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Make your gift countOctober 7, 2026
On September 24, 2026, ACTA and the School of Civic Leadership at UT-Austin hosted a keynote address by Vincent Phillip Muñoz, Tocqueville Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. The keynote was followed by a panel and Q&A session that explored how America’s tradition of religious liberty and freedom of conscience emerged from the nation’s constitutional heritage and why a deeper understanding of these principles remains essential to civic education today.
Law & Liberty | October 21, 2026 by Michael B. Poliakoff
The number of civic institutes, centers, and schools at public universities has increased significantly since the first one, the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University, emerged in 2017. Beginning in 2021, nineteen new centers and institutes have been established. Although many institutions have launched initiatives to enhance civic […]
Best Practices for a Last Best HopeACTA in the NewsCore Curriculum
The Washington Times | October 21, 2026 by Sean Salai
A study published Wednesday finds that American doctoral dissertations in history, literature, philosophy, arts and culture are becoming more…
October 8, 2026
ACTA President Michael Poliakoff welcomes Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit…
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 PDFThe College Fix | October 21, 2026 by Micaiah Bilger
Professors registered as Democrats outnumber colleagues registered as Republicans by a 28 to one ratio in political science departments across six Pennsylvania universities, a College Fix analysis found. The analysis reviewed the political science departments at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, West Chester University, and Penn State University. […]
Zero Republican political science professors found at 4 major Pennsylvania universities, research showsOctober 15, 2026
In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison talk about Guangtian Ha, a pro-Palestinian…
October 13, 2026
North Carolina’s leading public universities have adopted important policies to protect free expression on campus. However, as the following…
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 Washington Times | October 20, 2026 by Sean Salai
Artificial intelligence apparently is helping reverse decades of bureaucratic bloat at universities, whose nonteaching staff have increased faster than their faculty and student bodies, analysts say. The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, a nonprofit group of human resources officers, surveys roughly 1,000 public and nonprofit private schools each year. The association found […]
AI reversing increases in higher education administration for the first time in decadesOctober 20, 2026
ACTA’s Institute for Effective Governance, founded in 2003 by college and university trustees for trustees, is devoted to enhancing…
ACTA in the NewsAdministrative Bloat
The Hechinger Report | October 13, 2026 by Jon Marcus
It was in the quiet of the summer when a new president at Louisiana State University said the school…
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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A Webinar from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni
Join UsACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Law & Liberty | October 21, 2026 by Michael B. Poliakoff
The number of civic institutes, centers, and schools at public universities has increased significantly since the first one, the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership (SCETL) at Arizona State University, emerged in 2017. Beginning in 2021, nineteen new centers and institutes have be…
ACTA in the NewsCore Curriculum
The Washington Times | October 21, 2026 by Sean Salai
A study published Wednesday finds that American doctoral dissertations in history, literature, philosophy, arts and culture are becoming more critical of Western culture, even as fewer people complete them. The American Academy of Sciences and Letters reported that humanities dissertations droppe…
ACTA in the NewsIntellectual Diversity
The College Fix | October 21, 2026 by Micaiah Bilger
Professors registered as Democrats outnumber colleagues registered as Republicans by a 28 to one ratio in political science departments across six Pennsylvania universities, a College Fix analysis found. The analysis reviewed the political science departments at the University of Pennsylvania, Te…
ACTA in the NewsArtificial Intelligence
The Washington Times | October 20, 2026 by Sean Salai
Artificial intelligence apparently is helping reverse decades of bureaucratic bloat at universities, whose nonteaching staff have increased faster than their faculty and student bodies, analysts say. The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, a nonprofit group of hum…
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 & Discourse Alliance.
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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