The Decline and Fall of History GOACTA 2016-11-03 | On October 28, Niall Ferguson accepted the 2016 Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC.
Leading a University in a Time of Turmoil GOACTA 2024-10-17 | American college campuses have become hot spots for protests, unrest, occupations, and encampments since October 7, 2023. ACTA will host a conversation on the challenges facing university leadership as they seek to maintain rules and procedures that ensure campus safety while protecting the freedom to teach and learn.ACTA welcomes Special Guest Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. He will deliver remarks and a fireside chat on his strategies, philosophies, and vision for Vanderbilt and higher education institutions in America. Joining him will be ACTA board member and The George Washington University president emeritus Stephen Trachtenberg. ACTA President Michael Poliakoff will moderate the discussion. Q&A from the audience will follow.
TFAS and the CD&D Alliance GOACTA 2024-08-26 | Each summer since 2021, the College Debates and Discourse (CD&D) Alliance has partnered with The Fund For American Studies (TFAS) to launch Braver Angels debates for hundreds of college students interning in the nation's capital. In this brief video, TFAS students and a TFAS leader share the value of their immersion in civil discourse.
The Free Speech Fight for Alumni and Current Students with Kaleigh Cunningham GOACTA 2024-07-26 | Princetonians for Free Speech Director of Outreach and Communications, Kaleigh Cunningham has been at the center of the free speech debate on college campuses since she was a student herself. She discusses her early years as an undergrad fighting for free speech and how organizations like FIRE and others were instrumental in helping her and her fellow students get going and starting a movement on their campus.For more on alumni free speech: alumnifreespeechalliance.org Princetonians for Free Speech: princetoniansforfreespeech.org#freespeech #alumni
The Fight for Free Speech in Higher Ed is Here #freespeech #alumni GOACTA 2024-07-26 | Kaleigh Cunningham discusses the role that students can play in the ongoing free speech debate on campus. She goes through her own history with getting involved in the movement as well as how other students can get off the ground at their university and connect with other alumni and organizations such as FIRE and AFSA.For more on alumni free speech: alumnifreespeechalliance.org Princetonians for Free Speech: princetoniansforfreespeech.org
The Alumni Free Speech Alliance and the End of the Beginning with Steve Carhart #freespeech GOACTA 2024-07-25 | The Alumni Free Speech Movement has become quite powerful. Now in its third year, Steve Carhart remarked on the Alumni Summit on Free Expression and the tremendous growth in attendance and the depth of engagement with freedom of speech he has seen in alumni. #freespeech #academicfreedom #alumnimovement #afsa #alumnifreespeechallianceFor more on the Alumni Free Speech Movement: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgMIT Free Speech Alliance: mitfreespeech.org
To Protect Free Speech, Young Alumni Must Act #freespeech #academicfreedom #alumni #youngalumni GOACTA 2024-07-25 | Higher Ed is at a critical juncture and we need young alumni willing to step up and stand up for free speech at their alma mater. This is a fight for all alumni, not just the more established mid-to-late career alumni. There is an increasing need for those who are closer to the university to step up. Steve Carhart, External Relations Chair of the MIT Free Speech Alliance, speaks about precisely this need. #youngalumni #freespeech #alumnifreespeech #afsa #alumni #highereducationFor more on Alumni Advocacy: alumnifreespeechalliance.org MIT Free Speech Alliance: mitfreespeech.org
The Growth of Heterodox Academy and its Role in Free Speech on College Campuses with John Tomasi GOACTA 2024-07-24 | President of Heterodox Academy, John Tomasi's discussion of the growth of Heterodox Academy and the Alumni Free Speech movement more broadly.For more on AFSA: https://www.alumnifreespeechalliance....Heterodox Academy: heterodoxacademy.org
The Alumni Free Speech Movement, Its Promise, and Its Tremendous Growth with John Tomasi GOACTA 2024-07-24 | President of Heterodox Academy, John Tomasi had some wonderful comments on the growth of the Alumni Free Speech Movement from its inception to what is now the third Alumni Summit on Free Expression.For more on AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgHeterodox Academy: heterodoxacademy.org
