Join ACTA's Mailing List
Receive our quarterly newsletter, Inside Academe, as well as our e-mail newsletter, ACTA Update, and invitations to events in your area.
Like us on Facebook
ACTA in the News
-
Richmond Times-Dispatch
January 31, 2012
Study faults costs, courses at the state's colleges
by Karin Kapsidelis
-
Wall Street Journal
January 24, 2012
Penn State Faculty Rejects No-Confidence Vote
by John W. Miller and Kris Maher
-
Washington Examiner
December 6, 2011
Greatest generation's triumphs, trials are lost to young Americans
by Daniel Burnett
-
Wall Street Journal
November 30, 2011
Where Were Penn State's Trustees?
by Anne D. Neal
Events
-
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Trustee Outreach Trustee Outreach
Latest ACTA report outlines challenges among Virginia's colleges and universities
ACTA today released the ninth in its series of state reports—this one on the Commonwealth of Virginia. The report explores key areas of public interest: general education requirements, cost and effectiveness, and governance structures at 39 public and private colleges and universities in Virginia. It finds that in too many places, graduation rates are low, administrative bloat is high and tuition is taking an ever larger percentage of family income. The report warns that certain trends—if ignored—threaten to erode the Commonwealth’s historic prominence in American higher education.
ACTA applauds Brown's decision to restore ROTC, but there's more work to be done
On the heels of ACTA's column in the Providence Journal calling on the Brown Board of Trustees to welcome ROTC back onto campus, the Board announced it would open an office on campus. ACTA recently sent a letter to Chancellor Tisch and other members of the Brown Corporation to laud them for the decision and to urge them to ensure a smooth and speedy implementation. The letter discussed transportation options for students who participate in ROTC programs on other campuses, the need for courses that teach the military history of the United States, and a serious discussion of course credit options for ROTC students. Said Neal in the letter: "The Brown Corporation's recent actions have taken a great step toward ensuring that Brown students are able to pursue a full range of opportunities for service in the future."
Pearl Harbor: Do We Still Remember The Lessons We Learned 70 Years Ago?
The sacrifices of our greatest generation are being lost on our youngest generation, says ACTA press secretary Daniel Burnett in a column that was published in nearly 20 newspapers around the country. College students are graduating without knowing the causes, effects and long-term political ramifications of the events of Dec. 7, 1941. ACTA promotes a strong educational foundation that teaches American history. Today, as you take a moment to reflect on the tragic events of the attack on Pearl Harbor, take just a moment to read Burnett’s column.
What Will They Learn? Rates Over 1,000 Colleges on Core Subjects
The What Will They Learn? study is gaining traction nationwide as students and parents search for a better alternative to other college rating systems that don't answer one crucial question: What Will They Learn? This year's studya survey of more than 1,000 public and private institutions nationwidehas been featured by dozens of news organizations, including the Washington Post. In this video segment, called "Grading America's Colleges," ACTA President Anne D. Neal talks with the Wall Street Journal about ACTA's findings and the crumbling of the core curriculum in America's colleges and universities. Take a look.
Latest From ACTA's Blog - ACTA's Must-Reads
Phoenix Throws Down the Gauntlet (Again)
The for-profit University of Phoenix issued its 4th Academic Annual Report this week...
Continue Reading | Subscribe to Updates
In Memoriam: Herbert Wiley Vaughan
I share your commitment to academic freedom and excellence in education...
Support ACTA
Empowering trustees and alumni on behalf of academic freedom and excellence.
WhatWillTheyLearn.com
A guide to what college rankings don't tell you.
Featured Publications
-
Diffusion of Light and Education
A State Report Card on Public Higher Education in Virginia
ACTA releases the ninth in its series of state reports - this one on the Commonwealth of Virginia.
-
Prepared in Mind and Resources?
A Report on Public Higher Education in South Carolina
This report focuses on three key aspects of public higher education in the state of South Carolina: cost and effectiveness, general education requirements, and governance structures.
-
A Survey of Core Requirements at Out Nation's Colleges and Universities
ACTA has expanded its groundbreaking analysis of college curricula, What Will They Learn?, in response to the single most common demand: review more schools! The 2011 expansion to over 1,000 schools demonstrates that although some American colleges ensure their graduates have a strong general education, many American colleges have dumbed down their requirements.
-
Governors, Higher Education and Accountability
With this new tool, ACTA is working to expand its outreach to governors nationwide on behalf of higher education reform, focusing on key issues of quality, cost, and accountability.
-
The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving
Second Edition
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for donors on how to target their giving, with profiles of successful gifts.
