ACTA in the NewsHiring Bias
Majority of sanctioned professors said they did not receive support from union, report finds
A recent report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found faculty unions support […]
Re “Brandeis Cancels Plan to Give Honorary Degree to Rights Advocate, a Critic of Islam” (news article, April 9):
Justice Louis D. Brandeis would be turning over in his grave. The university named after the former Supreme Court justice has illustrated the depths of small-minded bigotry and intolerance that now represent the culture on many campuses.
In rescinding an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Brandeis University has abandoned academic freedom and responsibility. Disinviting a controversial figure for fear of student backlash and upset sensitivities sends a perverse message that a college education must never dare offend.
How ironic that it was Justice Brandeis himself who understood that the essence of the free exchange of ideas—something to which virtually all universities nominally adhere—is “to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies,” not by “enforced silence.”
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni has been watching the spectacle of “disinvitation season,” when universities cave in to the loudest bullies.
We call on the Brandeis trustees in particular and higher education leaders everywhere to withstand this trend and to stand firm in defense of the free exchange of ideas—the essence of a liberal education.
A recent report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found faculty unions support […]
In 2020, college and university presidents lined up to issue statements about George Floyd’s tragic death, despite the event’s lack of any direct connection to higher education. They were much quieter after Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder last month, even though that incident was a direct assault on the very purpose of their institutions.
Since the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) launched its national campaign to encourage colleges and universities to adopt policies of institutional neutrality, many institutions across the country have done so. Cornell University is the latest school to take notable steps toward this goal.
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.
Discover MoreSign up to receive updates on the most pressing issues facing our college campuses.