On December 8, 2022, South Carolina Representatives Bill Taylor, Mike Burns, and Josiah Magnuson, filed House Bill 3467, the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act, which sought to strengthen free speech rights at colleges and universities. After stalling in committee, this bill has been reintroduced with the additional sponsors of Representatives David Vaughan and Thomas Hartnett. ACTA wrote a letter to the sponsors of the bill, commending their efforts to ensure that public institutions uphold the constitutionally protected rights of campus members.
Dear Representative Taylor:
I wanted to reach out to you in light of your recent work on H3467. As a nonprofit organization committed to the preservation of academic freedom, excellence, and accountability, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) appreciates your efforts to safeguard the freedom of speech on college campuses. We share your sentiment that rational debate and the free exchange of ideas are the lifeblood of both higher education and our democracy.
In this spirit, I would like to offer our aid if there is any way we can be of assistance. For over 25 years, ACTA has worked with trustees and public officials across the country to ensure that all Americans can receive a high-quality education at an affordable price. We have testified before various state legislatures and commissions in states including Florida, New Jersey, Alaska, Georgia, Montana, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio, on matters such as curricular quality, academic assessment, and institutional accountability.
If there is anything we can do to help your efforts to support H3467, or in any matter in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
We are immensely grateful for your commitment to American higher education, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Armand B Alacbay
Chief of Staff & SVP of Strategy
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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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