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Make your gift countApril 21, 2026
In this Broadside for the Nation, we explain in detail why American higher education must restore this foundational requirement for college graduates to know the American story, what such a course might include, and, crucially, how to make this vision a reality.
In the spring of 2026, ACTA surveyed over 3,000 college and university students on basic knowledge of American history and government. Our data shows that far too many students are earning college degrees without a rudimentary knowledge of the nation’s history and civic structure.
June 23, 2026 by Brendan McDonald
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is urging colleges and universities to restore American history and civics requirements. ACTA’s National Commission on American History and Civic Education released a report in April titled “A Broadside for the Nation,” which calls for every college student to complete a […]
ACTA pushes colleges to restore American history requirements ahead of nation’s 250th anniversaryJune 23, 2026
The cost of an ignorant, apathetic generation is before us: the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s (ACTA) recent survey shows that 57% of college students say they would flee the United States if…
June 23, 2026
In the spring of 2026, ACTA surveyed over 3,000 college and university students on basic knowledge of American history…
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.
Download PDFJune 25, 2026
Earlier today the House Education and Workforce Committee met to debate and amend a number of bills, including two measures that ACTA wrote in of support of. H.R. 2555, the Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act, aims to prevent administrative overreach targeting students in single-sex organizations like fraternities and sororities. Increasingly, universities are penalizing […]
ACTA Supports House Bills Protecting Freedom of Association and Equal Campus AccessJune 23, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
June 23, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our 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.
Download PDFUSA Today | June 25, 2026 by Daniel de Vise
A bachelor’s degree in any college major pays off in the long run. That’s the takeaway from an in-depth study of the financial return on college degrees over time. A report from the Postsecondary Commission, a college accreditation organization, found that the typical bachelor’s degree yielded a return of nearly $87,000 in the 15 years after students enrolled. The return […]
Is college worth it? Here are the majors that pay off.June 24, 2026
These are times of great challenge for colleges and universities – and for the nation. There has never been…
June 12, 2026
Mitch Daniels is an American statesman and higher education leader who served as governor of Indiana from 2005 to…
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.
Download PDFACTA in the NewsCivic Education
June 23, 2026 by Brendan McDonald
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is urging colleges and universities to restore American history and civics requirements. ACTA’s National Commission on American History and Civic Education released a report in April titled “A Broadsid…
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.
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.
institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com
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.
news outlets in 2025 covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
million dollars in gifts to higher education have been guided through ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal. Visit AcademicRenewal.org.
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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