The AUA is the Association of University Administrators. It exists to advance and promote the professional recognition and development of all who work in professional services roles in higher education, and to be an authoritative advocate and champion for the sector. AUA members are individually and collectively committed to:

• the advancement of higher education through the robust application of professional knowledge, skills and practices;
• actively championing equality of educational and professional opportunity;
• the highest standards of fair, ethical, legal and transparent professional behaviour; and
• the continuous development of their own and others' professional knowledge, skills and practices

Joining AUA will help your career in higher education by keeping you informed of current issues and providing opportunities for your professional development and the sharing of best practice. Networking opportunities through conference, regional activities and electronic means will ensure that you are never isolated from your colleagues and can share information and expertise. Membership offers the opportunity to look beyond your own institution and gain understanding of the key issues and new ideas in HE management, nationally and internationally.

Simply click on the AUA Membership Application form and this will take you through to the form. The form will ask you how you prefer to pay: Monthly Direct Debit, Cheque, Credit / Debit Card or Invoice. Monthly Direct Debit is our prefered method of payment, and there is currently a discount for this payment type (see Fees section).

Members benefit from:

• the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice
• the chance to network with over 4,000 higher education professionals
• attendance at the Annual Lecture, a high profile guest lecture, available only to AUA members
• discounts on professional development programme of seminars, courses and workshops, including the highlight of the AUA calendar, the Annual Conference and Exhibition
• discounts on AUA publications
• access to international links, stduy tours and travel awards
• reduced subscription fee to the Times Higher Education supplement

And you will also receive:

• perspectives, the quarterly international journal
• newslink, the quarterly newsletter
• aua-news, regular electronic bulletins
• aua-forum, access to email list for sharing information and best practice
• access to new good practice guides
• invitation to attend the annual lecture presented by high profile speakers
• mentor training (for mentors supporting AUA's Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice)
• access to specifically arranged members discounts at HMCA, Endsleigh Insurance and Marriott Hotels 

You can pay by monthly direct debit, cheque, credit / debit card, or bank transfer. Payment by monthly direct debit carries a discounted fee, reflecting the lower administrative costs and helping you to budget by spreading the payment into easily affordable amounts.  

Those applying from EIRE may pay in Euros by cheque or bank transfer. If your completed mandate is received by the 16th of the month, payment will be taken on the first Monday of the following month. For those applying from outside the UK and EIRE, we can make special arrangements to accept payment in Euros or other currencies - please telephone 0161 275 2063 for details.

Please see fees section

The Annual Conference and Exhibition is the highlight of the AUA calendar and acts as an impressive showcase of the work professional support staff contribute to UK HE.

The Annual Conference provides unrivalled opportunities for networking, as well as celebrating and sharing our experiences of supporting higher education. There are over 100 working sessions representing the full gamut of university management and administration interests, and keynote addresses from some of the sector's most prominent contributors and commentators.

AUA run a number of geographically based One Day Conferences throughout the year. These events are advertised in Newslink and on the events page. Your institution's Branch Coordinator will also keep you up-to-date of all local and regional events. Find out who your Branch Coordinator is.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice is a highly flexible programme that will appeal to professional managers and administrators from right across the spectrum of UK higher education, who wish to extend their understanding of the sector and develop their professional competencies. Centred on personal development planning and reflective practice, the programme will allow you to balance the flexibility of professional development with the rigour of academic inquiry. Through structured reflection, you will determine you own pathway through the programme, leading ultimately to a level 7 award.

Visit our PG Cert pages for more informatin.