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There Is No Unicorn University
July 7, 2026 by Victoria Kiper
At a recent event, Princeton professor Robert P. George was asked whether the distinctive model of College of the Ozarks—a Christian…
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Boards and Bots
July 7, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini
Just as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do the challenges it poses for American colleges and universities. This new publication equips governing boards to navigate one of the most consequential technological developments facing higher education.
PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The Enduring Educational Value of To Kill a Mockingbird
July 10, 2026 by Jane Mangelli
In recent years, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a recurring subject within curriculum debates. The novel has generated ongoing discussion about how literature can address questions of race, justice, and history, and about the role of challenging texts in the classroom. These conversations raise an important question: What do students lose when schools shy away […]
The Enduring Educational Value of To Kill a Mockingbird
A Broadside for the Nation
ACTA’s A Broadside for the Nation: Preparing College Students for Informed Citizenship convenes 24 historians and education leaders who argue that America’s 250th anniversary demands a renewal of civic education. The report urges colleges to require every student to complete a semester-long course on the American story.
Download PDFDEFENDING ACADEMIC FREEDOm
Ideological Bias in Academic Research?
July 14, 2026
How biased is academic research? Are some fields more interested in ideological conformity than intellectual diversity and academic freedom? In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison discuss the recently released “Vanderbilt Report” on the professional quality of academic research in selected humanities and social science disciplines. The report paints a nuanced picture of the role ideology can play in academic research, but Steve and Justin comment on how that hasn’t stopped opponents of intellectual diversity from dismissing the report out of hand. Steve and Justin also announce Jonathan Turley as this episode’s “Hero…
Ideological Bias in Academic Research?Only 1 in 10 Ivy League trustees is Republican, Yale has none: report
The College Fix | July 8, 2026 by Eric Mathemeier
Yale’s political donations showed 50-to-1 ratio in favor of Democrats over Republicans Ivy League governing boards are overwhelmingly Democratic,…
University of Kentucky Report Card
July 7, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
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
ACTA Releases New Trustee Guide Highlighting the Critical Questions Every Board Should Ask to Evaluate Institutional Performance
July 14, 2026
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) today released Higher Ed by the Numbers: Critical Questions Trustees Must Ask, a practical guide designed to help governing boards make better-informed decisions by focusing on the metrics that matter most to institutional success. As colleges and universities confront enrollment pressures, financial uncertainty, demographic shifts, and growing public scrutiny, trustees face […]
ACTA Releases New Trustee Guide Highlighting the Critical Questions Every Board Should Ask to Evaluate Institutional PerformanceHigher Ed by the Numbers
July 14, 2026
College and university trustees often come from the business or civic community, appointed or elected to serve because of…
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Search
Michigan State U. president gets half million dollar raise after deciding to stay
The College Fix | July 8, 2026 by Matt Lamb
Acrimony with board of trustees reportedly played a role in initial decision The president of Michigan State University will…
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.
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NEWS
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Search
Michigan State U. president gets half million dollar raise after deciding to stay
The College Fix | July 8, 2026 by Matt Lamb
Acrimony with board of trustees reportedly played a role in initial decision The president of Michigan State University will no longer leave his job this summer and head to Clemson University. Instead, he will stay at his job and earn $500,000 more per year. Kevin Guskiewicz announced on Monday h…
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Search
Guskiewicz’s change of heart creates trust issues with faculty at MSU
The Detroit News | July 8, 2026 by Sarah Atwood
Michigan State University board members, donors and President Kevin Guskiewicz worked for the past month to ensure he stayed after his planned departure for Clemson University, but a faculty leader and experts say the reversal has created trust issues. While the university hammered out the detail…
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
26,500+
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.
795
news outlets in 2025 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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