In 2023, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) launched "Leading for Democracy" to prepare higher education leaders to create the conditions for democracy to thrive--on campus, in communities, and across the nation. This project seeks to support leaders develop and foster a civic-minded campus; design…

America's regional comprehensive public institutions of higher education serve a unique role as the portal through which so many of the students and much of the nation's future workforce gain the skills needed to face the economic challenges of the 21st century. In support of the critical role that its members play in the development of their…

America's regional comprehensive public institutions of higher education (American Association of State Colleges and Universities institutions, AASCU) serve a unique role as the portal through which so many of the students and much of the nation's future workforce gain the skills needed to face the economic challenges of the 21st century. In…

America's regional public universities (RPUs) serve a unique role as the portal through which so many students and the nation's future workforce gain the skills needed to face the economic challenges of the 21st century. RPU programs offer 4.9 million students, who are increasingly of color, low income, first generation, and working adults, the…

This work builds upon the work of the Postsecondary Value Commission (PVC), a group founded in 2019 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Consisting of 30 leaders in higher education, including AASCU's former president Mildred García who served as co-chair, the PVC came together to answer the question "what is college worth?" by…

In 2002, "Stepping Forward as Stewards of Place" identified "public engagement" as having the essential qualities of being "place-related," "interactive," "mutually beneficial" and "integrated." The publicly engaged institution was defined as being "fully committed to direct, two-way…

Student success is at the center of successful regional engagement. Thus, the relationship between institutional outreach through the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) "stewards of place" paradigm and meaningful student participation in the effort is fundamental to the success of regional engagement. The…

This essay focuses on the responsibility of AASCU universities and colleges to take deliberate, concerted actions to help sustain the nation's vitality and competitiveness in a global, multicultural and rapidly changing society. Guiding our work is the premise that presidential leadership is key to the success of any effort to make the nation's…

Presented here are the top 10 issues most likely to affect public higher education across the 50 states in 2011, in the view of the state policy staff at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). This listing is informed by an environmental scan of the economic, political and policy landscape surrounding public higher…

Given the overarching ramifications that financial literacy plays in the modern economy, this paper contends that a renewed emphasis on financial literacy is central to individual, family and communal economic security. New responsibilities and opportunities given to consumers, such as retirement planning, have increased the need for more…

On August 1, 2009, the most generous veterans education benefit program since the original post-World War II GI Bill went into effect. The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, popularly known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, pays for up to 100 percent of a veteran's tuition/required fees at a state college/university depending on the veteran's…

The 2009 Public Policy Agenda summarizes the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU's) principles and priorities in key areas of higher education policy. The document is intended to serve as a point of reference for the association's members and other interested organizations as well as federal and state policymakers.…

American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU's) public policy agenda, rooted in an uncompromising commitment to opportunity for the nation's students, is expressed through the following core principles: (1) Higher education is a common good that provides significant benefits to individuals and society as a whole; (2) America's…

The American higher education enterprise has the capacity and fortitude to confront many of the country's most pressing energy and environmental challenges. Many institutions and state college systems are using campus resources to carry out grassroots environmental initiatives. These activities have yielded important environmental, educational,…

The 2010 Public Policy Agenda summarizes the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU's) principles and priorities in key areas of higher education policy. This paper is intended to serve as a point of reference for the association's members and other interested organizations, as well as federal and state policymakers.…