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Explore the IssuesThe Mercury News | March 22, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Steven McGuire
In response to the shout down of Judge Kyle Duncan at Stanford Law School on March 9, the university must act decisively to restore a culture of free expression on its campus.
Inside Higher Ed | March 2, 2023 by Josh Moody
When Ruth Simmons assumed the presidency of Prairie View A&M University in 2017, it was considered a major boost to the historically Black university. She brought to the role decades of leadership experience, including...
READ MORE“ACTA provides short, concise suggestions for trustees who can help administrations make real, beneficial change for the future of education.”
RealClear Education | February 17, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Steven McGuire
Will every State University of New York (SUNY) student be compelled to absorb fashionable social justice theories,without being required to learn...
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 4, 2022
In March 2022, the New York Times published a piece by Emma Camp, titled "I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship Instead." The story quickly went viral, and Emma was thrust into the spotlight...
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.”
Boston Herald | October 12, 2022 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Steven McGuire
“How do you bring about a free speech turnaround on campus? Maybe, just maybe, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
March 24, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff
The department seeks to rescind these regulations because it argues that “they are not necessary to protect the First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion; have created confusion among institutions;...
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."
March 2, 2023 by Bradley Jackson
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) was founded in 1995 to promote academic freedom, academic excellence, and...
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 CopyJanuary 18, 2023 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...
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.”
Washington Post | March 1, 2023 by Henry Olsen
TUCSON — If, like me, you are worried about political polarization and what it is doing to our country,...
In the next few months, the U.S. Supreme Court will hand down one of the most consequential decisions for higher education in recent years. But regardless of the future of the Biden administration’s loan forgiveness plan, to do the best for today’s and tomorrow’s graduates, colleges and universities must think creatively if they are to use scarce resources efficiently. ...
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TUCSON — If, like me, you are worried about political polarization and what it is doing to our country, I invite you to consider Arizona’s Regents’ Cup. It might just offer you a ray of hope for our democracy. I recently participated as a moderator and judge at the event. Sponsored by the Arizona Board of […]
Will every State University of New York (SUNY) student be compelled to absorb fashionable social justice theories,without being required to learn the basics of American history or government? Is the whole of the American experience less important than a narrow slice of it? SUNY reported this week that it has added a new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice general education […]
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unequivocally made clear that being a college trustee is a serious job for serious people. Some may say he is engineering a “hostile takeover” of New College of Florida (NCF); others will say he is saving higher education from “woke indoctrination” and wasteful spending through his new appointees to the […]
Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor and a potential Republican presidential prospect, says he wants to mandate a “core curriculum” in public universities as a way to ensure young Floridians are grounded in Western civilization. To the nation’s higher education leaders, that idea is political kryptonite. Proponents of the core curriculum say every student should emerge from college […]
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.
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 representing over three million students, encouraged by ACTA, reaffirmed their commitment to free speech on campus by adopting the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression.
institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com
students from 100+ Institutions have engaged in civil discourse debates through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.
news outlets reaching 14 million readers have 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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