Cedar Rapids Gazette: Sixty-four years after joining the prestigious Association of American Universities — an invitation-only member group of North America’s most elite comprehensive research universities — Iowa State University today announced it’s leaving the group. “The decision to end AAU membership is driven by Iowa State’s commitment to its mission, strengths and impact,” according to an ISU Provost Office communication. “While the university’s core values have not changed since joining the association in 1958, the indicators used by AAU to rank its members have begun to favor institutions with medical schools and associated medical research funding.”