UNO Newest Addition to International Coalition of Universities

Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, has announced that the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been invited to be the newest member of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), signifying UNO’s place as a leader in higher education.

As of May 1, 2022, UNO is just the second university in the state and one of just a dozen in the region to join the prestigious association that brings together higher education institutions from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

“If you look at the universities who make up the APLU, you will see thought leaders, innovators, and change makers,” UNO Chancellor Li said of the announcement. “All of these descriptors scream ‘UNO’.”

According to the APLU website, the organization works with members to expand access and improve student success to deliver the innovative workforce of tomorrow; advance and promote research and discovery to improve society, foster economic growth, and address global challenges; and build healthy, prosperous, equitable, and vibrant communities locally and globally.

Through APLU, higher education institutions support each other to meet the challenges and opportunities facing public universities. In joining APLU, UNO administration and faculty will have a new venue to add to the national dialogue on the future of higher education through networking events, leadership development, and funded research grants.

APLU’s membership totals 245 members, including 216 universities, 26 university systems, and three affiliates. Among the members are 23 HBCUs, 35 Hispanic-serving institutions, and 56 land grand universities.

To become a member of APLU, an institution must be an accredited public institution that is classified in one of the two Carnegie research classifications for doctoral universities. UNO earned designation as a Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution in 2011 and also holds the distinction of being one of the first universities recognized through Carnegie’s Community Engaged University designation.

In addition to being a member of APLU, UNO also holds memberships with the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU); American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU), American Council on Education (ACE); and American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U).