Employment

Program Officer for Trustee & Government Affairs

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities. 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 a philosophically rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.

The Program Officer for Trustee & Government Affairs advances ACTA’s core values of academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability by assisting the Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs in maintaining ACTA’s national network of trustees and elected officials and improving ACTA’s communications with those audiences.

Specifically, the Program Officer performs the following tasks:

• Assisting the Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs with communications and outreach to trustees, governors, policymakers, and related constituent groups, including responding to research questions and coordinating with other departmental staff on outreach projects. Approximately 80% of the Program Officer’s responsibilities will focus on programs for college and university governing boards (both public and private) at the institutional level.
• Providing analytical and project management support for departmental initiatives, including trustee publications, events, and ACTA’s board services. With the guidance of the Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs, the Program Officer will oversee the growth and development of ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance (IEG).
• Writing, research, and analysis related to issues regarding trustees and higher education policy, including institutional governance, core curriculum, academic freedom, accreditation, higher education finance, etc.
• Briefing the Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs on trends, issues, policy areas, and/or recent events of interest in higher education.
• Drafting correspondence and/or policy statements directed to higher education stakeholders including boards of trustees and government bodies.
• Contributing logistical and operational support to other departmental projects on an as-needed basis.

The Program Officer must approach these tasks as an entrepreneurial enterprise, requiring an understanding of and proactive approach to ACTA’s program activities. The Program Officer is expected to be personable, dynamic, well organized, highly motivated, and principled, and to act with the highest degree of personal responsibility, accountability, and honesty.


To submit an application for this position: email info@goacta.org with the subject line “Application: Program Officer for Trustee & Government Affairs”, along with a Resume and Cover Letter.