ACTA Recognizes First Cohort of Gold Standard Universities for Freedom of Expression 

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has named Purdue University, the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, the University of Wyoming, and Vanderbilt University as the first universities to achieve ACTA’s Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™, a 20-point action plan designed to restore higher education’s commitment to excellence, open inquiry, and the free exchange of ideas. 

Among the 69 universities ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ has evaluated thus far, these four institutions stand out as champions of free expression. Each earned a score well above the national average of 11 out of 20 points, making them ACTA’s inaugural cohort of Gold Standard schools. 

The University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University each earned perfect scores of 20 out of 20, demonstrating exemplary commitments to free speech and intellectual diversity. The University of Wyoming earned 19 out of 20 points and Purdue University earned 18 out of 20 points, placing all four institutions among the nation’s leading examples for fostering a culture of open inquiry. 

ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, Steve McGuire, praised the universities’ commitment to free expression and intellectual diversity on campus: “Students and their parents, teachers, and researchers should be able to expect that free inquiry and diversity of thought will not only be protected but cherished and encouraged in American higher education. Unfortunately, our country’s colleges and universities have too often failed to champion the cause of freedom on their campuses, preferring instead ideological conformity and cowardice. ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative recommends 20 actions these institutions can take to get back on track, and we are delighted to see these four schools leading the way. They show that America’s institutions of higher education can build cultures of freedom when they make doing so a priority. We call on all of America’s colleges and universities to join these great schools by adopting the policies and practices in our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression.” 

ACTA explored the reforms behind these achievements through Learning from Leaders in Reform, a webinar held on October 20, 2026. Moderated by McGuire, the discussion featured Mitch Daniels of Purdue University, Daniel Diermeier of Vanderbilt University, Marty Kotis of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and Martha McCaughey of the University of Wyoming, who shared how leadership and policy reforms helped strengthen free expression and intellectual diversity on their campuses. 

ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ helps institutions, trustees, and policymakers create campus environments where open inquiry, civil discourse, and intellectual diversity can thrive. As universities across the country strengthen their commitments to freedom of expression, ACTA’s research and guidance continue to support reforms that foster more open and intellectually vibrant campuses.