On November 14, the American Council of Trustees (ACTA) hosted a webinar for governing board members of Big Ten Conference institutions to examine a proposed $2.4 billion-dollar private equity deal between the conference and UC Investments. Our webinar panelists included trustees from several of the Big Ten schools. They raised concerns about the deal’s compressed timeline and lack of transparency in the process. UC Investments subsequently issued a statement committing to address trustees’ concerns and extend the timeline, allowing for boards to exercise their due diligence. Read ACTA’s open letter to trustees and watch the webinar here.
The Donald Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education has created controversy across the higher education industry. In ACTA’s October policy bulletin, Kyle Beltramini assesses some of the compact’s key reforms and calls on trustees to safeguard institutional autonomy.
The Manhattan Institute has launched a new college rankings system that takes a holistic look at America’s top institutions. The academic portion of the rankings draws on ACTA’s What Will They Learn?® project and includes our Hidden Gems and Oases of Excellence initiatives. The new rankings also assess civic education and academic freedom. Read ACTA’s statement on the rankings system here.
Check out ACTA’s Policymakers webpage! On this newly 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.
To stay informed, sign up to receive ACTA’s Quarterly Policymakers Newsletter using the button below.
Policymakers across the country are advancing higher education reforms, including bans on legacy admissions, elimination of DEI programs, and efforts to strengthen free speech and fiscal transparency. ACTA outlines key legislative developments, federal priorities, and resources like the Policymaker’s Toolkit to support accountability and institutional neutrality in public colleges and universities.
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.
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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