VISION

AASCU will be a transformative influence in American public higher education through advocacy, leadership and service. This vision will be achieved when:

The general public, the media and policy makers better understand and support the role and public purposes of state colleges and universities (SCUs);

Members have the information, tools, resources and support needed to achieve their missions of preparing students for the 21st century; and

AASCU is known and admired as an innovative thought leader and force for positive change in higher education.

MISSION

AASCU is a Washington-based higher education association of nearly 400 public colleges, universities and systems whose members share a learning and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions' economic progress and cultural development.

AASCU has five fundamental purposes:

To promote understanding, appreciation and support for the public purpose of public higher education and the distinctive contributions of those institutions that comprise the AASCU membership;

To support member institutions in their mission to prepare students who can be demonstrably competitive and effective in an economy and a society that requires global literacy;

To advocate for effective public policy at the federal level and to provide both federal and state policy analysis to advance member institutions and the students they serve;

To provide leadership for effective policy development and program support that will strengthen academic quality, promote access and inclusion, foster regional stewardship and economic progress, and facilitate educational innovation; and

To create professional development opportunities for member presidents, and their spouses and partners, system executives and other senior leaders and to undertake a systematic approach to fostering new leaders who will contribute to educational innovation.