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How the Korean Language Surge Can Revive Foreign Language Study
March 12, 2026 by Jane Mangelli
At a time when many colleges are downsizing or eliminating foreign language programs, often citing low enrollment and budgetary…
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Civic Education
ACTA Testimony to Tennessee House Education Committee on HB291
March 10, 2026
Colleges and universities must commit to treating all members of the community, regardless of race or gender, with equal dignity. They need to do this not out of begrudging compliance with a government mandate, but in response to a moral imperative that, as this guide explains, is rooted in the very purpose of an institution of higher education.
Civic Education
Educating for a More Perfect Union
ACTA and the Museum of the American Revolution are celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary year with an evening panel discussion on how to reinvigorate history and civics education in American college and university classrooms and across the public history sector.
PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The Power of the Pen: Harriet Beecher Stowe and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
March 20, 2026 by Monica Boryczewski
On this day in 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published. Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe to protest the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the novel follows the lives of two slaves, Uncle Tom and Eliza, and the many cruelties they endure at the hands of their owners. Inspired by her faith and equipped with an […]
The Power of the Pen: Harriet Beecher Stowe and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
No U.S. History?
ACTA’s report, “No U.S. History? How College History Departments Leave the United States out of the Major,” found that 18 of the top 25 public universities did not have a wide-ranging American history requirement for students seeking a B.A. in history in the major or core curriculum.
Download PDFDEFENDING ACADEMIC FREEDOm
University of Oklahoma Report Card
March 17, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™, a 20-point action plan for reestablishing higher education’s commitment to excellence and open inquiry. Below we present the University of Oklahoma Gold Standard evaluation. University of Oklahoma receives credit for fifteen out of twenty Gold Standard measures. Our research highlights University of Oklahoma strengths in protecting free expression and identifies areas it must work on to improve the student experience. Explore the full University of Oklahoma Gold Standard evaluation to learn more.
University of Oklahoma Report CardIndiana University─Bloomington Report Card
March 17, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
Tenure Can’t Stay the Same
Inside Higher Ed | March 16, 2026 by Dr. Bryan Paul
Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt’s recent announcement that tenure will be phased out at the state’s public regional universities and community colleges…
ACTA Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression
ACTA now provides a blueprint to help higher education regain and live by this core principle. The ACTA Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™ provides clear guidance for institutions to create a culture of free thought on their campuses.
Download PDFENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY
ACTA Proponent Testimony on Maryland House Bill 1322
March 20, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini
House Bill 1322, the Maryland Campus Area Free Expression Act, aims to balance the need to provide an orderly environment conducive to student learning with colleges’ responsibility to respect the rights of students, faculty, and staff. By banning restrictive “free speech zones” and ensuring permits and security fees are assessed by “clear, published, content- and […]
ACTA Proponent Testimony on Maryland House Bill 1322ACTA Testimony to Tennessee House Education Committee on HB291
March 10, 2026
On March 10, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff testified before the Tennessee House of Representatives’ Education Committee on House Bill 291….
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Assessment
Ohio State Is Not Alone: How University Presidents Keep Getting Too Close to Outside Interests
University Herald | March 10, 2026 by Chris John
When Ohio State University President Ted Carter resigned on Monday after admitting he had allowed a podcaster and entrepreneur…
Governance for a New Era
Governance for a New Era is a blueprint for higher education governance. Signatories to the statement, a diverse group of 22 distinguished national leaders dedicated to ensuring America’s colleges and universities shed 20th century thinking and successfully meet 21st century challenges.
Download PDFIN THE
NEWS
ACTA in the NewsGeneral Education
Bipartisan Policy Center report finds U.S. higher education system failing the nation
The Washington Times | March 11, 2026 by Sean Salai
America’s education system has failed the nation by increasingly producing underemployed college graduates who lack essential job skills, according to a report published Wednesday. The Bipartisan Policy Center’s analysis of federal data noted that half of all bachelor’s program graduates between …
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Assessment
Ohio State Is Not Alone: How University Presidents Keep Getting Too Close to Outside Interests
University Herald | March 10, 2026 by Chris John
When Ohio State University President Ted Carter resigned on Monday after admitting he had allowed a podcaster and entrepreneur “inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership” to advance her private business interests, the reaction across higher education was familiar: shock, disappoin…
Press ReleasesForeign Language
ACTA’s New Report Shows Foreign Language Study Is in Freefall at U.S. Colleges
March 3, 2026
Washington, DC — The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released Ivory Tower of Babel: Rebuilding Language Learning in Higher Education for a More Secure and Competitive America, a new report examining the steep decline of foreign language study in U.S. higher education. The repor…
HOW ACTA IS SUCCEEDING
370
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.
146
institutions and systems representing nearly four million students, encouraged by ACTA, reaffirmed their commitment to free speech on campus by adopting the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression or a policy of institutional neutrality.
256
institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com
16,000+
students from 100+ Institutions have engaged in 400+ civil discourse debates, dialogues, and workshops through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.
1,452
news outlets in 2024 covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
275
million dollars in gifts to higher education have been guided through ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal. Visit AcademicRenewal.org.
WHO WE ARE
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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