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Make your gift countMay 16, 2025 by Kyle Beltramini
President Trump made it clear during his campaign that higher education would be a priority for his administration, and his first 100 days have proved his sincerity. However, his executive-focused approach has led to controversy, confusion, litigation, and few durable legislative changes as of yet. In uncertain times, colleges and universities need steady leadership.
April 29, 2025 by David Bruce Smith
John and Abigail Adams envisioned an America with a school in every neighborhood and a well-informed citizenry that was adept in languages, literature, and music; science, history, and religion. Their vision was practical until the ages recast it, little by little. Then, sometime between Joseph McCarthy and Joan Baez, the status quo of the educational […]
A Curricular Solution to the Crisis of Civic IlliteracyApril 25, 2025
ACTA President Michael Poliakoff welcomes The Honorable John Hillen, distinguished resident fellow at the Center for Politics in Duke University’s Sanford School…
April 14, 2025
The newest Hidden Gems are the Philosophy, Politics, & Economics certificate program at Duke University, the Honors College at…
ACTA’s report, “No U.S. History? How College History Departments Leave the United States out of the Major,” found that 18 of the top 25 public universities did not have a wide-ranging American history requirement for students seeking a B.A. in history in the major or core curriculum.
Download PDFMay 8, 2025
In this episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA’s Bryan Paul interviews Senior Lecturer Linda Rabieh to learn how the Civil Discourse Project has used the Braver Angels debate format championed by the College Debates and Discourse Alliance.
Reinvigorating Civil Discourse at M.I.T.May 5, 2025 by Michael B. Poliakoff, Stephen Trachtenberg and Daniel Diermeier
Higher education leaders, alumni, and journalists joined ACTA on October 22 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC,…
May 1, 2025
ACTA’s Program Coordinator for the College Debates and Discourse Alliance, Kayla Johnston, returns to her alma mater, the University of North…
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 PDFMay 16, 2025 by Kyle Beltramini
President Trump made it clear during his campaign that higher education would be a priority for his administration, and his first 100 days have proved his sincerity. However, his executive-focused approach has led to controversy, confusion, litigation, and few durable legislative changes as of yet. In uncertain times, colleges and universities need steady leadership.
What Higher Education Leaders Need to Know About the First Hundred DaysMay 1, 2025 by Michael B. Poliakoff
Dear Governing Board Members, Your institution—and the nation—needs your leadership as never before. Shared governance means shared. Institutions properly should…
Inside Higher Ed | April 2, 2025 by Kyle Beltramini
The failure of Congress to reform the Higher Education Act since its last reauthorization in 2008 has had devastating…
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 PDFApril 15, 2025
“The Philosophy, Politics & Economics program at Rhodes College brings together three disciplines that are inseparable if one wants to acquire a complete understanding of social and political problems and issues, one that accounts for both the moral and the practical dimensions,” said Dr. Stephen…
April 14, 2025
The newest Hidden Gems are the Philosophy, Politics, & Economics certificate program at Duke University, the Honors College at Regent University, and the Philosophy, Politics & Economics program at Rhodes College.
The Washington Times | April 10, 2025 by Sean Salai
Keynote speakers announced in recent weeks for the class of 2025 range from R&B singer Usher to Kermit the Frog, with hardly a member of the Trump administration or former Biden team in sight.
Inside Higher Ed | April 2, 2025 by Kyle Beltramini
The failure of Congress to reform the Higher Education Act since its last reauthorization in 2008 has had devastating consequences for America’s students and taxpayers. For too long, the federal response to rising costs and dismal completion rates has been to throw more money at the problem.
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 100+ Institutions have engaged in 400+ civil discourse debates, dialogues, and workshops through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.
news outlets in 2024 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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