The Power of Joining Other Concerned Alumni through the Alumni Free Speech Movement with Tabia Lee GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Founding member of Free Black Thought Tabia Lee makes clear the role that universities play in developing students. We need students who have heard a wide range of diverse perspectives and ideas as citizens. Her work as an engaged member of the academic community speak volumes.For more on AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgFree Black Thought: freeblackthought.com
Higher Eds Duty to Create Well Rounded Students, Exposed to Diverse Perspectives with Tabia Lee GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Founding member of Free Black Thought Tabia Lee makes clear the role that universities play in developing students. We need students who have heard a wide range of diverse perspectives and ideas as citizens. Her work as an engaged member of the academic community speak volumes.For more of AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgFree Black Thought: freeblackthought.com
The Alumni Movements Momentum and Growth Toward Lasting, Sustained Change with Joanne Florino GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Joanne Florino is an Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence at Philanthropy Roundtable and her discussion about the role of alumni in higher education is particularly illuminating.To learn more about AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.org#beyondthedollarbill #alumni
Fighting Resistance to Higher Ed Donations Through Targeted, Strategic Gifts with Joanne Florino GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Joanne Florino is an Adam Meyerson Distinguished Fellow in Philanthropic Excellence at Philanthropy Roundtable and her discussion about the role of alumni in higher education through donation is particularly illuminating.To learn more about AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.org#targeteddonations #donorintent #alumni
The Need for More Alumni to Stand Up for Free Speech in Higher Ed with Dr. Marisol Quintanilla GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Dr. Marisol Quintanilla talks about the importance of standing up and taking the first step toward stemming the illiberal tide and promoting a culture of free speech on your college campus.Learn more about Michigan State Alumni for Free Speech: michiganstateforfreespeech.orgLearn More About AFSA: alumnifreespeechalliance.org
How AFSA and Others Helped Foster the Growth of Furman Free Speech Alliance with Jeffrey Salmon GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Jeffrey Salmon talks about the importance of organizations like ACTA in fostering and enabling young alumni groups to stand up and fight for the future of their universities. #alumniassociation #freespeech Learn more about AFSA here: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgFurman Free Speech Alliance: furman-free-speech.com
The Importance and Unique Placement of Alumni in the Higher Ed Free Speech Movement with Ed Yingling GOACTA 2024-07-24 | Ed Yingling discusses the critical role of alumni in protecting free speech in higher education. His remarks at the Alumni Summit on Free Expression bring his experience as both an alumni and as a Co-Founder of Princetonians for Free Speech to the discussion. #academicfreedom #freespeech #alumni #alumniassociationFeel free to check out AFSA at: alumnifreespeechalliance.orgPrincetonians for Free Speech: princetoniansforfreespeech.org
Faculty Leaders and the CD&D Alliance GOACTA 2024-07-01 | Educators from Juniata College, Sul Ross State University, and Denison University describe their experience organizing Braver Angels campus and classroom debates with the College Debates and Discourse Alliance. Write to: info @ collegediscourse dot Org or visit goacta.org/initiatives/college-debates for information on the program.
Student Leaders and the CD&D Alliance GOACTA 2024-07-01 | Student leaders from Linn Benton Community College, The George Washington University, University of Connecticut, and Molloy University describe their experience organizing Braver Angels campus debates with the College Debates and Discourse Alliance. Write to: info @ collegediscourse dot Org or visit goacta.org/initiatives/college-debates for information on the program.
Tabia Lee on The Importance of University Governance GOACTA 2024-06-24 | Tabia Lee, director of the Coalition for Empowered Education, outlines the influence trustees and alumni can have if they fulfill their duty to their institution of higher education.
