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A Leadership Vacuum at North Idaho College
Inside Higher Ed | December 12, 2022 by Josh Moody
North Idaho College president Nick Swayne questioned the legality of board actions on open records and procurement. Three days...
Join ACTA in promoting Academic Excellence, Academic Freedom, and Accountability at America’s colleges and universities.
Explore the IssuesTallahassee Democrat | January 23, 2023 by Steven McGuire and Michael B. Poliakoff
Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a bold step to make Florida’s public liberal arts college, the New College of Florida, an effective, academically rigorous institution.
StarTribune | December 29, 2022 by Armand B. Alacbay
Christmas came early for University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel, as the university’s Board of Regents voted 9 to 3 earlier this month to approve a conflict management plan paving the way for Gabel...
READ MORE“ACTA provides short, concise suggestions for trustees who can help administrations make real, beneficial change for the future of education.”
Inside Higher Ed | December 12, 2022 by Josh Moody
North Idaho College president Nick Swayne questioned the legality of board actions on open records and procurement. Three days...
Colleges and universities depend on informed and engaged trustees. ACTA’s tools and resources equip board members to be effective fiduciaries for America’s institutions of higher education. Be prepared for your next board meeting with ACTA’s trustee toolkit.
Get Your CopyOctober 4, 2022
In March 2022, the New York Times published a piece by Emma Camp, titled "I Came to College Eager to Debate. I Found Self-Censorship Instead." The story quickly went viral, and Emma was thrust into the spotlight...
READ MORE“I appreciate the assistance of the Fund for Academic Renewal in structuring the gift and my agreement. The guidance will ensure that my objectives for the gift will be honored by the University for many years to come.”
Boston Herald | October 12, 2022 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Steven McGuire
“How do you bring about a free speech turnaround on campus? Maybe, just maybe, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
Tallahassee Democrat | January 23, 2023 by Steven McGuire and Michael B. Poliakoff
Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a bold step to make Florida’s public liberal arts college, the New College of Florida, an effective, academically rigorous institution. This month, he appointed six new members to the...
READ MORE"ACTA’s resources are very informative for my staff as we work to solve issues in higher education. I commend the hard work of ACTA."
December 21, 2022
Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese served on ACTA’s Board of Directors for many years. We now continue to...
Read how policymakers can reform the higher education quality assurance process to protect students and taxpayers, preserve university and college independence and autonomy, and allow innovation in post-secondary education that will retain America's leadership.
Get Your CopyJanuary 18, 2023 by ACTA
Most college ranking systems, like the U.S. News & World Report, do not evaluate what students actually learn in the classroom. What Will They Learn? is the only rating system that examines the course catalogs of each...
READ MORE“Our very best wishes for ACTA’s continued success. We are in desperate need of educated citizens if as a country we are to survive.”
September 16, 2022 by Sadie Webb
On August 28, 2022, as part of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s (ACTA) College Debates and Discourse...
Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a bold step to make Florida’s public liberal arts college, the New College of Florida, an effective, academically rigorous institution. This month, he appointed six new members to the board of New College. They include, among others, Mark Bauerlein, Professor Emeritus of English at Emory University, Charles R. Kesler, Dengler-Dykema […]
The desire to make a difference is embedded in the human psyche. The effective altruism movement, recently made famous by the exploits of one of its most prominent advocates, taps into this aspect of our nature and offers a clearly defined, logical answer to the core question of which causes and organizations to support. While this […]
Critics of Sen. Ben Sasse’s (R-Neb.) bid to become president of the University of Florida […]
Is refusing to use someone’s preferred pronouns harassment or free speech? The courts have so far sided with free speech, but the Biden administration seems determined to push the issue and threaten free expression on American campuses by applying Title IX to gender identity. The Biden administration’s proposed new rules would prohibit “policies and practices that prevent…student[s] from participating in a recipient’s education […]
Two out of three college students now graduate with an average of over $28,000 in student debt, and the price of tuition continues to rise at an unsustainable rate, faster even than health care. So how do colleges spend that money?
The goal of ACTA's What Will They Learn?® project is to encourage colleges and universities to strengthen their general education programs—so that students graduate better prepared for the workforce, ready to participate in their communities as responsible citizens, and acquainted with our cultural and intellectual inheritance.
Intentional, directed giving has the power to renew our colleges and universities. ACTA's Fund for Academic Renewal serves donors who want to make transformative gifts to higher education, gifts that help institutions live up to their highest ideals. FAR guides donors and their advisors through every step in the gift-making process.
institutions have been counseled by ACTA on matters of cost effectiveness, financial governance, and institutional spending. See ACTA’s one-of-a-kind higher education financial analysis tool: HowCollegesSpendMoney.com.
institutions representing over two million students, encouraged by ACTA, reaffirmed their commitment to free speech on campus by adopting the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression.
institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com
students from 100+ Institutions have engaged in civil discourse debates through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.
news outlets reaching 14 million readers have covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
million dollars in gifts to higher education have been guided through ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal. Visit AcademicRenewal.org.
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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