State Reports

What We’re Doing

Each report card examines trends in academic standards, affordability, student performance, and resource utilization, and highlights best practices for governing boards at public institutions of higher education across the state.

General Education

ACTA’s reports examine the general education requirements at each public college and university in the state in order to answer the question of whether college graduates will acquire the critical liberal arts skills and knowledge needed for success in career, citizenship, and community. ACTA also looks for evidence of the use of nationally-normed assessments to measure student progress in gaining core collegiate skills such as formal writing and analytical reasoning.

Intellectual Diversity

Intellectual diversity is the very lifeblood of higher education. When the free exchange of ideas ceases, only indoctrination and intellectual stagnation will remain. Accordingly, through student surveys and analysis of campus practices, ACTA gathers information and reports whether students and faculty are free from coercion, intimidation, and indoctrination and whether their institutions foster or restrict vigorous academic inquiry and discourse.

Cost and Effectiveness

The price of tuition has skyrocketed over the past few decades—and ACTA’s state reports show how these costs affect everyday households as a rising percentage of median household income. Our analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education reveals how institutions are spending their money, tracks changes in graduation and retention rates, and analyzes whether institutions are efficiently using their classroom and laboratory space.

Governance

ACTA’s reports assess the structure and procedures of governing boards and highlight best practices. We evaluate the extent to which trustees and regents execute their fiduciary responsibilities and examine both their successes and shortcomings in furthering accountability and transparency in public higher education.

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