Texas A&M selected for membership in Association of American Universities

COLLEGE STATION, May 7 - Texas A&M University has been selected for membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU), the prestigious 101-year-old organization that restricts its ranks to the nation's premier public and private institutions of higher learning, University President Ray M. Bowen announced today (Monday, May 7).

Prior to its 2001 meeting, AAU had extended membership to only 61 universities during its first century. University of Texas at Austin and Rice University are the only other AAU members in Texas.

Texas A&M and the State University of New York at Stony Brook are the first new members since 1996, AAU said in its Monday announcement.

Bowen said the invitation to join AAU is a "great honor" for the university and its people and has been a long-standing institutional goal. "Moreover, this honor adds value to the degrees of all graduates, past and future," he added.

He extended special thanks to Rice University President Malcolm Gillis and UT-Austin President Larry Faulkner for their strong support of Texas A&M in its quest to gain AAU membership.

Dr. Gillis issued the following statement regarding Texas A&M selection: "The AAU admits only the leading research universities on the continent. Prospective members must meet rigorous criteria on research quality, scope and quantity, and undergo thorough examination by the existing members. It is a great step forward for the State of Texas to have a third university join Rice and UT-Austin in this important and distinguished organization. Rice University is most pleased to join with UT-Austin in welcoming Texas A&M to this influential body."

Dr. Faulkner also issued a congratulatory statement, noting: "This is a very fine recognition of the work of Texas A&M's faculty and administrative leadership, and, on behalf of colleagues at UT-Austin, I extend warmest congratulations."

AAU President Nils Hasselmo said invitations were extended to Texas A&M and the State University of New York at Stony Brook as a result of a lengthy review of the breadth and depth of their research and academic programs. "Both these universities are outstanding institutions that are making major contributions in research and in educating the next generation of scientists, scholars, and teachers," he said. "And both are well-positioned to continue strengthening their standing in the years ahead."

Bowen said AAU membership represents a major milestone and comes at a "particularly gratifying time" as the university prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary this fall and continues to implement key provisions of its long-range program, "Vision 2020." This program is designed to help propel the university into the ranks of the consensus top 10 public universities by the year 2020.

Texas A&M already ranks among the leaders in such areas as research and enrollment of National Merit Scholars, and many of its faculty members are preeminent in their fields nationally and internationally. It is the nation's fifth largest university, with a fall enrollment of 44,026.

Bowen issued the following formal statement today following notification that Texas A&M had been granted AAU membership:

"The AAU has bestowed a great honor upon Texas A&M University and its people. This honor is a tribute to generations of faculty who have worked to make our university great. Their efforts, which are manifest in their scholarly contributions and the contributions of our graduates, have now received the recognition of the best public and private universities in America. This is also a tribute to the people of Texas for their long-term support of the goals of Texas A&M University. It is a personal honor to be the president when this honor is bestowed. If any president of Texas A&M University played a role in the decision, I know full well that Earl Rudder, Jack Williams, Jarvis Miller, Frank Vandiver and Bill Mobley deserve the greater recognition.

"For many years, Texas A&M University has been blessed with strong academic leadership from its department heads, deans and its provosts. Their contributions to the university are reflected in the decision to admit Texas A&M University into the AAU.

"I also wish to thank our regents for their support of our academic goals. They know the importance for Texas A&M University to provide its students with an outstanding academic experience, an experience that is among the best in the nation.

"It is important on this occasion to thank our colleagues at Rice University and at The University of Texas at Austin. President Malcolm Gillis of Rice and President Larry Faulkner of The University of Texas at Austin have always been strong supporters of AAU membership for our university."

AAU emphasizes the pursuit of excellence in research and undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. It provides its members with information, analysis and policy guidance on federal developments that relate to these concerns. It also provides them with a forum for discussing a broad range of institutional issues and concerns.