Mobile background hero image
Hero poster image

You Can Help Shape the Future of Higher Education

Join ACTA in promoting Academic Excellence, Academic Freedom, and Accountability in higher education.

Engage Today

Work together
WITH ACTA

See How

The
Latest

ACTA in the NewsCivic Literacy

University Innovation in the Buckeye State?

The American Spectator  |  July 18, 2023 by Richard K. Vedder

Civic Education

National Commission on American History and Civic Education

For too long, colleges and universities have neglected teaching the American story to undergraduates, with fewer than one in five institutions requiring a course in U.S. government or history for graduation. Most students are leaving college without a grasp of their own system of government, a situation that is particularly alarming in an age of rising polarization. ACTA has taken a significant step to address this crisis by convening the National Commission on American History and Civic Education, comprised of esteemed historians, political scientists, and education leaders.

Trustee toolkit

No U.S. History?

ACTA’s report, “No U.S. History? How College History Departments Leave the United States out of the Major,” found that 18 of the top 25 public universities did not have a wide-ranging American history requirement for students seeking a B.A. in history in the major or core curriculum.

Download PDF
Trustee toolkit

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 PDF
Trustee toolkit

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 PDF
IN THE NEWS
  • ACTA in the NewsFreedom of Expression

    Are Austin’s Campuses Protecting Free Speech?

    Forbes  |  December 31, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff

    The answer spans “significant progress” to “beyond a doubt.” We are seeing meaningful breakthroughs in the Texas capital, and the University of Austin (UATX) is clearly destined to be a new national model. Meanwhile, survey data released today show that making even more progress is an urgent priority for American higher education. Several years ago, the University of Chicago responded to […]

  • ACTA in the NewsFree Speech

    Free Speech Is Under Threat at Top Law Schools 

    Newsweek  |  April 14, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Paul S. Levy

    Even in a year of disgraceful coast-to-coast shout-downs, stretching from Yale Law School to Stanford Law School, the persecution of Professor Amy Wax stands out. It should summon the legal profession and American higher education to action. If we fail to reassert the core values of academic freedom and plain, simple fairness, the consequences—especially for […]

  • ACTA in the NewsFreedom of Expression

    I found hope for democracy in an unexpected place

    Washington Post  |  March 1, 2023 by Henry Olsen

    TUCSON — If, like me, you are worried about political polarization and what it is doing to our country, I invite you to consider Arizona’s Regents’ Cup. It might just offer you a ray of hope for our democracy. I recently participated as a moderator and judge at the event. Sponsored by the Arizona Board of […]

  • ACTA in the NewsCivic Literacy

    SUNY to Require Social Justice but Not Civic Education

    RealClear Education  |  February 17, 2023 by Michael B. Poliakoff and Steven McGuire

    Will every State University of New York (SUNY) student be compelled to absorb fashionable social justice theories,without being required to learn the basics of American history or government? Is the whole of the American experience less important than a narrow slice of it? SUNY reported this week that it has added a new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice general education […]

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.

97

institutions representing over three million students, encouraged by ACTA, reaffirmed their commitment to free speech on campus by adopting the Chicago Principles on Freedom of Expression.

256

institutions have improved their core curriculum requirements based on ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® initiative. Visit WhatWillTheyLearn.com

4000

students from 100+ Institutions have engaged in civil discourse debates through ACTA’s college debates program partnership with Braver Angels and Bridge USA.

367

news outlets reaching 14 million readers have covered ACTA’s nationwide impact on academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.

188

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.

Discover More