Sarah Hubbard and the University of Michigan Board of Regents to be Honored with ACTA’s Jerry L. Martin Prize for Excellence in College Trusteeship

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is pleased to announce that Sarah Hubbard and her seven colleagues on the University of Michigan (U-M) Board of Regents will receive the Jerry L. Martin Prize for Excellence in College Trusteeship. Regent Hubbard, who served as chair of the board from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, will accept the prize on behalf of the entire board at a ceremony on October 23, 2025, in Washington, DC. The prize, named after Jerry Martin, co-founder and past president of ACTA, honors trustees who uphold integrity and excellence in higher education.

In late 2023, the beginning of the war in Israel set off a series of events on the U-M campus that prompted the board of regents to take action in order to ensure free speech for all while holding the campus community accountable for conduct that crossed the line. Facing intimidation tactics from students and faculty alike, Regent Hubbard and her colleagues helped champion policy changes and approaches to restore order on campus while allowing for the continuation of Michigan’s legacy of student activism.

In part as a response to rising concerns about antisemitism on campus, in December 2023 the regents announced the creation of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute. The institute fosters the values embodied by Raoul Wallenberg—empathy, tolerance, courage, and leadership—by studying hatred directed against religious and ethnic communities, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and developing strategies to combat antisemitism, divisiveness, and discrimination.

In January 2024, the regents approved the “University of Michigan Principles on Diversity of Thought and Freedom of Expression,” a statement reaffirming the institution’s commitment to nurturing diverse ideas and fostering constructive engagement on campus. The board also adopted a new policy requiring institutional neutrality, ensuring that minority viewpoints on campus will not be chased out by groupthink.

In March and April of 2024, campus activists disrupted the U-M Honors Convocation and erected a tent encampment, which was allowed to stand for 30 days and was cleared shortly after commencement. On May 15, activists targeted Regent Hubbard and several of her board colleagues, protesting in front of their private homes and offices. They placed body bags smeared with fake blood on Regent Hubbard’s lawn, drumming and chanting over a bull horn in the early morning hours. Weeks later, they vandalized the façade of Regent Jordan Acker’s law firm and similarly harassed other regents and university leaders. Rather than decry the protesters’ vandalism and trespassing, the U-M Faculty Senate sided with them, issuing its own call for divestment and voting to censure of the board of regents.

In Summer 2024, under the leadership of then-chair Katherine White, the board updated its policies affecting student rights to ensure those who were engaging in problematic conduct on campus could be held accountable in a timely manner. This led to even more protests and pushback from the campus community, but the board has not backed down.

Reforms continue. In December 2024, Provost Laurie McCauley directed faculty to end the use of diversity statements in hiring and promotion. In early 2025, the university ended its DEI programs while significantly increasing merit-based scholarships and financial aid for students with need. Under the leadership of the entire board, U-M has also committed $50 million to launch a new, independent center dedicated to diversity of thought and civil discourse.

“Board leadership throughout the past two years has been instrumental in maintaining excellence at the University of Michigan. Regents worked hand-in-hand with university administration to navigate constant turmoil due to campus protests targeted at university leadership,” said Regent Hubbard. “Advice from ACTA regarding opportunities to emphasize free speech and execute good governance has been critical.”

“As members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, we work tirelessly to ensure that all members of the University of Michigan community have every possible opportunity to excel in their academic pursuits, speak freely on campus, listen to and learn from all viewpoint,” said Regent Kathy White. “This university experience equips our community with a superb education fostering the ability to pursue all measures of professional success and engaged citizenship. We are proud the University of Michigan provides our students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to excel in all academic pursuits. We appreciate ACTA’s vote of confidence in recognizing the University of Michigan Board of Regents for excellence in trusteeship.”
 

ACTA President Michael Poliakoff stated, “I am proud to present this award to a courageous woman and her colleagues on the University of Michigan Board of Regents, who have made an immense difference at my alma mater. Trustees have not only the power but the responsibility to protect and restore order, reason, and the free exchange of ideas without intimidation at their institutions. Regent Hubbard and the U-M board serve as a model for how capable governing boards can lead universities to a better place.”