:''This article is for the student's union of the University of Coimbra; for its autonomous professional football organization see Associação Académica de Coimbra - O.A.F..
300 px|thumb|AAC's Symbol|| 

The '''Coimbra Academic Association''' (Portuguese: '''Associação Académica de Coimbra (AAC)''') is the students' union of the University of Coimbra (UC). Founded in Coimbra on November 3, 1887, it is the oldest students' union in Portugal. It is also the biggest Portuguese students' union belonging to an independent institution, since it represents all the students of its university, who gain automatic membership into the AAC as students of the University of Coimbra.

In addition to several departments dedicated to culture and student life, AAC has several sports' departments based in Coimbra. All teams and athletes of the AAC's sports departments bear the same name and logo with black uniforms. This is one of the largest football club) is one of its better known sports clubs across Portugal due to a regular presence on the olympic disciplines.

==Organization==
right|300px|thumb|AAC's main building.
The AAC is governed by a "D.G. - Direcção Geral" (Directorate-General, the main board) made up entirely of students of the University of Coimbra; yearly elections take place to name the members of this board, any student can sign up to be a canditate. All the students of UC are entitled to vote for the AAC's board.

Since the late nineties inside the AAC structure have been created several local student unions, representing courses, departments or sometimes faculties. Knowed   as “Núcleos” (Portuguese for nucleus) these semi-independent unions have their own elected internal organs. All of them represent a major role in the AAC political, cultural, sportive and social life. In 2008  the AAC comprehended 25 of such unions, of which NEFLUC (Students union of the Faculty of Arts) is the biggest, representing nearly 3000 students.     

The main building of the Coimbra's Academic Association was inaugurated in sports clubs ''(secções desportivas)'' and arts sections ''(secções culturais)''. There are also rehearsal halls, a medical centre, academic services, extensive indoor gardens, a theatre-cinema with approximately 1,000 seats (''Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente''), and a cafe/restaurant where many students meet up and enjoy a wide selection of foods. AAC is the autonomous entities, the ''organismos autónomos''.

Some of its better known former members include Salgado Zenha, Manuel Alegre, António de Almeida Santos, Miguel Torga, António Nobre, Vergílio Ferreira, Zeca Afonso, and Adriano Correia de Oliveira.

===Sports Sections===
thumb|250px|A view of the southern top of the ''[[University Stadium and Sports Complex of the University of Coimbra'' near the Mondego river.]]
Many sports teams and athletes of the AAC sports clubs have been regularly involved with major national and international sports clubs and competitions. The AAC sports clubs hold many of their training sessions and games in the University Stadium and Sports Complex of the University of Coimbra located in the Santa Clara area of the city, in the southern bank of the Mondego river.

The AAC's sports clubs include:
[http://dg.aac.uc.pt/?section=submodule&sub=display&submodule_id=156]

*Archery
*Athletics
*Badminton
*Baseball
*Basketball: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Basquetebol'' (Académica de Coimbra/Dolcevita)
*Body building
*Boxing
*Canoeing
*Chess
*Competitive swimming
*Fencing
*Football: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Futebol''
*Gymnastics
*Handball: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Andebol''
*Judo
*Karate
*Motorized sports
*Nautical sports
*Radio-controlled car
*Rink hockey: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Hóquei''
*Rugby: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Rugby''
*Skating
*Sport fishing
*Taekwondo
*Tennis
*Volleyball: ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Secção de Voleibol''
*Weightlifting
*Wrestling

===Arts Sections===
Among the Arts sections of the AAC, the Coimbra's University radio station is best known for its unique profile, younthful and refreshing attitude and avant-garde style. All the cultural sections of AAC are open to the entire society, promoting respected events, workshops and courses, both for students and the city community.

