NASH and ACUE Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Teaching in Higher Education

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) and the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) today announced a partnership to improve the quality of a college education and increase student success. As the first major nationwide initiative to focus leaders on the core student experience in the classroom, this partnership will strengthen the quality of teaching, enhancing student engagement, learning, and degree completion.

“This strategic partnership between NASH and ACUE underscores our shared belief that great teaching is a powerful catalyst for student success and that system-wide collaboration and support, or systemness, is essential for meaningful change,” said Jessica Todtman, Chief Operating Officer of NASH. “ACUE’s certification programs have been successfully embraced by faculty at NASH members including the University of Texas System, and we look forward to leveraging these proven and adoptable solutions to promote better teaching at scale.”

Participating systems will benefit from a dedicated ACUE team focused on addressing their unique needs and capabilities as a system. By expanding teaching certification for professors across multi-campus systems, more students will experience high-quality instruction, amplifying positive impacts on student success and helping institutions achieve their strategic goals.

“System leaders set the tone, establish priorities, and provide resources needed to meet these goals,” said Jonathan Gyurko, President and Co-Founder of ACUE. “They have an unrivaled ability to create the conditions for both student and faculty success. Our partnership with NASH restores higher education’s focus to where it belongs—to deliver a motivating, relevant, and quality education, what parents and students care about most.”  

Students taught by ACUE-certified instructors consistently achieve better academic outcomes, including higher grades and reduced dropout rates. Participating systems will benefit from an exclusive focus by ACUE on system needs and capabilities. NASH members will also receive exclusive complimentary access to ACUE’s new peer-to-peer community platform, the ACUE Commons. 

“Through our sponsored system-wide training programs and supportive community, our faculty are not only equipped to excel in teaching but also find joy and engagement in their work,” said Shonda Gibson, PhD, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief Transformation Officer at Texas A&M University System, a prior participant of ACUE’s certification programs. “This commitment is evident in the improved student experiences and outcomes, as students consistently notice and appreciate the positive difference in their education. Our faculty have been instrumental in enhancing student engagement, retention, and graduation rates, demonstrating the profound impact of effective teaching on student success.”

This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both organizations as they join forces to enhance student performance and degree completion through certification in effective teaching practices. NASH is committed to leveraging the Power of Systems, and this is one more way to bring proven solutions to scale. To learn more about the partnership, visit https://acue.org/nash/. 

About ACUE

The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is dedicated to ensuring student success through quality instruction. ACUE delivers top-tier courses, pathways, and certifications that are easy to implement and have a substantial impact on student achievement. ACUE-certified instructors are proven to boost student persistence and completion rates, enhance faculty confidence and engagement, and help institutions achieve their strategic goals. Endorsed by the American Council on Education, ACUE’s online, cohort-based courses are the only nationally recognized teaching certifications in higher education. For more information, visit www.acue.org.

About the National Association of Higher Education Systems

Founded in 1979, the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) works to advance the role of multi-campus systems and the concept of systemness to create a more vibrant and sustainable higher education sector. NASH systems are comprised of more than 700 campuses and serve more than 7.5 million students in nearly every state in the United States. To learn more about NASH and its national transformation agenda, the Power of Systems, visit www.nash.edu.