Membership Criteria

The following criteria will be considered in determining membership in the Washington Higher Education Secretariat:

  1. The organization serves, through membership, postsecondary institutions and/or organizations of postsecondary institutions, and/or of professionals associated with postsecondary institutions.
  2. The mission of the organization must demonstrate how it would contribute to and actively engage in the work of the Secretariat.
  3. The organization must normally have a minimum of 50 member institutions and/or 5,000 individual members and have a paid chief executive officer who can represent the association and its members.
  4. The organization influences national and/or international policy issues for its members.
  5. The organization holds federal tax-exempt status and does not engage in activities that could adversely impact the reputation and work of the Secretariat or other Secretariat member organizations.
  6. The organization is a member of ACE (any category).
  7. The organization has a significant presence or engagement with policy makers in the Washington, DC area.
  8. The organization’s CEO commits to actively participate and engage in the work of the Secretariat including regular attendance at in-person and virtual meetings and, as applicable to the mission of the organization, joint advocacy efforts.
  9. As part of the application process, the prospective member must provide letters of nomination from five Secretariat CEOs referencing how the organization would contribute to work of the Secretariat.
  10. Members must pay annual dues which cover speaker travel, monthly meetings and the annual retreat, compensation survey and expenses.