Throughout the year, AASCU offers opportunities for members to connect, network, learn, and build upon the supportive AASCU community. Participants share best practices and lessons learned and hear from thought leaders and partners.

• Annual Meeting (November: in person for presidents, chancellors, and spouses/partners only; cabinet members invited to join virtually)
• Summer Council (July: in person for presidents, chancellors, and spouses/partners only; cabinet members invited to join virtually)
• Presidential Symposiums (convening of senior leaders for 1.5 days at AASCU offices in Washington, D.C., to focus on a specific topic or issue; members hear from experts and discuss their institutions’ strategies, challenges, and goals)

→ For more information, visit our Meetings Calendar.

AASCU’s leadership development programs are designed for leaders at all levels of the academy, from experienced presidents to new provosts to rising stars among faculty and staff.

• The Emerging Leaders Program is designed for early- to mid-career academic and administrative emerging leaders who are exploring opportunities to advance to mid-level administrative positions.
• The Becoming a Provost Academy is designed for experienced deans, assistant or associate provosts, and other academic affairs senior administrators who aspire to become a provost/chief academic officer.
• The Academy for New Provosts is for newly appointed provosts/chief academic officers.
• The Student Success Institute for Provosts is designed for experienced provosts (second year and beyond) seeking to implement transformational change to meet the evolving needs of an increasingly diverse student body.
• The Millennium Leadership Initiative is designed for senior academic and administrative professionals traditionally underrepresented in the highest ranks of higher education seeking to advance to the presidency.
• The Executive Leadership Academy is designed for experienced cabinet officers aspiring to become a president.
• The New Presidents Academy is designed for new presidents and chancellors of state colleges and universities.

All leadership development programs integrate equity and student success throughout, and each includes a mentoring component rallying the talents, generosity, and expertise of AASCU members who share our commitment to investing in the next generation.

→ For more information and application links visit Leadership Development.

Presidential Missions create opportunities for presidents and chancellors to explore potential linkages and partnerships with higher education institutions and leaders around the world.

The Spouse/Partner Program serves the unique needs of your spouses/partners through networking opportunities, professional education, and guidance. In-person meetings take place at Summer Council and the Annual Meeting.

The government relations team is responsible for representing all regional comprehensive colleges and universities on policy and regulatory matters before the U.S. Congress and the administration. Engaging with AASCU’s leadership and member campuses, we work diligently to give voice to their priorities and concerns on a myriad of federal policies, including student and institutional aid, teacher preparation, veterans, undocumented and international students, institutional reporting, and the strengthening of the federal-state partnership.

The Council of State Representatives (CSR)
The CSR meets in person and virtually throughout the year to assist AASCU in the development of federal policy positions as well as to develop the annual Public Policy Agenda (PPA). The PPA helps guide the work of the government relations staff on behalf of all regional comprehensive institutions before the U.S. Congress and the administration. Member presidents and chancellors are eligible to serve on the CSR. Any president or chancellor interested in serving on the CSR must submit an expression of interest directly to Dr. Mildred García.

We serve as a Washington office for our members and are available to meet, brief, and debrief as your institution meets with congressional delegations or agencies. We also assist our members with specific legislative or regulatory issues facing campuses. Our Higher Education Government Relations Conference also offers your staff an educational forum to foster effective governmental and community relations.

Student success programs and resources promote student success through evidence-based solutions and interventions. By fostering a cooperative community of learning, our programs bring together campus teams from across the country to share knowledge about programs and practices that advance student success.

Transformation Accelerator Cohort: The Transformation Accelerator Cohort, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is specifically for institutions committed to student success and closing equity gaps for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. This two-year cohort experience accelerates transformation by providing specific and customized support so that institutions can make data-informed decisions to close equity gaps and achieve student success goals for these students.

Student Success Institute (SSI) for Provosts (SSI): SSI is an eight-month leadership development program tailored to the distinctive needs of established provosts (chief academic officers) at AASCU member institutions. SSI will help provosts with more than two years of experience in the role at AASCU member institutions to more effectively lead and implement the type of transformational change necessary to meet the evolving needs of today’s increasingly diverse student body.

