Mission and History
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities. Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives a philosophically rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
ACTA’s national network includes alumni and trustees from more than 700 colleges and universities, including 9,000 current board members. Our quarterly newsletter, Inside Academe, reaches over 12,000 readers. With our assistance, trustees at the State University of New York, George Mason University, City University of New York, University System of Georgia, University of Missouri System, and others have taken concrete actions to strengthen general education and to safeguard the free exchange of ideas. ACTA has also worked with alumni to direct more than $50 million to exemplary programs at institutions such as Hamilton College, Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Duke University, Dartmouth College, Colgate University, and the College of William and Mary.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin, former chairman of the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder and head of the Colorado conference of the American Association of University Professors, was ACTA’s founding president, serving until 2003. He then served as chairman of the Board of Directors until his retirement in 2009.