The American Association of Colleges and Universities named American University President Jonathan Alger as chair of the association’s board of directors for 2025.
Alger was elected to chair at the organization’s annual meeting in D.C., AAC&U announced Wednesday, the meeting’s first day. All member institutions are given one vote in the election, according to Kathryn Enke, AAC&U’s senior advisor for leadership, strategy and governance. Alger also spoke at a panel titled “Leadership Strategies in a Polarized Era: Civil Discourse and an Inclusive Free Expression Culture” at the conference.
“We are pleased to announce that our 16th president, Jonathan Alger, will serve as the chair of the board of the American Association of Colleges and Universities,” the University said in a statement posted on X.
Founded in 1915, AAC&U offers member institutions access to data, research, professional development conferences, networking and partnerships for campus projects. AU joined the organization on Jan. 1 1928, said Lee Peters, AAC&U’s senior director of membership.
Alger has served as a member of AAC&U’s board of directors since 2020, according to tax filings from the organization, when he was still president at James Madison University. He served as vice chair in 2024.
After the conference, Alger wrote on LinkedIn that he was honored to be chosen for the position and that he “[looks] forward to our work together to promote equity, innovation, and excellence in liberal education.”
According to the association’s tax filings, the board has the “full power and authority to manage the affairs, funds, and property of the association.” Eleven of the board’s 25 members are also presidents at colleges or universities.
As chair, Alger is a member of the board’s executive committee. He will join the board for its three yearly meetings in the fall, winter and spring and the executive committee’s additional meeting in the summer, Enke said.
Only the AAC&U president is financially compensated for her role. Board members, including Alger, don’t receive financial compensation for their roles.
As part of its advocacy function, the association occasionally advocates for free expression and academic freedom in higher education.
Last May, it published a statement about freedom of speech on college campuses, an issue the AU community had wrestled with since the January 2024 ban on indoor protesting. AAC&U called on institutions to treat academic freedom and freedom of expression as their “highest priority.”
“In the current context, shaped by the spread of campus protests in response to the Israel-Hamas war, this means responding to the discomfort and disruption of student activism in ways appropriate to institutions whose purpose is to educate and engage, not to discipline or silence,” the association wrote.
AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella also endorsed Alger when he was named AU’s 16th president, saying, “He leads with compassion, transparency, integrity, authenticity, moral courage, and humor. I can think of no better exemplar when it comes to American University’s mission of empowering lives of purpose, service, and leadership.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Owen Auston-Babcock contributed reporting to this article.
This article was edited by Owen Auston-Babcock, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Olivia Citarella.
