The University of Arizona (also referred to as U of A, UA, or Arizona) is a public research university located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885, UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. The university includes the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, which operates a separate 4-year M.D. college in downtown Phoenix. As of Fall 2015, total enrollment was more than 42,100 students, with the largest freshmen class ever at 8,100 students. The University of Arizona is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. The mission of the University of Arizona is, "To improve the prospects and enrich the lives of the people of Arizona and the world through education, research, creative expression, and community and business partnerships." Arizona is one of the elected members of the Association of American Universities (an organization of North America's premier research institutions) and is the only representative from the state of Arizona to this group.