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Make your gift countApril 20, 2026
Ben Sasse is an American academic, author, and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from Nebraska from 2015 to 2023. Before entering politics, Sasse held academic and administrative roles, including serving as president of Midland University in Nebraska. In 2023, he became president of the University of Florida, returning to his roots in […]
ACTA and the Museum of the American Revolution are celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary year with an evening panel discussion on how to reinvigorate history and civics education in American college and university classrooms and across the public history sector.
April 17, 2026 by Monica Boryczewski
On the morning of April 19, 1775, British troops and colonial minutemen fired on each other at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Referred to eloquently in Emerson’s poem, “Concord Hymn,” as “the shot heard round the world,” this event officially started the American Revolutionary War and paved the way for independence. The minutemen in Massachusetts fought and died for liberty and self-governance, principles on which this country was founded. Sadly, many Americans, even those with a college education, are ignorant of their nation’s history and founding principles. This is not only disappointing but dangerous to national solidarity. It…
Lexington and Concord: Courage That Forged a NationACTA in the NewsCivic Literacy
Washington Examiner | April 15, 2026 by Jeffrey E. Schulman
I recently met young professionals angry that they could not vote in presidential elections because they lived in Washington,…
April 10, 2026
ACTA’s Academic Affairs Fellow Veronica Bryant welcomes Glenn Corn, who spent 35 years working in the national security and international affairs community….
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 PDFApril 20, 2026
Ben Sasse is an American academic, author, and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from Nebraska from 2015 to 2023. Before entering politics, Sasse held academic and administrative roles, including serving as president of Midland University in Nebraska. In 2023, he became president of the University of Florida, returning to his roots in […]
Ben Sasse and Mitch Daniels on the Moral Foundations that Sustain AmericaApril 14, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
April 14, 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 PDFApril 8, 2026
ACTA in the States From improving civic education to protecting free expression to strengthening college governance, state policymakers are challenging the status quo to restore the promise of higher education. Click here to read legislation the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has been tracking thus far in 2026. The Brewing Tug-of-War over Public […]
Spring 2026 Higher Ed at GlanceReal Clear Education | March 30, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini and Alex Blinkoff
In January, the Department of Education (ED) put out a new tool that tracks foreign financing of American higher education. For…
The Huntington News | March 25, 2026 by Elizabeth Chalmers
More than 100 people filed into Boston City Hall March 23 as community members testified about an alleged lack…
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 Literacy
Washington Examiner | April 15, 2026 by Jeffrey E. Schulman
I recently met young professionals angry that they could not vote in presidential elections because they lived in Washington, D.C. They did not realize the city enjoys three votes in the Electoral College, the same as it would as a state. Their unjustified anger speaks to the danger of …
ACTA in the NewsFreedom of Expression
The College Fix | April 6, 2026 by Ava Mae Yates
The American Association of University Professors is sponsoring a campaign called “Schools Drop ICE,” which aims to force “colleges to drop their contracts with ICE’s key corporate enablers.” For the campaign, the AAUP, along with Young Democratic Socialists of America, Sunrise Movement, and the …
ACTA in the NewsCivic Literacy
Fox News | April 3, 2026 by Rachel Wolf
Education advocates are urging stronger national civics standards as new data highlights gaps in students’ understanding of American government ahead of a federal assessment update. Every four years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) administers a civics t…
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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