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APLU Annual Meeting-CFERR Teaching Award Winners
Councils & Commissions
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APLU Councils & Commissions

APLU is the only presidential higher education association that engages with public research universities’ entire senior leadership teams.

Councils

APLU’s councils enable senior public university leaders working in similar positions to come together to address critical issues and expand their knowledge-base within their professional area of expertise.

The Council of 1890 Universities is works to collectively represent the interests of 1890 land-grant institutions.  The council seeks to ensure and increase funding, present a unified approach for the presentation of views regarding 1890 institutions and to serve as a forum to share ideas and resources.  The council works with other 1890 associations in developing a comprehensive agenda regarding congressional and federal policies and programs impacting 1890 institutions.

The Council of Presidents provides a forum for university CEOs to shape APLU’s agenda and policies.

The Council of Presidents & Chancellors’ Spouses/Partners facilitates exchanges among the partners of public university CEOs. As this role has evolved over time, the council promotes best practices and provides an opportunity for informational exchanges.

The Council on Academic Affairs (CAA) is composed of the chief academic officers: provosts or senior vice presidents for academic affairs where they are a campus’s second ranking officer.  The CAA provides a forum for discussion of: trends in higher education and the public mission; funding patterns and budget strategies; teaching and learning innovations; faculty roles and rewards; academic programs, planning, and advising; research and publication; and service and engagement with other sectors.  The CAA advises the Council of Presidents and the APLU Board of Directors regarding association priorities and agendas in these areas.

The Council on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (CDEI) is comprised of the vice president, senior diversity officer, or senior university official who serves as the principal point of diversity contact for their institutions. CDEI provides forums for the discussion and dissemination of information on issues related to equitable access and success; national best practices around the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in higher education and the public mission; and teaching, learning, recruitment, and retention innovations for students, faculty, and staff, relevant to APLU’s members. The CDEI is a thriving community of DEI experts and practitioners that serve as a resource to support, advise, and collaborate with APLU councils, commissions, and staff regarding the integrated efforts of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion at APLU institutions.

The Council on Governmental Affairs (CGA) includes the university officials who serve as the principal points of contact between their institutions and their congressional delegations and federal agencies.  A very active APLU council, the CGA is a network of university government relations professionals who advocate for public research universities in federal legislation and federal policy.  Members of the CGA are based on campus and/or in the institution’s Washington, DC offices.  Typically, they are VPs, directors and assistant directors for government affairs/relations for their institution.

The Council on Research (COR) is composed of the senior research and graduate officers: vice presidents for research and graduate deans. COR provides a forum for the discussion of research development and management, research policies and regulation, budget strategies, faculty roles, graduate education, research collaboration among universities and across sectors, and the importance of research to the overall mission of APLU member institutions.  The group works closely with the Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) on issues related to intellectual property and technology development; and with the Council on Governmental Affairs in monitoring government legislation and regulations affecting campus-based research and graduate education.

The Council on Strategic Communications (CSC) provides a forum for strengthening the work of senior campus leaders in communications and public affairs, and public relations.  The council works to create coherent messaging and effective strategies around communicating the value of public higher education to key constituencies.  The CSC works closely with the Council on Government Affairs (CGA) on messages important to federal and state policymakers as well as with the Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) on issues of communicating economic development.

The Council on Student Affairs (CSA) is composed of the senior student affairs or student life officers at member institutions and university systems.  The CSA provides forums for the discussion and dissemination of information on issues related to the college student experience: co-curricular opportunities; personal and professional growth; learning, progress, and completion; mental and physical health and wellness; and/or fundamental needs such as housing, financial aid, transportation, and food. The CSA advocates within APLU and works cooperatively with other councils and commissions to enhance institutional effectiveness and the student experience in these areas.

Commissions

APLU’s commission structure enables senior leaders with different responsibilities or roles across universities to come together to address critical issues and expand their knowledge-base in areas of common interest regardless of position.

The Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) is an APLU member body facilitated by APLU’s Office of Economic Development and Community Engagement. CECE convenes chief economic and community engagement officers from APLU member universities and university systems as well as presidents and chancellors, senior research officers, provosts, extension leaders, communications and government affairs officers, and other administrators who maintain responsibility for planning, executing, or communicating their institution’s work in economic development and/or community engagement.

The Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources (CFERR) focuses on broad cross-cutting issues related to agriculture, food and fiber, forestry, human sciences, natural resources (ecology, fish and wildlife, forestry, mineral resources and water resources), oceans and atmosphere, and veterinary medicine in the functional areas of research, extension and teaching. Each member institution may nominate one voting member to CFERR.

The Commission on Information, Measurement, and Analysis (CIMA) creates space for APLU institutions to come together to create communities of practice around effective and efficient use of data to guide campus planning and decision making.  Given the dispersion of activities and responsibilities within an institution that rely on the use of a vast array of data sources, CIMA provides opportunities for cross-functional discussions on how to more systematically create and improve the data infrastructure and the strategic analysis capacity on campuses.

The Commission on International Initiatives (CII) develops and implements a comprehensive international affairs agenda for senior leadership at public research universities in order to facilitate a seamless integration of international dimensions into the learning, discovery and engagement missions of our APLU institutions. The CII fosters the development of globally competent students, internationally engaged faculty, and institutions capable of addressing global challenges. The commission works by identifying critical issues, gathering information, and creating opportunities for members to discuss challenges and share knowledge with one another. The commission serves as an advisory body to APLU and is integrally involved with all APLU discussions about comprehensive internationalization.  Through its International Advocacy Coordinating Committee, members develop and lead the advocacy agenda on Capitol Hill on international issues of interest to public universities.  The commission is composed of senior international officers, international agriculture directors, and other individuals who work on internationalization at APLU member institutions.

The Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) is a network of public urban research universities that represents every region of the U.S. University presidents created the coalition to leverage the intellectual capital and economic power of urban universities, thereby improving urban life and America’s competitiveness in the global economy.