Joining the ACU

Welcome to the Association of Commonwealth Universities. We are delighted that you are interested in joining us.

As the oldest inter-university network in the world, the ACU has been serving its members for nearly 100 years. With over 500 members we are rapidly expanding to be fully representative of the range of public and private universities throughout the Commonwealth, and are proud to be able to draw on our own and our members' experience and expertise in the planning and introduction of such new and innovative programmes as continue to meet the needs of higher education in the 21st century.

Our member universities share Commonwealth values, notably a commitment to equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender, race, colour, creed or political belief; freedom of expression; democracy, good governance and individual liberty. Moreover, thanks to a common language and many similarities in organisation and management, Commonwealth universities are able through the ACU to network easily, extensively and fruitfully, sharing problems, solutions and good practice across a variety of higher education environments. And, as higher education becomes ever more international, the benefits of membership of the ACU are now greater than at any time in its hundred year history.

To become a member and reap the benefits please, in the first instance, refer to our criteria for membership to see if your institution is eligible. If you are confident that your institution fulfils the criteria, please submit your completed application form, along with the following supporting documentation:

• the constitution of your institution

• the instrument incorporating it under the law of that part of the Commonwealth in which it is situated. This should normally comprise either a Government decree (charter act of parliament or equivalent) or an attestation from a regulatory body itself established in law for the purposes of overseeing the development of higher education in a particular part of the Commonwealth. It should be clear from the aforesaid documents that the applicant institution is empowered to award its own degrees

• the most recent audited income and expenditure/profit and loss account, and balance sheet.

We hope we may look forward to welcoming you into membership.