The oldest higher education association in the nation may have a new name and logo, but its mission and work to advance research, learning and engagement remain the same, interim West Virginia University President C. Peter Magrath said Tuesday (March 31).

His comments come one day after the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) officially changed its name to the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, or A�>°P�>°L�>°U.

Magrath, a respected higher education leader, served as president of the association from 1992 through 2005, representing member institutions in Washington, D.C., and in educational settings around the nation and world on issues of national importance to the higher education community.

As the voice of Americas leading public and land-grant universities, Magrath said the organization has for decades been at the forefront of educational leadership, and he expects it to maintain its core values and identity as it continues to lead the way far into the future.

The important thing is what this vibrant association does,he said,and it does a lot for the cause of our great public universities. It will continue to move forward representing our research universities, and I am delighted that the �€~land-grantlabel, which speaks to our signature character and philosophy, remains as part of the new name.

Founded in 1887, the organization currently encompasses 186 public universities, including 74 land-grant colleges and 27 state university systems. The member institutions enroll 3.5 million undergraduate and 1.1 million graduate students, award nearly 1 million degrees annually and employ 645,000 faculty and professional staff. Combined, member institutions conduct nearly $30 billion in annual research.

Member institutions can be found in all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. The land-grant institutions include 18 historically black colleges and universities and the nations 33 tribal colleges, represented by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).

A�>°P�>°L�>°U on the Net: www.aplu.org