On October 7, ACTA was invited back to the Ohio Statehouse by the Honorable Matt Huffman, president of the Ohio Senate, and Senator Jerry Cirino, chair of the Ohio Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee, to present at the second annual Ohio Public University Trustee Governance Symposium. The symposium brought together lawmakers and over 75 trustees from Ohio’s 14 public universities to ensure that tax dollars are supporting high-quality, affordable education.
Kicking off this year’s symposium, Senator Huffman spoke about the legislature’s role in higher education oversight in Ohio. Attendees also heard from Shawn Busken, deputy first assistant to the Ohio attorney general; Mike Duffey, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education; and Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted.
Armand Alacbay, ACTA’s senior vice president of strategy, led a presentation on ACTA’s two most recent trustee guides, An EQUAL SPACE for ALL, A Trustee Guide to Preventing Encampments and Occupations on Campus and Danger in Divestment. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement: What College Trustees Need to Know. These prescient guides offer practical guidance for trustees on how to respond to campus protests and calls for divestment from companies that do business with Israel. ACTA Policy Research Fellow Kyle Beltramini and Data Analyst Fellow Anna Sillers also gave presentations on board governance and controlling college spending.
This year’s keynote address was provided by Jed W. Atkins, the inaugural dean of the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Dr. Atkins also moderated a panel later in the program between Lee Strang, the inaugural director of the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society; State Senator Rob McColley; and ACTA President Michael Poliakoff. They discussed Ohio’s historic achievement in establishing five new centers dedicated to promoting American history and civic education. Dr. Poliakoff moderated a second panel entitled “Securing Institutional Neutrality in the Aftermath of October 7, 2023,” which featured University of Michigan Regent Sarah Hubbard, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill Trustee Marty Kotis, ACTA’s Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Free Expression Steven McGuire, and Ohio State University President Ted Carter.
During the symposium, ACTA presented Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ohio University, with our inaugural Pathfinder Award for his visionary and courageous leadership and his unwavering dedication to the improvement of higher education and to the betterment of our nation. Senator Jerry Cirino presented Dr. Vedder with a commendation from the Ohio Senate, as well as a copy of remarks submitted to the congressional record on behalf of Ohio Representative Troy Balderson.
ACTA was pleased to participate in this second annual symposium. With this event, the Ohio Legislature demonstrates a strong commitment to providing an excellent, affordable college education in service to the citizens of Ohio and to the nation at large.
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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