The American Academy of Audiology is the world's largest professional organization of, by, and for audiologists. The active membership of more than 12,000 is dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research, and increased public awareness of hearing and balance disorders. Review the Academy’s accomplishments and ongoing innovations.

Mission Statement

The American Academy of Audiology promotes quality hearing and balance care by advancing the profession of audiology through leadership, advocacy, education, public awareness, and support of research.

Preferred Futures (formerly known as the Strategic Plan)

The Academy’s strategic plan sets the course to shape the future of the audiology profession. The Academy’s plan is a roadmap designed to take the profession to where it should go, a set of Preferred Futures (PFs).

PFs are goals that we wish to accomplish at a future point in time. Each of our four PFs is achieved with a set of objectives that help to advance the profession through that PF. The planning horizon is approximately three years with annual updates. The Academy’s priorities flow from these PFs, enabling the Academy to address specific needs and issues facing the profession. The Academy Board of Directors also uses PFs to develop meeting agendas, creating an ongoing review, which allows the Academy to use time and resources wisely. Review the 2012-2017 Preferred Future Chart.

Core Values

The American Academy of Audiology supports the following core values, which are aligned with the Academy’s pillars of advocacy, education, leadership, public awareness, and research. These core values are both for the Academy as an organization and for the individual members and represent the tenets that govern our professional behavior. Click here to read the core values statements. (PDF)

Academy partners... Advancing the Profession of Audiology

The Academy Board of Directors has identified four entities with missions critical to achieving autonomy, and the Academy has entered into written agreements (memoranda of understanding) with each: the American Academy of Audiology Foundation (AAAF) (philanthropy), the Student Academy of Audiology (direct connection between students and their future professional home and discipline), the American Board of Audiology (ABA) (voluntary certification for individuals), and Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) (accreditation for AuD programs). The partnership represented by these four nimble organizations has been dubbed the Academy partners. View a visual representation of how the Academy's Mission statement as well as the Academy partners are advancing the profession of audiology through leadership, advocacy, education, public awareness, and support research.

History

The American Academy of Audiology was founded in January of 1988 when a group of audiology leaders met at the invitation of Dr. James Jerger at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the study group was to establish an independent, freestanding national organization run by and for audiologists. The new organization would be uniquely sensitive to the professional issues and the professional concerns affecting all audiologists. A Charter Advisory Committee was formed to elect officers, adopt bylaws, establish membership requirements and set up a national office. Jerger was elected the first President. The Charter of Incorporation for the Academy was filed in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 1988. The first national convention of the Academy was held in Kiawah Island, South Carolina in April 1989 with some 600 attendees. As an indication of the phenomenal growth of the Academy, the 13th Annual Convention was held in San Diego during April 2001 with more than 7,300 attendees.

More Information

For more information about audiologists, our profession and our national Academy, please feel free to browse through the many informative pages of our Web site. Additional information may be obtained by contacting our national office by telephone at 800-222-2336, by fax at 703-790-8631, (or by e-mail to our Communications Department.)