When ACTA convened 22 national higher education leaders in 2016 to discuss university governance, they issued a unanimous statement declaring that trustees must prioritize teaching and learning when considering athletic spending:
“It is critical for trustees actively to oversee their intercollegiate athletics programs, rather than allow outside organizations such as the NCAA and athletic conferences to dictate governance prerogatives. Trustees cannot and should not expect participants in this multibillion-dollar industry to police themselves.”
In this spirit, ACTA wrote to Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin as additional details emerged in the ongoing NCAA investigation into the University of Louisville men’s basketball team. We believe that this scandal requires urgent board action to correct, and ACTA stands ready to assist Governor Bevin and the University of Louisville Board of Trustees as they work to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities. The text of our letter is below:
Dear Governor Bevin:
For the past 20 years, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has supported governors, policymakers, and trustees in their efforts to advance academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
ACTA has followed the recent events at the University of Louisville with interest, and I write to offer our organization to you as a resource that can provide a national perspective on best practices in higher education governance and can help trustees understand their primary fiduciary duty to the public. We have worked with governors and their appointees in a number of states, including Indiana, South Carolina, and Florida. And we have briefed numerous groups, including the National Governors Association, on higher education matters. ACTA also played a key role in helping the Pennsylvania Auditor General develop recommendations for board reform following the scandals at Penn State University.
Our programs range from informative web videos—such as our Best Practices in Athletic Oversight with former congressman and University System of Maryland regent Tom McMillen—to trustee seminars and guides. ACTA’s Getting the Data: 10 Questions Trustees Must Ask (enclosed) is now part of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents’ regular evaluation process.
Thank you for your service to higher education. I look forward to hearing from you.
Armand Alacbay,
Vice President, Trustee and Legislative Affairs
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