Clemson president to be installed as chair of national university association
October 28, 2014
CLEMSON, SC — Clemson University President James P. Clements will be formally introduced as chairman of the board of directors for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities during the organization’s annual meeting next week.
He will remain chair of the organization’s board until the 2015 annual meeting.Clements will succeed W. Randolph Woodson, chancellor of North Carolina State University, in the “passing of the gavel” ceremony at noon Monday during the event’s Council of Presidents Luncheon, held this year at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida.
“It is an honor to be chosen to serve APLU — and all its member institutions — as its chairman,” said Clements. “APLU’s mission is to support the world’s best public higher education system so that all universities nationwide can fulfill our missions of teaching, research and service. I look forward to serving with so many leaders in academia so that we can continue to make a positive difference.”
Clements became Clemson University’s 15th president Dec. 31, 2013, after serving nearly five years as president of West Virginia University. He also is a professor in Clemson’s School of Computing in the College of Engineering and Science.
Clements is a nationally recognized leader in higher education. Besides his role with the APLU, Clements co-chairs the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE); is a member of the Business Higher Education Forum; serves as academic co-chair of the Automotive Sector of the Council on Competitiveness-Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Partnership (EMCP); and is national co-chair of APLU’s Energy Forum. He previously served on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Innovation Advisory Board, where he was the only university president in the country to do so.
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is a research, policy and advocacy organization representing 237 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organizations. Founded in 1887, APLU is North America’s oldest higher education association with member institutions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Canada and Mexico. Annually, APLU member campuses enroll 4.7 million undergraduates and 1.3 million graduate students, award 1.1 million degrees, employ 1.3 million faculty and staff and conduct $41 billion in university-based research.
APLU’s membership includes 206 campuses and 25 university systems, including 75 U.S. land-grant institutions. The association’s membership includes 23 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), of which 21 are land-grant institutions. In addition, APLU represents six related higher education organizations, including the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which serves the interests of the nation’s 33 American Indian land-grant colleges.
APLU is dedicated to advancing learning, discovery and engagement. The association provides a forum for the discussion and development of policies and programs affecting higher education and the public interest.
