EASI (Organization)

American private nonprofit organization for promotion of higher education.

Historical Note

The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) originated as the department of higher education of the National Education Association (NEA) in 1870. After almost a century of working under NEA leadership (with a hiatus from 1924 to 1942 when the AAHE briefly disbanded), the association became an independent, non-profit agency in 1969. Members of the AAHE included faculty members, administrators, graduate students, and trustees regardless of their affiliation or discipline. According to its own publication, the association was "dedicated to the professional development of college and university educators, to the achievement of their education objectives, and to the improvement of conditions of service" (Smith, 1970). The association ended in 2005 following a vote by the Board of Directors.

Sources:

Miller, Margaret A. (September/October 2005). "AAHE's Legacy." Change, 37(5), pp. 8-20. Retrieved August 26, 2011 from WilsonWeb Education Full Text database.

Smith, G. K., & American Association for Higher Education. (1970). Twenty-five years, 1945-1970 . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.