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Please join us in celebrating a quarter-century of shared work to promote academic excellence and academic freedom at America’s colleges and universities and in looking ahead to the frontiers before us.
Click Here to register for the 25th Plus One Anniversary Celebration
Join ACTA in promoting Academic Excellence, Academic Freedom, and Accountability at America’s colleges and universities.
Explore the Issues
Please join us in celebrating a quarter-century of shared work to promote academic excellence and academic freedom at America’s colleges and universities and in looking ahead to the frontiers before us.
Click Here to register for the 25th Plus One Anniversary Celebration
September 27, 2021 by ACTA
Most college ranking systems, like the U.S. News & World Report, do not evaluate what students actually learn in the classroom. What Will They Learn? is the only rating system that examines the course catalogs of each school to provide an urgently needed, alternative assessment based on an institution’s core curriculum, the program of study that all students share.
September 8, 2021 by ACTA
Drawing on empirical data from student surveys, as well as insights from faculty and higher education leaders across the country, ACTA’s report details how the rapid shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the ongoing free speech crisis on college campuses, further suppressed viewpoint diversity, and encouraged more self-censorship among students. The...
READ MORE“ACTA provides short, concise suggestions for trustees who can help administrations make real, beneficial change for the future of education.”
August 17, 2021 by ACTA
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni has released its groundbreaking report The Cost of Excess: Why Colleges Must...
Colleges and universities depend on informed and engaged trustees. ACTA’s tools and resources equip board members to be effective fiduciaries for America’s institutions of higher education. Be prepared for your next board meeting with ACTA’s trustee toolkit.
Get Your CopyOctober 20, 2021 by ACTA
Washington, DC—The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) applauds the formation of the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA), a new and important voice in defense of free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity...
READ MORE“I appreciate the assistance of the Fund for Academic Renewal in structuring the gift and my agreement. The guidance will ensure that my objectives for the gift will be honored by the University for many years to come.”
Philanthropy Daily | October 12, 2021 by Rebecca Richards
It can be hard for donors to support higher education in keeping with their values. But there are options...
Forbes | August 30, 2021 by Michael B. Poliakoff
For good reason, the Pell Grant program has enjoyed wide bipartisan support. It is properly called the cornerstone of America’s investment in college financial aid, and for nearly half a century, it has been an...
READ MORE"ACTA’s resources are very informative for my staff as we work to solve issues in higher education. I commend the hard work of ACTA."
Campus Reform | September 14, 2021 by Angela Morabito
An American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that spending on student services did not move the needle on...
Read how policymakers can reform the higher education quality assurance process to protect students and taxpayers, preserve university and college independence and autonomy, and allow innovation in post-secondary education that will retain America's leadership.
Get Your CopySeptember 8, 2021 by ACTA
Drawing on empirical data from student surveys, as well as insights from faculty and higher education leaders across the country, ACTA’s report details how the rapid shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the ongoing free speech crisis on college campuses, further suppressed viewpoint diversity, and encouraged more self-censorship among students. The...
READ MORE“Our very best wishes for ACTA’s continued success. We are in desperate need of educated citizens if as a country we are to survive.”
Campus Reform | September 15, 2021 by Mckenna Dallmeyer
Students at Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, and Miami Dade College report being unable to find faculty advisors for...
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we have had to postpone our Fall 2020 event. ACTA's 25th Plus One Anniversary Celebration will take place on November 11-12, 2021. As good fortune would have it, we have been able to schedule the same exciting roster of events, culminating at the storied Library of Congress, which T...
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It can be hard for donors to support higher education in keeping with their values. But there are options at universities all across the country. Americans have never been so disappointed by higher education. In a survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Bipartisan Policy Center, only 60% of Americans said that they […]
The higher education debt crisis is a boondoggle as institutional spending continues to rise while contributing little to graduation rates. he Biden administration recently announced a $5.8 billion federal student loan cancellation through the Total and Permanent Disability program and extended the halt on student loan payments and fees until early 2022. Despite the Covid-19 […]
Students at Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, and Miami Dade College report being unable to find faculty advisors for their clubs. One student told ‘Campus Reform’ about ‘openly conservative faculty being intimidated, demoted, and mistreated by the deans of their respective schools due to ideological differences.’ Conservative students across the country are facing difficulty when […]
An American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that spending on student services did not move the needle on graduation rates at 4-year public colleges. ‘Campus Reform’ spoke with one Johns Hopkins professor who called on colleges to ‘refund some of this money.’ Colleges’ spending patterns are driving up costs for students but do not […]
Two out of three college students now graduate with an average of over $28,000 in student debt, and the price of tuition continues to rise at an unsustainable rate, faster even than health care. So how do colleges spend that money?
The goal of ACTA's What Will They Learn?® project is to encourage colleges and universities to strengthen their general education programs—so that students graduate better prepared for the workforce, ready to participate in their communities as responsible citizens, and acquainted with our cultural and intellectual inheritance.
Intentional, directed giving has the power to renew our colleges and universities. ACTA's Fund for Academic Renewal serves donors who want to make transformative gifts to higher education, gifts that help institutions live up to their highest ideals. FAR guides donors and their advisors through every step in the gift-making process.
Colleges and universities have investigated their spending practices due to ACTA’s work. Visit our site, HowCollegesSpendMoney.com.
Institutions have adopted the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression due to ACTA’s outreach.
Colleges and universities have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative.
WhatWillTheyLearn.com
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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