Because the US has such a large and diverse higher education system, there are essentially no organizations that have a mandate to speak for the whole system. Instead, there are nationwide professional associations that bring together people in similar functions at universities, serving to build networks for the exchange of information as well as fulfilling a lob-bying function.
3.5.1 The “Big Six”
The American Council on Education (ACE) is the primary umbrella or-ganization for higher education in the US. It conducts lobbying activities and research and convenes the “Washington Higher Education Secretari-at,” where representatives from 45 national higher education associations meet regularly.
ACE is also considered one of the “Big Six” organizations that serve as platforms for university and college presidents and represent the major sectors of US higher education. Some institutions may be represented in multiple organizations. The organizations are all based in Washington, DC, due to their “federal relations” or lobbying mandate and include, in addition to ACE:
Association of American Universities (AAU; representing research universities)
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
(APLU; representing public institutions, including public research universities. Formerly National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges [NASULGC])
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU; representing private institutions)
American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU; representing public universities)
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC; representing community colleges)
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S POTL I G HT O N STU D E NT H O U S I N G
A significant number of students live on campus for all or part of their studies at many four-year institutions in the US. Many campuses make staying in student dormi-tories (“dorms”) mandatory for the first or second years of the bachelor’s degree, creating strong ties between students and placing the focus of their lives directly on campus. Because many dorms lack kitchen facilities, students are often also required to purchase a “meal plan” that allows them to eat at the cafeterias or sometimes local restaurants. The photo above shows a typical dorm room for undergraduates.
These are almost always shared spaces that may have bunk beds and a desk. During the economic boom of the early 2000s, universities created luxury dormitory ac-commodations for undergraduate and graduate students who were willing to pay more for comforts similar to those available in modern apartment buildings.
Source: Wikimedia
3.5.2 Professional Associations
Many of the professional associations for higher education in the US can be helpful resources for learning about best practices, exchanging infor-mation, and helping recruit students and/or faculty. Important profes-sional associations that German universities should be aware of include American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Offi-cers (AACRAO), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE, which also has regional branches, including CASE Europe), and National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA).
The Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA) is an umbrella organization that includes professional associations repre-senting everything from university auditors to university real estate officials to the people running college stores or recreational sports leagues. Their membership list is a good place to see if a professional association exists in any particular area.
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3.5.3 Disciplinary Associations
Nearly every field from archaeology to zoology has a corresponding pro-fessional association, and these may be helpful beyond their traditional function of helping their members publish new findings. Many major dis-ciplinary associations based in the US (e.g., the American Chemical Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers) are looking at ways to become more engaged with their international counterparts or to help their mem-bers with international goals. At the same time, these organizations are often so large that they, for all intents and purposes, serve as the global representation of a discipline. They often put out non-research related pub-lications targeted at students and/or faculty that can be great places to get the word out about new study abroad or degree programs.
Two disciplinary associations that may be particularly helpful from the man point of view are the American Association of Teachers of Ger-man (AATG) and the GerGer-man Studies Association (GSA).
3.5.4 International Education Organizations
US-based organizations that work specifically in the field of international education include:
Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange (The Alliance; the lobbying arm of the international education community)
Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA; representing senior international officers)
The Forum on Education Abroad
(The Forum; working primarily on quality assurance issues and en-couraging research in international education)
Institute of International Education
(IIE; while they are headquartered in New York City and administer some of the largest US government programs for international ex-change including the Fulbright program, IIE works globally and repre-sents no single national interest)
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
(an international organization with a large US membership that rep-resents all functions in international education, from study abroad advisor to senior international officer)
The International Engineering Colloquium is not an organization per se, but an annual meeting of people working in international education in engineering departments and schools. The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is a nonprofit program provider that also 40
produces research on international education, hosts an annual meeting, and was one of the founders of the Association for Studies in International Education.
3.5.5 German Higher Education Organizations in the US New York City is a hub of activity for German higher education and re-search, with many key organizations located in the “German House” at 871 United Nations Plaza, the home of the German Mission to the United Nations and the German Consulate.
Organizations in the German House include:
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has its North American headquarters at the German House and a branch office in San Francisco (as well as one in Toronto). In addition to administer-ing scholarship and grant programs for all academic levels, DAAD is responsible for marketing German higher education in the US. The New York office produces two weekly electronic newsletters: News From DAAD New York (which goes out to a large mailing list of in-dividuals at US universities and DAAD alumni—and includes low-cost advertising opportunities) and DAAD Nordamerika Nachrichten (which covers major news and trends in US higher education).
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has offices in the Ger-man House and in Washington, DC. Its mission in the US focuses on outreach and networking with potential and current DFG grant-ees, partner organizations and universities in the US, as well as DFG alumni.
The German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI; Deutsch-es Wissenschafts- und Innovationshaus) was launched in 2010 to take advantage of this natural hub of activity. GCRI showcases Ger-man higher education and research through public and private events and encourages dialogue and collaboration between Ger-man and US partners. The organization cofinances a wide variety of events that serve its mission, including lectures, symposia, and discussions.
University Liaison Offices representing 27 German universities in individual or consortial offices in 2010 included:
Consortium of the Ruhr Universities (ConRuhr)
German University Alliance (Freie Universität Berlin and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
RWTH Aachen University
UAS7 (seven universities of applied sciences)
University of Cologne
CDS International, in New York City, administers many fellowship and trainee programs to Germany including the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals and the Robert Bosch Founda-tion Fellowship Program. They also serve as the J-1 visa sponsor for many German students who come to the US for internships.
American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, headquartered in Washington, DC, promotes academic cooperation be-tween German and American scientists and serves as the alumni organiza-tion for Humboldtians in the US.
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Having a basic understanding of US higher education administration is important for any existing or potential collaborations. A specific initiative may begin with a relationship between faculty members at a German and US institution, but may eventually require “buy-in” from different parts of the university administration. This process can vary greatly depending on the activity proposed, but also between institutions and even individual departments. Also, the terminology of various positions and governing bodies can vary, leading to additional potential confusion.