasonable costs and attorney’s fees paid by the other party.
Privacy Policy
The Association of American Universities (“AAU”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.
Collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
AAU collects information that individuals voluntarily provide to us, including personal information (such as name, email address, and telephone number) through the course of membership and in participation in surveys, forms, and questionnaires on the AAU website or conducted by third parties. Participation in these activities is entirely voluntary, and you, therefore, have a choice whether to disclose this information. For survey responses, PII is collected only when you expressly opt-in to participate in surveys.
Use of Personally Identifiable Information
The Personally Identifiable Information collected through surveys and forms will be used to understand our community's needs and interests better and provide targeted services and content. This information may be used to respond to your requests, customize your experience on our website, provide member services, and communicate with you about services and content that may interest you.
Third-Party Information Collection
In addition to information collected directly from members and website visitors, AAU may receive personal and non-personal information from third-party sources. These sources may include partners with whom we offer co-branded services or engage in joint marketing or polling activities, as well as public databases, social media platforms, and market research firms. The collection and use of information from these sources are subject to the privacy policies of those sources. AAU will treat any information received from third parties by this Privacy Policy.
Use of Third-party Information
The information received from third-party sources may be used with information collected directly from users through the AAU website. This information may enhance and personalize the user experience, make more informed decisions regarding the services and communications provided to users, and offer targeted services and content that may interest our members and users.
Sharing of Personally Identifiable & Third-Party Information
AAU respects your privacy and steadfastly refrains from selling or leasing any personally identifiable information collected by AAU or received from third parties. Such information may be shared with our affiliates and partners consistent with the objectives detailed in our policy, but solely with explicit opt-in consent from individuals. Moreover, personal information may be transferred to third parties only with your permission. Every instance of information sharing will adhere strictly to the relevant privacy laws and regulations, safeguarding your privacy rights.
Safeguards
AAU is dedicated to protecting the privacy and security of your personal or third-party information. We implement appropriate safeguards to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of personal information. Our security measures include, but are not limited to, encryption, firewalls, and secure access controls. Despite our efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and no method of data transmission can be guaranteed against any interception or other type of misuse.
Your Rights
You have the right to access, correct, or remove any of your personal information collected or received about you by AAU. You can exercise these rights by contacting us through our Contact Us form. Additionally, you have the right to withdraw your consent for collecting, using, or sharing your personal information at any time, subject to certain restrictions under applicable law.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy
AAU reserves the right to modify this privacy policy at any time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page. We encourage checking this page frequently for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect any personal information we collect.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please get in touch with us using the Contact Us form. Your privacy concerns are important to us, and we aim to respond to your inquiries promptly.