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Make your gift countJuly 15, 2026
ACTA’s Nick Down interviews Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees member Mike Balow. MSU has been embroiled in a controversy over a sudden revision to its trustee code of ethics that involved the signing of a loyalty pledge that would limit trustee speech, as well as threats to sanction and publicly censure any trustee who refuses to sign. The revised code passed 5-3, with Balow and two other trustees in dissent. Since then, the dissenting trustees have faced censure and public pressure to resign, as well as doxxing and threats on social media. Trustee Balow tells his side of the story of what really happened at the emergency meeting to pass the revised ethics code, and why he categorically opposes it.
April 21, 2026
Recognizing that America’s 250th anniversary is cause for both celebration and a long-overdue call for renewal, 24 historians, political scientists, and education leaders have joined ACTA’s National Commission on American History and Civic Education. The National Commission has a simple, yet essential goal: the restoration of the requirement that every college student complete a semester-long […]
A Broadside for the NationJuly 20, 2026
In April 2026, Dr. Bryan Paul, Curricular Fellow for ACTA’s College Debates and Discourse Alliance, joined Aimee Guidera, former Secretary…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Washington Examiner | July 17, 2026 by Samuel J. Abrams
For America’s semiquincentennial, my son and I drove from New York to Williamsburg, Virginia, to hear the Declaration of Independence read from…
ACTA’s A Broadside for the Nation: Preparing College Students for Informed Citizenship convenes 24 historians and education leaders who argue that America’s 250th anniversary demands a renewal of civic education. The report urges colleges to require every student to complete a semester-long course on the American story.
Download PDFJuly 21, 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 Connecticut Gold Standard evaluation. University of Connecticut receives credit for eleven out of twenty Gold Standard measures. Our research highlights University of Connecticut strengths in protecting free expression and identifies areas it must work on to improve the student experience. Explore the full University of Connecticut Gold Standard evaluation to learn more.
University of Connecticut Report CardJuly 21, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
PodcastsIntellectual Diversity
July 14, 2026
How biased is academic research? Are some fields more interested in ideological conformity than intellectual diversity and academic freedom?…
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 PDFThe Detroit News | July 22, 2026 by Sarah Atwood
A $12 million investigation into the University of Michigan’s athletic department produced no actual report amid findings that revealed the institution failed to be transparent and accountable. Michigan did not release any comprehensive investigative report because it said none was conducted or written. Instead, the university summarized the findings and recommendations compiled by Jenner & […]
UM spent $12M investigating athletic department. No report was producedJuly 22, 2026
ACTA Releases New Survey Exposing America’s Worsening Crisis in Civic Illiteracy On June 23, ACTA released The Story of…
July 21, 2026
Inside and outside the walls of higher education, the luster of tenure has diminished. What should its future be?…
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.
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Austin, Texas
Guarding Our Heritage of Religious Freedom
Join UsACTA in the NewsAthletic Spending
The Detroit News | July 22, 2026 by Sarah Atwood
A $12 million investigation into the University of Michigan’s athletic department produced no actual report amid findings that revealed the institution failed to be transparent and accountable. Michigan did not release any comprehensive investigative report because it said none was conducte…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Washington Examiner | July 17, 2026 by Samuel J. Abrams
For America’s semiquincentennial, my son and I drove from New York to Williamsburg, Virginia, to hear the Declaration of Independence read from the old Capitol — the very spot where it was proclaimed to cannon fire 250 years ago. The heat pushed 100 degrees, the fifes and drums came up Duke of Gl…
ACTA in the NewsPresidential Search
The College Fix | July 8, 2026 by Matt Lamb
Acrimony with board of trustees reportedly played a role in initial decision The president of Michigan State University will no longer leave his job this summer and head to Clemson University. Instead, he will stay at his job and earn $500,000 more per year. Kevin Guskiewicz announced on Monday h…
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.
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.
institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com
students from 140 institutions have engaged in 660 civil discourse debates, dialogues, and workshops through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.
news outlets in 2025 covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
million dollars in gifts to higher education have been guided through ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal. Visit AcademicRenewal.org.
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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