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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.
Join the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) on May 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EDT for a webinar examining the importance of intellectual diversity in American higher education. Dr. Steven McGuire, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, will moderate the event. Panelists will discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities for promoting intellectual diversity on campus, including reforming faculty hiring practices to ensure that universities do not become ideologically siloed or intellectually limited.
The Daily Pennsylvanian | April 27, 2026 by Bo Goergen
Over my four years at Penn, I have participated in countless discussions in my humanities classes surrounding important historical issues, including imperialism, inequality, and oppression. In these classes, America is often defined as a catalog of its failures and injustices. Most students understand the unspoken rule that the expected criticism of America requires little qualification, […]
Penn should teach students to improve America, not dismantle itACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Washington Examiner | April 25, 2026 by Samuel J. Abrams
In 2025, New Yorkers elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, a self-described “democratic socialist” who ran on rent freezes, city-run grocery…
April 23, 2026
On this special civics episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA’s Michael Poliakoff hosts Washington & Lee University’s John K….
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 PDFDeseret News | April 29, 2026 by Jason Swensen
Protecting free expression is essential on America’s college campuses — not only for educating students, but also for the strengthening of the nation. That pitch for free speech in higher education anchored Utah Rep. Burgess Owens’ message at Wednesday’s congressional hearing focusing on the future of the First Amendment in postsecondary schools. College campuses should […]
Utah Rep. Owens: College campuses fostering cultures of ‘fear, bullying and cowardice’April 29, 2026
On April 29, Steven McGuire, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, was invited to testify before…
April 28, 2026
In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison analyze an argument from a Harvard…
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 PDFThe Nashville News.Net | April 22, 2026 by Danielle Smith
Legislation being considered by Tennessee lawmakers would require all undergraduate students to take classes on American history and government. The more than 80 public and independent higher education institutions in Tennessee collectively serve approximately 360,000 students. Michael Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, testified in March about House Bill 291. He sees it as a […]
TN bill would add required American history course in collegesThe Advocate | April 22, 2026 by Sam Karlin
A Louisiana state lawmaker says he plans to amend his bill that would have kept records secret about who is applying…
April 8, 2026
ACTA in the States From improving civic education to protecting free expression to strengthening college governance, state policymakers are…
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 NewsFreedom of Expression
Deseret News | April 29, 2026 by Jason Swensen
Protecting free expression is essential on America’s college campuses — not only for educating students, but also for the strengthening of the nation. That pitch for free speech in higher education anchored Utah Rep. Burgess Owens’ message at Wednesday’s congressional hearing focusing on the futu…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
The Daily Pennsylvanian | April 27, 2026 by Bo Goergen
Over my four years at Penn, I have participated in countless discussions in my humanities classes surrounding important historical issues, including imperialism, inequality, and oppression. In these classes, America is often defined as a catalog of its failures and injustices. Most students under…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Washington Examiner | April 25, 2026 by Samuel J. Abrams
In 2025, New Yorkers elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, a self-described “democratic socialist” who ran on rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and expansive redistribution. Exit polls showed him winning 78% of voters under 30. Five months later, Seattle elected Katie Wilson, 43, a charismatic s…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
The Nashville News.Net | April 22, 2026 by Danielle Smith
Legislation being considered by Tennessee lawmakers would require all undergraduate students to take classes on American history and government. The more than 80 public and independent higher education institutions in Tennessee collectively serve approximately 360,000 students. Michael Poliakoff,…
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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