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You Can Help Shape the Future of Higher Education

Join ACTA in promoting Academic Excellence, Academic Freedom, and Accountability in higher education.

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Transparent data for informed trustees, policymakers, and students.

See how much average college tuition has increased since 2016—and why. 

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The
Latest

Artificial Intelligence

Boards and Bots

July 7, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini

Just as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do the challenges it poses for American colleges and universities. This new publication equips governing boards to navigate one of the most consequential technological developments facing higher education.  

PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

The Enduring Educational Value of To Kill a Mockingbird

July 10, 2026 by Jane Mangelli

In recent years, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a recurring subject within curriculum debates. The novel has generated ongoing discussion about how literature can address questions of race, justice, and history, and about the role of challenging texts in the classroom. These conversations raise an important question: What do students lose when schools shy away […]

The Enduring Educational Value of To Kill a Mockingbird
See All Academic Excellence Initiatives
See All Academic Excellence Initiatives
Trustee toolkit

A Broadside for the Nation

ACTA’s A Broadside for the Nation: Preparing College Students for Informed Citizenship convenes 24 historians and education leaders who argue that America’s 250th anniversary demands a renewal of civic education. The report urges colleges to require every student to complete a semester-long course on the American story.

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DEFENDING ACADEMIC FREEDOm

Only 1 in 10 Ivy League trustees is Republican, Yale has none: report

The College Fix  |  July 8, 2026 by Eric Mathemeier

Yale’s political donations showed 50-to-1 ratio in favor of Democrats over Republicans Ivy League governing boards are overwhelmingly Democratic, with about seven out of ten trustees registered as Democrats and only one in ten as a Republican, according to a recent report by the Buckley Institute, a conservative academic center. Yale University stood out with no registered Republicans on its […]

Only 1 in 10 Ivy League trustees is Republican, Yale has none: report
See All Academic Freedom Initiatives
See All Academic Freedom Initiatives
Trustee toolkit

ACTA Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression

ACTA now provides a blueprint to help higher education regain and live by this core principle. The ACTA Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™ provides clear guidance for institutions to create a culture of free thought on their campuses.

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ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY

Michigan State U. president gets half million dollar raise after deciding to stay

The College Fix  |  July 8, 2026 by Matt Lamb

Acrimony with board of trustees reportedly played a role in initial decision The president of Michigan State University will no longer leave his job this summer and head to Clemson University. Instead, he will stay at his job and earn $500,000 more per year. Kevin Guskiewicz announced on Monday he will stay at Michigan State. […]

Michigan State U. president gets half million dollar raise after deciding to stay
See All Accountability Initiatives
See All Accountability Initiatives
Trustee toolkit

Governance for a New Era

Governance for a New Era is a blueprint for higher education governance. Signatories to the statement, a diverse group of 22 distinguished national leaders dedicated to ensuring America’s colleges and universities shed 20th century thinking and successfully meet 21st century challenges.

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IN THE
NEWS

HOW ACTA IS SUCCEEDING

370

institutions have been counseled by ACTA on matters of cost effectiveness, financial governance, and institutional spending. See ACTA’s one-of-a-kind higher education financial analysis tool: HowCollegesSpendMoney.com.

146

institutions and systems representing nearly four million students, encouraged by ACTA, reaffirmed their commitment to free speech on campus by adopting the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression or a policy of institutional neutrality.

256

institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com

26,500+

students from 140 institutions have engaged in 660 civil discourse debates, dialogues, and workshops through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.

795

news outlets in 2025 covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.

275

million dollars in gifts to higher education have been guided through ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal. Visit AcademicRenewal.org.

WHO WE ARE

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 an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.

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