AAC's cultural sections include:

*Astronomy
*Cinematography: [http://aac.uc.pt/cultura/cec.php ''Centro de Estudos Cinematográficos'']
*Ecology
*''Fado de Coimbra'' music
*Gastronomy
*Human rights
*Informatics
*Journalism: A Cabra (university newspaper)
*Philately
*Portuguese language and culture divulgation
*Radio: ''Rádio Universidade de Coimbra''
*Student SOS - Phone line to support and help students with any kind of personal problems
*Television: [http://www.tv.aac.uc.pt/ ''TV-AAC'']
*Reading
*Yoga

===Autonomous Organisations===
thumb|right|The [[Associação Académica de Coimbra - O.A.F. is a professional football team|]]
Besides the sports clubs and the arts sections of the Associação Académica de Coimbra, there are also independent organisations within the AAC, the ''Organismos Autónomos''.

Back in 1880, seven years before the Associação Académica de Coimbra has been founded, one of these organisations was already established - the Orfeon Académico de Coimbra, a student's choir which represents the city of Coimbra and the university during its world tours. 

The same applies to the main football team of the AAC, the Portuguese Football Cup, in 1939. 

thumb|Associação Académica de Coimbra.
A '''Associação Académica de Coimbra''' (AAC), fundada a 3 de Novembro de 1887, é a mais antiga associação de estudantes de Portugal. Representa os cerca de 20 000 estudantes da Universidade de Coimbra, que são automaticamente considerados seus sócios quando se encontrem inscritos nesta universidade.

A AAC alberga uma série de secções culturais e desportivas. Entre as secções culturais pontificam, o Centro de Estudos Cinematográficos (CEC) que realiza anualmente o Festival "Caminhos do Cinema Português", a Rádio Universidade de Coimbra (RUC), a Secção de Jornalismo (que edita o jornal universitário "A Cabra"), a secção de fado, o Grupo de folclore e etnografia (GEFAC) e os grupos de teatro (TEUC e CITAC). As secções desportivas abrangem um vasto leque de desportos, tais como o futebol, andebol, basquetebol, rugby, canoagem, natação, voleibol, ténis, artes marciais e xadrez, entre outros. A "Académica" é assim o "clube" mais eclético do pais, uma vez que "pratica" o maior número de modalidades.

Também referido como "Académica", o clube de futebol profissional mais conhecido de Coimbra, de seu verdadeiro nome ''Associação Académica de Coimbra - Organismo Autónomo de Futebol'' (AAC-OAF), é considerado o herdeiro da secção de futebol da AAC (que se mantém na pratica amadora), mas é hoje um clube independente, cuja ligação com a AAC é cada vez mais ténue.

A AAC é dirigida pela ''Direcção Geral'' (DG), composta por estudantes, e eleita anualmente entre Novembro e Dezembro em eleições abertas a todos os sócios, tanto estudantes como os sócios seccionistas.
À DG compete a administração da AAC bem como a representação política dos estudantes. Em termos políticos, é ainda de referir a importância das ''Assembleias Magnas'', assembleias sobretudo de discussão da política da Academia, abertas a todos os sócios, cujas decisões têm de ser obrigatoriamente cumpridas, independentemente da opinião da DG. Este poder decisório da Assembleia Magna torna-a no palco de discussões acesas, sobretudo entre os estudantes politizados. No passado recente, tem havido no mínimo 5-6 Assembleias Magnas por ano, com participação oscilante, mas um mínimo de cerca de 200 sócios. Infelizmente, a falta de interesse generalizado por estas questões na nossa sociedade, particularmente nas faixas etárias mais jovens, faz-se reflectir na fraca participação das Assembleias Magnas. No entanto, a AAC continua a lutar para pautar a política educativa do Ensino Superior em Portugal.
O actual edifício da AAC foi inaugurado em 1961 e alberga praticamente todas as secções da AAC, estando integrado num quarteirão que inclui ainda uma sala de espectáculos (Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente) e um complexo de cantinas.

Actualmente, o Presidente da DG/AAC é André Oliveira.