Washington — The American Association of University Professors, which held its annual meeting here this weekend, and the Canadian Association of University Teachers are laying plans to examine issues of faculty governance created by the explosion of overseas partnerships and institutions started by colleges and universities in both countries.

Jonathan Knight, director of the AAUP’s department of academic freedom, tenure and governance, said that it was important to delve into the consequences of projects such as New York University’s plans to create a liberal-arts campus in Abu Dhabi both for faculty members and for the overall quality of the institutions. The association plans to form a subcommittee to write a report and a statement on the phenomenon.

“We aren’t just looking at hiring and faculty reappointment,” said Mr. Knight, “but the standards for curriculum.” Projects such as NYU’s proposed expansion to Abu Dhabi, he observed, raise the question of whether policies protecting hiring and curriculum will also be replicated: “What kinds of standards are you going to use if it’s an NYU there? Are they the same standards?”

The leader of the Canadian faculty association shares those concerns, and has drafted a preliminary statement on such standards for his organization. “When a university is thinking about going offshore, we want to be in on the ground floor to ensure the same principles and protections apply there as at home,” said James L. Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers.

“It’s necessary to protect the integrity of academic institutions, wherever they are,” Mr. Turk said, “and we expect a Canadian institution to ensure the same policies, procedures, and standards are in place.” —Karen Birchard and Richard Byrne