ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams has been elected chairman of the Council of Presidents for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
Adams’ appointment was made during NASULGC’s annual meeting in New Orleans, which concluded Tuesday. Prior to his current NASULGC appointment, Adams served as chair of the organization’s Commission on Outreach and Technology Transfer.
“President Adams’ experience will enable him to play a valuable role as chair of NASULGC’s Council of Presidents,” said Peter McGrath, the organization’s president.
Founded in 1887, NASULGC is the nation’s oldest higher education association. A voluntary association of public universities, land-grant institutions and many of the nation’s public university systems, NASULGC campuses are located in all 50 states, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Its members enroll more than 3.2 million students, award approximately a half million degrees annually and have an estimated 20 million alumni.
“This action will help UGA by giving it a seat at the table where major decisions affecting higher education on a national level are made,” said President Adams. “Our country depends heavily on its state land-grant universities, and NASULGC plays a key role in advancing quality and insuring greater access in this important sector of the higher education community. I look forward to working with my fellow presidents on the Council, and I appreciate the confidence they have shown by electing me to this post.”
Adams was named the 21st president of UGA on June 11, 1997. He holds an academic appointment as professor in the area of speech communications. Widely recognized for his expertise in educational administration, educational marketing and government, Adams is a national leader in the advancement of higher education.
Adams has served as chair of the board of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). He also recently served as chair of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the accreditation body for the southeastern region of the United States. He was a member of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, and 2002 marked his fifth consecutive year as chair of the Rhodes Scholarship selection committee for the state of Georgia.
Dedicated to supporting excellence in teaching, research and public service, NASULGC has been in the forefront of educational leadership nationally for over a century. In 1963, the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities merged with the National Association of State Universities to create the association in its present configuration as NASULGC.
The association is governed by a chair and board of directors elected from the member institutions. As of October 2003, the association’s membership stood at 214 institutions. This includes 76 land-grant universities, and 27 public higher education systems. In addition, tribal colleges became land-grant institutions in 1994 and 31 are represented in NASULGC through the membership of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).