Whom Does the Public Trustee Serve?
Legislation is on its way to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk that, if signed into law, could set a dangerous precedent in higher education governance. Senate Bill 506 undermines the authority of public university governing boards by subordinating the board to the university president, thereby diverting the board’s primary duty away from the people of Virginia. On February 19, ACTA Senior Program Officer Nick Down testified before the Virginia House of Delegates’ Higher Education Subcommittee, urging members to oppose Senate Bill 506. Read Mr. Down’s testimony here.
TREND ALERT! Legacy Admissions Bans
Lawmakers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York are considering legislation that would end legacy preferences, the practice of giving college applicants preferential treatment if a family member previously attended the school. This new trend comes in response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban affirmative action at institutions of higher education. So far, Virginia and Colorado are the only two states in the country that have signed bills into law prohibiting colleges and universities from considering legacy preferences.
New Institutional Neutrality Campaign
ACTA has launched a nationwide campaign to urge colleges and universities to adopt institutional neutrality policies! Our new webpage tracks schools that have adopted or affirmed a statement of institutional neutrality and provides model resolutions for trustee boards. We also released a specially designed reprint of the University of Chicago’s 1967 Kalven Report, which explains the vital role of institutional neutrality in protecting the vibrant exchange of ideas that is the lifeblood of higher education. In addition, ACTA also tracks schools that have adopted the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression. To discuss adopting the Kalven Report or the Chicago Principles at your institution, please contact Steven McGuire, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom.
Annual State Rankings
Check out ACTA’s 2023 annual state rankings of higher education performance. The rankings show policymakers and trustees how universities in their state stack up on administrative spending, graduation rates, speech code policies, and more. Click here to see how your state ranks among the rest of the nation.
Congressional Campus Free Speech Roundtable
On December 6, Steven McGuire, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, was invited to participate in the third annual Congressional Campus Free Speech Roundtable. Hosted by Representative Greg Murphy, along with Representatives Virginia Foxx and Burgess Owens, the panel discussed the urgent need to safeguard freedom of expression and intellectual diversity on college campuses. To watch the panel, click here.
WHO WE ARE
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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