The New World of Alumni, Rising Against The Illiberal Tide #academicfreedom GOACTA 2024-06-10 | With support from groups like the American Council for Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) and the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA), Alumni can join the fight to save Higher Ed from the illiberal agenda threatening it. John Tomasi talks about the Alumni Movement, a movement formed to restore universities across the country to places where students grow, learn, and become capable citizens of this nation.#cancelculture #college #freespeech #highereducation #alumni #polarization #university #freethought #professor
Free Speech Is Essential If Higher Education Wants To Create the Next Generation of Citizens GOACTA 2024-06-07 | When the voices of students and faculty are shut down because of their perspectives, it becomes critical for alumni and key stakeholders in higher education to stand up and fight for free speech, because it really is, "use it or lose it." #shorts #freespeech #highereducation
Intellectually Diverse Campuses Are Needed to Produce Informed Citizens GOACTA 2024-06-05 | When students are exposed to various ideas and given the opportunity to develop their own belief systems, they become better informed and engaged citizens.#cancelculture #college #freespeech #highereducation #polarization #citizenship #community #campuslife #civics
Can professors and alumni work together to save the institutions they both love? GOACTA 2024-06-03 | With support from groups like the American Council for Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) and the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA), professors can join the movement to defend freedom of expression on college campuses. #cancelculture #college #freespeech #highereducation #alumni #polarization #university #freethought #professor
Disagree Better: How to Turn Down the Heat by Governor Spencer J. Cox GOACTA 2024-05-29 | A husband, father, farmer, and former attorney, Spencer J. Cox was sworn in as the 18th governor of Utah on January 4, 2021. He has a long track record of public service, serving as a city council member, mayor, county commissioner, and state legislator before being appointed as Utah’s lieutenant governor in 2013. During his first term as governor, he has cut $1.1 billion in taxes; implemented landmark changes in water law, water conservation, and infrastructure planning; locked in record funding for education and teachers; enacted universal school choice; and secured funds for affordable housing. A long-time advocate for suicide prevention and mental health resources, he has become a national voice on protecting youth from the harms of social media. He also signed early education and workforce program funding, launched the One Utah Health Collaborative, and expanded opportunities for women, diverse communities, and those living in rural parts of the state. He currently serves as the 2023–2024 chairman of the National Governors Association, where he has launched the Disagree Better initiative, which seeks to reduce partisan animosity by modeling and teaching the skills of healthy, positive debate.
Campus Programming and Partnerships for Lasting Change Panel Discussion GOACTA 2024-05-29 | This panel focused on how alumni can work with students, faculty, and administrators to protect free expression and viewpoint diversity on campus.Moderator:Jenna Robinson, President, James G. Martin Center for AcademicRenewalPanelists:Lindsay Hoffman, Associate Professor of Communication, Associate Director in the Center for Political Communication, University of DelawareTabia Lee, Director, Coalition for Empowered EducationRoss Irwin, COO, BridgeUSATimothy J. Shaffer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Chair of Civil Discourse and Director of the SNF Ithaca Initiative, University of Delaware
How the Open-Government Movement is Transforming U.S. Higher Education by Adam Andrzejewski GOACTA 2024-05-29 | Adam Andrzejewskiis the CEO/founder of OpenTheBooks.com. Before dedicating his life to public service, Adam co-founded HomePages Directories, a $20 million publishing company (1997-2007). His works have been featured on the BBC, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, C-SPAN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, FOX News, CNN, National Public Radio (NPR), Forbes, Newsweek, and many other national media.Today, OpenTheBooks.com is the largest private repository of U.S. public-sector spending. Mission: post "every dime, online, in real time." In 2022, OpenTheBooks.com captured nearly all public expenditures in the country, including nearly all disclosed federal government spending; 50 of 50 state checkbooks; and 25 million public employee salary and pension records from 50,000 public bodies across America. The group's aggressive transparency and forensic auditing of government spending has led to the assembly of grand juries, indictments, and successful prosecutions; congressional briefings, hearings, and subpoenas; Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits; Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports; federal legislation; and much more.
