ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America's colleges and universities.
ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America's colleges and universities.
ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America's colleges and universities.
ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America's colleges and universities.
Authors: ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance
Authors
Scholars, higher education leaders, and policymakers have contributed to ACTA's library of resources.
Asking Questions, Getting Answers
A Guide for Higher Ed TrusteesMay 2019 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
This guide, updated in 2019, outlines some of the key questions trustees should ask regarding the academic and financial operations of their institutions. Institutions… Continue Reading >>
ACTA Reasserts North Carolina Governor’s Appointing Authority for University Trustees
December 2016 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
WASHINGTON, DC—The American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a statement in opposition to a proposal by North Carolina legislators to strip… Continue Reading >>
The Basics of Responsible Trusteeship
August 2016 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
There are few positions that offer comparable challenges and rewards to those of a college trustee. As a trustee, you have the legal and fiduciary obligation… Continue Reading >>
Bold Leadership, Real Reform Bold Leadership, Real Reform
Best Practices in University GovernanceFebruary 2015 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
Drawing on the experiences of universities across the country, Bold Leadership, Real Reform: Best Practices in University Governance… Continue Reading >> Continue Reading >>
Accreditation
A Call to Action for College TrusteesOctober 2013 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
Today, virtually all colleges and universities in the United States are accredited (sometimes by more than one accrediting body). Yet there is widespread—and… Continue Reading >>
The Art of College Admissions
A Trustee Guide to the Value of Entrance ExamsJuly 2013 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
In recent years, a number of educators have challenged the usefulness of SAT and ACT tests as indicators of college readiness, and some institutions have stopped… Continue Reading >>
Are They Learning?
A College Trustee's Guide to Assessing Academic EffectivenessJanuary 2013 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
The most urgent task of colleges and universities is to prepare graduates for the challenges of career, community, and citizenship. Responsible institutions… Continue Reading >>
Setting Academic Priorities
A Guide to What Boards of Trustees Can DoMay 2012 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
Higher education is in the midst of a deep financial crisis, and the failure of governing boards to focus on academic programs is arguably the single greatest… Continue Reading >>
Substance Abuse on Campus
What Trustees Should KnowFebruary 2012 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
Get the facts about what's going on at campuses across the country and how universities' failure to emphasize their academic mission has created… Continue Reading >>
Trouble in the Dorms
A Guide to Residential Life Programs for Higher Education TrusteesOctober 2009 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
This guide briefly retraces the rise of ideologically charged residential life programming on campuses and shows how such programs, despite their seemingly innocuous… Continue Reading >>
Restoring a Core
How Trustees Can Ensure Meaningful General Education RequirementsSeptember 2009 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
In light of the findings in What Will They Learn? that many of our leading universities have… Continue Reading >>
Protecting the Free Exchange of Ideas Protecting the Free Exchange of Ideas
How Trustees Can Advance Intellectual Diversity on CampusJune 2009 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
This report features ten best practices, gleaned from colleges and universities across the country, for promoting the free exchange of ideas in and out of the… Continue Reading >> Continue Reading >>
Measuring Up
The Problem of Grade Inflation and What Trustees Can DoFebruary 2009 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
This guide suggests various strategies that boards of trustees can adopt to curb the problem of grade inflation at their schools. Addressing grade inflation… Continue Reading >>
The Higher Education Opportunity Act and You
What the Legislation Means for Boards of TrusteesFebruary 2009 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
This guide looks at several key provisions of the new Higher Education Act and outlines what you, as a trustee, can do. The HEOA, which passed the House and… Continue Reading >>
Assessing the President’s Performance
A "How To" Guide for TrusteesAugust 2006 by ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance |
Assessing the president's performance is one of the board's primary responsibilities, and its importance is second only to selecting the president. While… Continue Reading >>
