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Historical Literacy
ACTA Testimony on North Carolina House Bill 7
April 3, 2025 by Nick Down
On April 2, Nick Down, ACTA’s Associate Director of External Affairs, offered proponent testimony before the North Carolina House…
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Latest
StatementFreedom of Expression
ACTA President Michael Poliakoff’s Statement on Columbia University’s Settlement with the Trump Administration
March 24, 2025 by Michael B. Poliakoff
Columbia has said it will undertake a major, overdue cultural change. Implementation will not […]
PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Three New Programs to Join ACTA’s Hidden Gems Initiative
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.
Three New Programs to Join ACTA’s Hidden Gems Initiative
No U.S. History?
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 PDFDEFENDING ACADEMIC FREEDOm
Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi: Expanding Civil Discourse at Winston-Salem State University
April 16, 2025
This episode features Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi, professor of economics at Winston-Salem State University. Dr. Madjd-Sadjadi has more than 30 years of teaching and economic consulting experience and was formerly the chief economist of the city and county of San Francisco.
Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi: Expanding Civil Discourse at Winston-Salem State UniversityStatementInstitutional Neutrality
George Washington University Must Rethink Institutional Neutrality
April 11, 2025 by Justin Garrison
On April 11, 2025, the George Washington University (GW) Faculty Senate will vote on “A Resolution Regarding Institutional Neutrality.”…
ACTA in the News
Colleges shun politics in graduation speaker invites
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…
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.
Download PDFENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY
Where Is Congress?
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.
Where Is Congress?The Forum
2025 Higher Ed State Legislation to Watch
April 2, 2025
Higher education reform is a hot topic in state legislatures this year. From banning legacy admissions to improving civic…
ACTA in the NewsFederal Funding
Colleges watch nervously as Columbia scrambles to appease Trump
The Hill | April 1, 2025 by Lexi Lonas Cochran
The federal government has yet to restore $400 million in frozen funding to Columbia even after the Ivy League…
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.
Download PDFIN THE
NEWS
Press ReleasesGeneral Education
ACTA Designates Rhodes College’s Philosophy, Politics, & Economics major program as a Hidden Gem for its Robust Liberal Arts Curriculum
April 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…
Press ReleasesGeneral Education
Three New Programs to Join ACTA’s Hidden Gems Initiative
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.
ACTA in the News
Colleges shun politics in graduation speaker invites
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.
ACTA in the NewsAccreditation
Where Is Congress?
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.
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
16,000+
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.
1,452
news outlets in 2024 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.
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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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