AAU
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Association of American Universities |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Sports |
AAU has two meanings. It stands for Association of American Universities (academic) or Amateur Athletic Union (sports governing body).
Meanings of AAU at a glance
| # | AAU stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Association of American Universities | Education & Academia › Academic |
| 2 | Amateur Athletic Union | Sports › Sports Governing Body |
1. Association of American Universities
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Invitation-only association of leading research universities in the US and Canada, founded in 1900, that lobbies on research funding and higher education policy. Its roughly 70 members include Harvard, MIT, Stanford, the University of Michigan and the University of Toronto.
Example: Joining the AAU was the president's top strategic goal for the university.
Membership is based on research funding, faculty awards and graduate education indicators, and members can be removed. AAU status is considered a marker of research prestige, especially among public universities. In sports, AAU usually means the Amateur Athletic Union.
2. Amateur Athletic Union
Sports · Sports Governing Body Abbreviations
US multi-sport organization for amateur and youth athletics, best known today for its summer travel basketball circuit, where college coaches scout high school players. It also runs the AAU Junior Olympic Games and presents the James E. Sullivan Award.
Example: Most of his scholarship offers came after a strong summer on the AAU circuit.
Founded in 1888, it once controlled US Olympic sports and chose Olympic teams, until the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 handed that role to separate national governing bodies. The Sullivan Award, given since 1930, honors the top US amateur athlete. "AAU ball" refers to club basketball played outside high school teams.
Related abbreviations
More academic abbreviations
- AACSB – Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- ABD – All but dissertation
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- ADT – Associate Degree for Transfer
- AO – Admissions officer
- AP – Associate professor
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- APC – Article processing charge
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More sports governing body abbreviations
- AELTC – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
- AFC – Asian Football Confederation
- BCCI – Board of Control for Cricket in India
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- CAS – Court of Arbitration for Sport
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- FA – The Football Association