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The Fourth of July: A Declaration of Freedom
July 2, 2026 by Monica Boryczewski
When someone mentions the Fourth of July, images of grand parades, dazzling fireworks, and boisterous gatherings come to mind….
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Boards and Bots
July 7, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini
Just as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do the challenges it poses for American colleges and universities. This new publication equips governing boards to navigate one of the most consequential technological developments facing higher education.
PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Pride, Agency, and Duty: Study America’s Past to Secure Her Future
History We Don’t Know | July 3, 2026 by H.R. McMaster
Ignorance of America’s institutions, principles, and history weakens commitment to our nation and its future. It threatens the country as much as any foreign army. Without a knowledge of the country’s history, young people will struggle to realize how important, precious yet fragile, our constitutional order remains. National Council on American History and Civics Education […]
Pride, Agency, and Duty: Study America’s Past to Secure Her Future
A Broadside for the Nation
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 PDFDEFENDING ACADEMIC FREEDOm
University of Kentucky Report Card
July 7, 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 Kentucky Gold Standard evaluation. University of Kentucky receives credit for eleven out of twenty Gold Standard measures. Our research highlights the University of Kentucky’s strengths in protecting free expression and identifies areas it must work on to improve the student experience. Explore the full University of Kentucky Gold Standard evaluation to learn more.
University of Kentucky Report CardUniversity of Georgia Report Card
July 7, 2026
ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) has evaluated universities in several states against our Gold Standard for Freedom of Expression™,…
Can Civics Centers Revive Higher Education? with guest Lee Strang
June 30, 2026
Are the new university civics centers the key to solving the intellectual diversity crisis in higher education? In this…
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 Releases New Guide to Help College Trustees Navigate Artificial Intelligence
July 7, 2026
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) today released Boards and Bots: A Guide to Artificial Intelligence for College Trustees. Just as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do the challenges it poses for American colleges and universities. This new publication equips governing boards to navigate one of the most consequential technological developments […]
ACTA Releases New Guide to Help College Trustees Navigate Artificial IntelligenceBoards and Bots
July 7, 2026 by Kyle Beltramini
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping higher education. Approximately 85% of students and 84% of faculty and staff report using…
Max Schanzenbach: An Insider’s Guide to Divestment
June 30, 2026
ACTA’s chief of staff and SVP, Armand Alacbay, interviews Max Schanzenbach, the Seigle Family Professor of Law at Northwestern University School…
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
Press ReleasesArtificial Intelligence
ACTA Releases New Guide to Help College Trustees Navigate Artificial Intelligence
July 7, 2026
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) today released Boards and Bots: A Guide to Artificial Intelligence for College Trustees. Just as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do the challenges it poses for American colleges and universities. This new publication equi…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
Pride, Agency, and Duty: Study America’s Past to Secure Her Future
History We Don’t Know | July 3, 2026 by H.R. McMaster
Ignorance of America’s institutions, principles, and history weakens commitment to our nation and its future. It threatens the country as much as any foreign army. Without a knowledge of the country’s history, young people will struggle to realize how important, precious yet fragile, our constitu…
ACTA in the NewsCivic Education
The Heroes of 1776
The Free Press | July 2, 2026 by Janie Nitze and Neil Gorsuch
In a desperate effort to defend a key stronghold from advancing British troops, the Continental Army dug in at Philadelphia’s Fort Mifflin in September 1777. What followed was among the most brutal sieges of the Revolutionary War. The patriots’ meager defenses couldn’t withstand the constant Brit…
ACTA in the NewsWestern Civilization
Equality, from BC to DC
Antigone Journal | July 2, 2026 by Solveig Gold
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Americans are so accustomed to the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence t…
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
26,500+
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.
795
news outlets in 2025 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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