American Council of Trustees and Alumni

Ten days left to raise $10,000! ACTA’s Campus Freedom Initiative™ (CFI) is close to completing a $1 million matching challenge. As you plan your year-end giving, we hope you will consider a donation in support of this program’s essential work. Check out the program with this link: https://lnkd.in/eNZcfDdy. Through CFI, we work with trustees, alumni, and others to help colleges and universities adopt policies that foster a culture of free expression and advance diversity of thought. The policies we support are outlined in the ACTA Gold Standard for Free Expression™. One of our major projects this year has been working to promote institutional neutrality, and we have had a number of important wins. To donate online, please use the following link:https://lnkd.in/eduaHcrq. And be sure to check the box indicating you would like your gift to support the Campus Freedom Initiative! From all of us at ACTA, thank you for your encouragement and your support.

"The results of the survey point to a failure on behalf of colleges and universities, whose job it is to educate and prepare students to be informed citizens." NEW: Writing for the James Madison Institute, ACTA's Clare Doyle addresses university students' staggering levels of civic illiteracy - and what that means for higher ed. Read her piece here: https://lnkd.in/gzzncWXd

“There’s so much demand for it we can hardly keep up." The ACTA-led Campus Debates & Discourse Alliance was featured in the New York Times. The Alliance organizes debates between college students on hot-button issues from abortion to Israel/Palestine. https://lnkd.in/dMHnHRZz

🚨 ACTA Employees Engage in Meaningful Community Conversations on Free Speech 🚨 At ACTA, we are proud of the active role our team members play in advocating for academic freedom and defending free speech in higher education. Recently, we were invited to participate in North Carolina Representative Greg Murphy's annual Free Speech Roundtable alongside other key stakeholders, including Reps. Burgess Owens and Virginia Foxx. During this important conversation, our own Kyle Beltramini spoke up, addressing the changing landscape of free speech on university campuses. He shared a compelling point that resonates with many in higher education: University stakeholders once used to defend their institutions by claiming that violations of free speech or expression would never happen on their campuses. Kyle made it clear that “this excuse has now lost all credibility.” The reality of free speech violations is undeniable, and it's crucial for all of us to engage in conversations that hold institutions accountable and ensure academic freedom remains a core principle. We encourage you to watch Kyle’s powerful message here: https://lnkd.in/eteHQMMk. We’re committed to continuing these vital discussions and advocating for the values that strengthen our academic institutions and our communities. #FreeSpeech #ACTA #AcademicFreedom #HigherEd #PublicPolicy #CommunityEngagement

WATCH: "In all the war games of which I'm aware, the unclassified ones, the scenario of a [Chinese blockade of Taiwan] produces a very ugly outcome." One of the greatest living historians, Niall Ferguson spoke at the ACTA-sponsored Levy Forum for Open Discourse about the threats challenging Western Civilization in a rapidly-changing world: https://lnkd.in/exMuq5gF

"On one side, a faculty senate is determined to support disruption regardless of the impact on the university’s ability to function or the impact on other members of the community. On the other, a board of regents, now vindicated by students, is taking the lead to protect and restore one of America’s great public universities with a student body that prizes order and reason." Read President Michael Poliakoff's analysis of the ongoing battle to restore order and sanity to his alma mater, UMich. https://lnkd.in/gK3-JRmx

“Less acknowledged, but no less consequential, is our society’s failure to prepare future political leaders through our institutions of higher education. “The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a leading group advocating higher education reform, published a poll earlier this summer demonstrating college students’ shocking lack of civic knowledge. They found, for instance, that most college students did not know that the vice president also serves as the president of the Senate. Almost a third of those ACTA surveyed also wrongly believed that senators serve four-year terms, and less than a third could identify Congress as the branch of government that declares war.” Find ACTA’s full survey here: https://lnkd.in/eZws99-w

The Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement is partnering with Braver Angels, BridgeUSA , and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, invite you to join us on 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡 from 5:00pm-6:30pm for an interactive workshop that will foster conversations and dialogue, centered around the following question: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲? For more information and to RSVP, visit: https://lnkd.in/ejygjaXE. #ABraverCampus #abortiondebate #GMU #PoliticalDifferences #GMUCommunity #GMULEAD #GeorgeMasonUniversity #ABraverCampus #BridgingGMUsPoliticalDifferences #GMU #PoliticalDifferences #GMUCommunity #GMULEAD #workshops #GeorgeMasonUniversity

SEVENTEEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN THE TOP 10! The Princeton Review® and Entrepreneur Magazine's annual “Top 50 Best Undergrad Programs for Entrepreneurs” ranking in 2025 is out, and Miami University’s Entrepreneurship Program is ranked #8 overall globally and #1 in Ohio! This is the SEVENTEENTH consecutive year that The Princeton Review® and Entrepreneur Magazine have ranked Miami’s Entrepreneurship program among the Top 10 Public Schools. This most recent announcement adds to a growing list of impressive accomplishments for the Department of Entrepreneurship and the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship that include: ✔️ Earned three consecutive Top 50 rankings among all colleges globally in the Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings published annually by the Texas Christian University - M.J. Neeley School of Business—#26 in the world in 2024, #33 in the world in 2023, and #23 in the world in 2022. ✔️ Received the USASBE Model Entrepreneurship Program Award in 2024, given annually by USASBE- United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship to the top entrepreneurship program--graduate and undergraduate--in the world. ✔️ Named to the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) Oases of Excellence in 2021 for the program's “commitment 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.” ✔️ Received the NASDAQ Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 2020, given annually by Nasdaq and the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers - GCEC to the top entrepreneurship institute/center in the world. Dr. Tim R. Holcomb Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Director of the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship said, “Earning a spot among the Top 10 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the world for seventeen consecutive years is an exciting accomplishment and reflects the unwavering commitment our faculty and staff have to undergraduate education as well as the success this group has had and continues to have preparing tomorrow's entrepreneurial leaders to innovate, create value, and elevate their impact on society.” For more information about the 2025 rankings, visit: Miami University: https://ow.ly/MPE450U58kE The Princeton Review: https://ow.ly/bcFF50U58kC Entrepreneur Magazine: https://ow.ly/4Ij150U58kB #LoveandHonor #BeyondReady #Entrepreneurship #EntrepreneurshipEducation #StartupCincy Miami University Alumni Association

Yesterday, our office transformed into a bustling hub of collaboration as our amazing team came together to help stuff envelopes for the distribution of the annual "ACTA State Rankings." This important project, led by the Trustees & Government Affairs Team, evaluates nearly 500 public, four-year colleges and universities based on key indicators of academic quality and cost-effectiveness. It was fantastic to see colleagues from different departments working side by side, emphasizing the power of teamwork in achieving our goals. Whether it was sorting, sealing, or addressing, each person's contribution made a difference in ensuring these vital rankings reach their destination. A big thank you to everyone who participated! Your enthusiasm and dedication not only helped us meet our deadline but also reinforced the spirit of collaboration that defines our workplace. Together, we’re not just achieving our objectives—we’re building a stronger community. Let’s keep up the great teamwork! 💪📬 #Teamwork #Collaboration #ACTAStateRankings #OfficeCulture #TogetherWeCan