AIRR-NA is a peer-based organization supporting representatives based in North America who work for international universities. We organize opportunities for professional development, recruitment, and counselor outreach for our members, and we welcome new members. Our criteria for and benefits of membership can be found below.
Criteria for Membership
Full Membership
- Job Focus: Your main role must involve student admissions or recruitment.
- Recruiting Region: You must recruit students from North America—Canada, the U.S., or Mexico.
- Institution Location & Type: You must represent one non-profit university or college outside of North America. That institution must not share accreditation with any North American institution.
- School Accreditation: The institution you represent must be officially recognized or hold degree-awarding powers from its country’s Ministry of Education.
- NACAC or ACAC Membership: You or your school must be a member of NACAC or a regional affiliate (such as WACAC or NEACAC).
- North America Residency & Verification: You must live in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico and be able to prove your role if asked (e.g., with a business card, website link, or a supervisor’s letter).
- Minimum Work Hours: You must work at least 20 hours per week for the school you represent.
Associate Membership
- Job Focus: Your main duties must involve non-academic university services, such as fundraising or advancement, career services, business development or partnerships, global engagement or alumni relations. If your role doesn’t clearly fall into one of these areas, the Executive Board will take a closer look to see if it qualifies.
- Admissions Not Allowed: You cannot have admissions or student recruitment as your primary responsibility.
- Other Requirements: You must also meet the same criteria as a Full Member listed in points 2–7 above.
The AIRR-NA fiscal year is July 1 – June 30. If you are joining AIRR-NA in the middle of a cycle, full dues are to be paid within 45 days of being granted membership. Membership dues are non-refundable.
If you believe you qualify for Full or Associate membership, or if you have any questions about your qualifications or our fee structure, please send a message to the AIRR-NA Executive Board and we would be happy to chat about joining AIRR-NA.
If you’re a counselor, you can sign up for our counselor mailing list or submit a request to collaborate on an event with AIRR-NA!
Benefits of Membership
Professional Development
Our members bring a wealth of expertise across professional and personal development. Every summer, we engage current members, AIRR-NA alumni, and colleagues from across the higher education spectrum to share their expertise in through AIRR-NA Summer Knowledge Sharing (ASKS). Some topics from summer 2025 included:
- Making Data Pretty: Turning Numbers into Narratives
- Fall Travel Planning & Preventing Burnout
- AI & Admissions: Leveraging Digital Technologies for Recruitment & Student Wellbeing
- FAFSA Abroad: Where Do I Start?
- Unlocking Postgraduate Recruitment
- Strategies & Collaboration for Effective Proposals and Presentations
- One (Wo)Man Band: Staying Sane as a One-Person Office
Mentorship
Our Peer Connect Scheme facilitates relationship-building and knowledge-sharing among colleagues. New members can opt to be paired with an AIRR-NA veteran, and our long-time members gain the opportunity to connect with new faces in the industry.
Events
AIRR-NA hosts events throughout the year, across the U.S. and Canada. These include our coastal and regional tours of counselor luncheons and student fairs, conference receptions and booths, international university fairs, and more. View upcoming events here.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Members can join our various SIGs, or start their own, to gain insights on particular areas of recruitment, engage with other members who participate in similar events and opportunities, or foster community and common knowledge sharing. Current SIGs include:
- Canada
- LatAm & Caribbean
- Postgraduate Recruitment
- Study Abroad
- Parents and Caregivers
Visibility
All members and their institutions are showcased in our Member Directory.