Aspen-AASCU Transfer Student Success and Equity Intensive: The Transfer Intensive is a one-year initiative consisting of monthly sessions designed to support partnerships between community colleges and AASCU members in advancing the practices and policies associated with improved, more equitable transfer student success. The workshop series will provide practical support aimed at accelerating transfer reform over the course of the year at participating institutions.

Senior Leadership Guidebook for Holistic Advising Redesign: This guidebook is a resource for presidents and provosts detailing the information they need to support advising and holistic student support redesign. It offers comprehensive action-oriented strategies; adaptable resources; and tools that will advance advising redesign, employ data utilization strategies, and encourage the use of equity-based principles to yield tangible improvements in student success outcomes.

Senior Leadership Toolkit for Holistic Advising Redesign: Presidents/provosts can share this collection of workbooks with their leadership teams and help them further understand the extent of advising transformation across the campus and how student supports integrate.

Members are encouraged to share their knowledge and expertise and to take advantage of resources to expand student success on their campus using these valuable resources and tools.

AASCU Consulting can help you navigate change and build for the future. We advise university leaders to help their institutions thrive by building and executing transformative strategies, increasing leadership effectiveness, and expanding institutional capacity. Our experienced consultants provide services tailored to your institution’s needs, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Financial and Operational Efficiency
• Organization and Team Development
• Leadership Assessment and Coaching
• Student Life Cycle and Success
• External Relations and Fund Development
• Academic Planning and Accreditation
• Board Development

→ For more information, contact Matthew Ceppi.

Affinity Groups meet at the Annual Meeting and/or periodically by virtual means for tailored networking and guidance:

• African American Presidents and Chancellors
• Asian American/Pacific Islander Presidents and Chancellors
• Hispanic Presidents and Chancellors
• LGBTQ Presidents and Chancellors
• Women Presidents and Chancellors

The Grants Resource Center (GRC) is a premium service of AASCU and has enhanced the research and sponsored programs capabilities of higher education institutions since 1967. A subscription to GRC provides sponsored research offices with access to a comprehensive suite of tools, services, and expertise to improve efficiency and increase institutions’ success in securing competitive grants from federal and private sponsors. GRC’s annual Funding Summit and Fall Webinar Series provides opportunities for research and sponsored programs officers, senior administrators, and faculty to connect with funders, area experts, and colleagues from across the country.

Speaking Engagements: Showcase your expertise by serving as a thought leader within the AASCU member network. Opportunities exist at several levels including Summer Council, the Annual Meeting, academic affairs meetings, and more.

Standing Committees work in key areas of member interests with the goal to advance higher education issues at the national level. Committees meet at Summer Council and the Annual Meeting or virtually during the year. Committees are led by a presidential chair and/or vice chair. Presidents and chancellors are encouraged to serve on one (or more) of these groups:

• The Committee on International Education helps member campuses respond to the globalization of society and implications for AASCU campuses, faculty, students, and curricula.
• The Advisory Committee on Membership provides strategic direction and insight into long-range membership growth opportunities.
• The Committee on Professional Development helps AASCU provide professional development support to presidents through the annual Summer Council, orientation workshops for new presidents, and other programs for new and experienced campus executives.
• The Rural Presidents and Chancellors Committee is designed for presidents and chancellors of rural-serving institutions—both person and place. Promising practices and discussion of opportunities and challenges are shared throughout the year.
• The Committee on Student Success helps AASCU presidents and chancellors develop and share strategies to increase student success. Members of the committee also serve as a presidential advisory board for ongoing AASCU national projects on student success.
• The Committee on Sustainable Development is responsible for exploring educational and operational practices that raise awareness and promote implementation choices for AASCU and for member campuses.
• The Committee on Teacher Education advises AASCU on programs, projects, and federal and state public policy initiatives needed to improve teacher education, and the committee advises member presidents on ways to strengthen campus programs and enhance their credibility with policymakers and the public.