ACTA Welcomes the Free and Open Societies Project at North Carolina State University into the Oases of Excellence Network

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is delighted to welcome the Free and Open Societies Project at North Carolina State University into the Oases of Excellence network. The project aims to elevate and diversify the intellectual climate on campus by encouraging the discussion of foundational political ideas. The project sponsors undergraduate seminars, courses, and research and hosts two annual lectures.  

Director Andrew J. Taylor remarks, “”The Free and Open Societies Project has been going, in one form or another, for nearly twenty years during which we have elevated and diversified the intellectual climate on NC State’s campus and added significant value to students’ educations.  To have this recognized by ACTA is incredibly satisfying and we hope to make this Oasis of Excellence a place where students and faculty can quench their thirst for ideas for twenty years to come.”   

Oases of Excellence are outstanding programs at colleges and universities across the country that are dedicated to educating students for informed citizenship in a free society by maintaining the highest academic standards, introducing students to the best of the foundational arts and sciences, teaching American heritage, and ensuring free inquiry into a range of intellectual viewpoints. ACTA’s Oases of Excellence network now includes over 80 programs at a wide range of institutions. The network is a forum for sharing ideas and best practices for running an independent liberal arts program and serves as a valuable resource for donors who are committed to supporting academic excellence. 

ACTA is proud of the work of these programs and is grateful to the faculty who make Oases of Excellence possible. ACTA President Michael Poliakoff stated, “At a time when surveys reveal with chilling clarity how little college students understand about America’s free institutions and their history, these centers’ efforts to equip students for informed and engaged life are urgently needed. They model the vigorous, free discourse and intellectual diversity that are the lifeblood of our free society. They also encourage the rich life of the mind through deep engagement in the liberal arts.”   

A complete list of ACTA’s Oases of Excellence can be found here. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Gabrielle Anglin
EMAIL: ganglin@goacta.org