Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


AAC&U Forms Office of Research and Public Purpose

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has launched a new program office dedicated to advancing the public purposes of higher education. The Office of Research and Public Purpose will "explore the intersection of students' career preparation, civic and community engagement, and their holistic well-being through a blend of campus-oriented programming and innovative research rooted in collaboration with member institutions and a diverse range of external partners," the organization explained in a news announcement. At the helm of the new office is Ashley Finley, AAC&U's vice president for research and senior advisor to the president.

The office will be tasked with:

  • Guiding AAC&U research, including periodic surveys of employers;
  • Collaboration with national partners to produce research on faculty attitudes and behaviors related to integrating career preparedness into the curriculum, faculty attitudes regarding academic freedom, civic and community engagement at community colleges, and other topics;
  • Providing opportunities for campus engagement, such as working with AAC&U's Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute and other efforts to implement curriculum-to-career models; and
  • Engaging with Campus Compact, a national nonprofit dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement, to advance higher ed's commitments to democracy.

"If higher education is to promote economic, community, and personal thriving, colleges and universities need to help students find symmetry of purpose across their roles as professionals, civic actors, and their personal well-being," said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella, in a statement. "The separation of these endeavors is a contemporary expression of liberal education, not a historical one. Integration will require the insight and evidence base to promote greater intentionality and coordination across silos. Our new Office of Research and Public Purpose is designed to provide both."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Hootsuite

    Beyond the Feed: How Higher Ed Turns Social Media Into a Measurable Enrollment Engine

    More than half of prospective students research programs on social media before visiting a university website, and nearly half will skip applying to a school that looks inactive online. Hootsuite, the all-in-one social OS platform trusted by more than 2,000 higher education institutions, helps campus teams turn everyday posts into measurable outcomes, from applications to alumni giving.

  • A glowing digital brain with neural connections and light trails

    AI Giants Warn It May Be Time to Slow Down

    For years, leaders in the artificial intelligence industry have warned that increasingly capable AI systems could eventually become dangerous, all the while continuing to race to build them. Now, their sentiments have changed.

  • lock icons, shields, and glowing data paths

    Research Studies Suggest AI Is Accelerating Familiar Cyber Attacks

    Research released around the recent Black Hat USA 2026 conference suggests that artificial intelligence is increasing the speed and scale of cybersecurity activity without replacing the attack methods defenders already face.

  • digital brain with network connections

    Microsoft Moving to Internally Developed AI Models in Office Apps

    Microsoft is reportedly using its own in-house artificial intelligence models to handle some workloads in Excel and Outlook, offering new evidence that the company is moving its AI strategy beyond model development and into large-scale cost reduction.