The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises nearly 1,300 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size.

AAC&U organizes its work around four broad goals:

• LEAP: Liberal Education as a Global Necessity
• Quality: 21st Century Markers for the Value of US Degrees
• Equity: Innovation, Inclusive Excellence, and Student Success
• Social Responsibility: Integrative Liberal Learning for the Global Commons

Through its publications, meetings, public advocacy, and programs, AAC&U provides a powerful voice for liberal education. AAC&U works to reinforce the commitment to liberal education at both the national and the local level and to help individual colleges and universities keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges. With a nearly one-hundred year history and national stature, AAC&U is an influential catalyst for educational improvement and reform.

National Survey of AAC&U Members (2009)

Learning and Assessment: Trends in Undergraduate Education (pdf)
See news release (April 28, 2009)

Trends and Emerging Practices in General Education (pdf)
See news release (May 15, 2009)

Talking Points on national trends in undergraduate learning outcomes, assessment, and general education reform.

Powerpoint slides on 2009 AAC&U member survey results