Higher education reform is a hot topic in state legislatures this year. From banning legacy admissions to improving civic education to increasing cost transparency, policymakers are challenging the status quo to restore the promise of higher education. ACTA has issued a list of these new legislative reforms, found here.
In March, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff released a statement in response to the reduction of the U.S. Department of Education. Click here to read ACTA’s full statement.
As a new administration came into office and Congress began its first session, ACTA called on our federal representatives to turn their attention to American higher education and finally take decisive action. View ACTA’s 2025 policy action agenda.
ACTA recently issued a survey and report card on the state of free expression at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona. For more information, or to request a report card on your state’s colleges and universities based on our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™, please contact Steven McGuire, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom.
In December, ACTA Policy Research Fellow Kyle Beltramini participated in North Carolina U.S. Representative Greg Murphy’s fourth annual Congressional Campus Free Speech Roundtable. To view Mr. Beltramini’s remarks, click here. To watch the roundtable, click here.
In January, the Texas Senate Higher Education Subcommittee released an interim report on how public institutions have been responding to Senate Bill 17, which called on universities to implement important reforms, including adopting a policy on institutional neutrality and fully eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucracies. ACTA Associate Director of External Affairs Nick Down previously testified before the subcommittee in support of both these recommendations. To read more, click here.
Higher education across the nation is under scrutiny. Publicly funded colleges and universities are particularly vulnerable, as they represent a massive investment by state taxpayers. ACTA’s new Policymaker’s Toolkit outlines steps that state lawmakers can take to strengthen fiscal accountability, support trustees, and generate better outcomes for students, taxpayers, and the nation. Download the guide here or contact Nick Down for a hard copy.
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With public trust in colleges declining, ACTA’s latest initiatives provide practical tools and guidance to help state leaders drive meaningful change and ensure better outcomes for students and taxpayers. ACTA also highlights the urgent need for reform in higher education through renewed efforts to strengthen accountability, improve civic education, and equip trustees for effective governance.
Virginia’s Governor vetoed Senate Bill 506, preserving governing boards’ accountability to taxpayers rather than institutional interests. Meanwhile, states like Texas and Utah are restricting DEI initiatives, and Indiana is pushing for accelerated three-year degree programs. ACTA’s recent survey also reveals strong voter support in Texas for enforcing campus rules against unauthorized protests.
Legislation pending in Virginia threatens to undermine public university governing boards by subordinating them to university presidents, shifting accountability away from the public. Concurrently, a growing movement is pushing for bans on legacy admissions following recent Supreme Court rulings, while ACTA’s new institutional neutrality campaign promotes policies to protect free expression and intellectual diversity on campuses nationwide.
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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