From improving civic education to protecting free expression to strengthening college governance, state policymakers are challenging the status quo to restore the promise of higher education. Click here to read legislation the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has been tracking thus far in 2026.
ACTA Senior Vice President of Strategy Armand Alacbay authored an op-ed in the Washington Post examining the growing politicization of the trustee appointment process. The piece highlights the escalating conflict in Virginia, where traditionally bipartisan and routine appointments have increasingly turned into partisan battles, raising concerns about the erosion of board independence and the long-term stability of higher education governance.
A recent article by ACTA’s senior vice president of strategy, Armand Alacbay, examines multimillion-dollar private equity deals for college athletes and their implications for integrity and the academic mission of higher education. He discusses the crucial role of governing boards in overseeing these agreements, writing, “University boards—often unfairly maligned as glorified boosters rather than public fiduciaries—must step up their game to ensure that their institutions do not sell out their educational mission for clicks and views on ESPN.”
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed an executive order calling for Oklahoma state universities to conduct a feasibility study on 90-credit-hour accelerated bachelor’s degrees. ACTA’s Nick Down explains that this could be achieved by cutting out elective courses so students could focus solely on the general education requirements of a bachelor’s education.
Check out ACTA’s Policymakers webpage! On this redesigned webpage, governors and legislators will find powerful tools to evaluate educational standards and hold colleges accountable, including our annual state rankings, Policymaker’s Toolkit, and How Colleges Spend Money financial analysis tool. Users can also explore ACTA’s other major campus reform projects, including What Will They Learn?® and the Campus Freedom Initiative™.
Throughout 2025, ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance® conducted seminars and training retreats for college and university governing boards across the country. Topics included financial oversight, safeguarding free expression and intellectual diversity, the importance of teaching American history, and other critical issues in higher education governance. In several instances, ACTA worked closely with legislators and other policy leaders to bring our trainings to trustees of public institutions. If you are interested in hosting a training seminar or retreat in your state, please contact Nick Down, ACTA’s associate director of external affairs.
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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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