National Alumni Movement in Action Panel Discussion GOACTA 2024-05-29 | This panel featured insight and commentary from four executive team members of prominent AFSA chapters. They shared why they got involved in the national alumni movement, pro tips for running alumni group operations and advocacy efforts, and important lessons learned to date. Moderator: Bryan Paul, Director of Alumni Advocacy & Curricular Fellow in the College Debates and Discourse Alliance, ACTAPanelists:Peter Bonilla, Executive Director, MIT Free Speech AllianceKevin Cook, Executive Director, Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and DiscourseKaleigh Cunningham, Director of Outreach & Communications, Princetonians for Free SpeechDawn Toguchi, Executive Director, Open Discourse Coalition
Criminals Think, but Thinking is No Crime by William B. Allen GOACTA 2024-05-29 | An esteemed historian, author, and political scientist, William B. Allen isprofessor emeritus of political science in the Department of Political Philosophy and emeritus dean of James Madison College at Michigan State University. He was the 2018–2020 senior scholar in residence in the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at the University of Colorado, and he previously taught at Villanova University, Ashland University, and Harvey Mudd College. He served as chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1988 to 1989 and has been a Kellogg National Fellow, Fulbright Fellow, and a member of the National Council on the Humanities. He has also served as the director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and as COO of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. His research focuses on the “national character,” an idea propounded by George Washington, and on probing the sources of fragmentation among American citizens while striving to renew the principles of civic unity. He has published several books, including George Washington: America’s First Progressive and Rethinking Uncle Tom: The Political Philosophy of H.B. Stowe. He is the editor of George Washington: A Collection and The Essential Antifederalist and has published numerous scholarly articles on political philosophy and American political thought. He received his B.A. from Pepperdine College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University.
Free Speech Requires Action, Not Just Talk by Governor Scott Walker GOACTA 2024-05-29 | Scott Walker was sworn in as governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, and began a second term on January 5, 2015. In 1993, he was elected to the state assembly, where he helped lead the way on welfare reform, public safety, and educational opportunities. In 2002, he was elected to the Milwaukee County executive office, where he worked to reform the scandal-ridden county government. In 2008, he won reelection with nearly 60% of the vote. As the 45th governor of Wisconsin, he inherited a $3.6 billion budget deficit, $800 million worth of unpaid bills, and an 8% unemployment rate.He immediately implemented reforms to renew economic revival, fiscal order, and government accountability in Wisconsin, and he supported several improvements to the state higher education system, including tenure reform. An advocate of public service, patriotism, and hard work, he serves on the boards of Students for Life Action, the American Federation for Children, and the Center for State-led National Debt Solutions. He is currently the president of Young America’s Foundation, which seeks to educate young people, especially college students, about individual freedom, free enterprise, and traditional values.
Morning Welcome from Stuart Taylor Jr., Co-founder of AFSA and Member of ACTAs Board of Directors GOACTA 2024-05-29 | In anticipation of Friday's programming, AFSA Co-Founder and ACTA Board of Directors member Stuart Taylor Jr. warmly welcomes all 2024 attendees.Stuart Taylor, Jr., earned his degree from Princeton University in 1970, majoring in history and began a career in journalism, working as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun from 1971 to 1974. He left journalism to attend Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude in 1977.In 1977, Mr. Taylor joined the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, DC. He returned to journalism in 1980 as a reporter covering legal affairs for the Washington Bureau of the New York Times. One of the nation’s leading legal journalists, he has addressed a wide range of issues over his career, including Supreme Court cases, due process and voting rights, civil liberties, education, and political polarization.From 1989 to 2010, he wrote commentaries for the Legal Times, National Journal, Newsweek, and other leading publications. His op-eds and longer features have been published in The Atlantic, Time, Slate, and other magazines, as well as major newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today.In partnership with KC Johnson, a recipient of ACTA’s Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education, and University of California–Los Angeles professor Richard Sander, Mr. Taylor has coauthored three books of greatest significance for higher education: Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case, Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It’s Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won’t Admit It, and The Campus Rape Frenzy: The Attack on Due Process at America’s Universities.His writing has earned him many honors, including a 2002 National Headliner Award for best special magazine column on one subject. He was a National Magazine Award finalist in both 1993 and 1997, and he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1988.
Evening Welcome from Mark Ridenour, Member of ACTAs Board of Directors GOACTA 2024-05-29 | To kick off the summit's opening evening, ACTA Board of Directors member Mark Ridenour warmly welcomes all 2024 dinner attendees.Mark Ridenour graduated from Miami University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He began his career at National City Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, and later joined Heidtman Steel Company, where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer from 1985 to 2016. In 2015, he was named president of DALE Management Company, an asset management company based in Sylvania, Ohio.Mr. Ridenour has remained deeply involved with his alma mater, serving until recently as the chairman of the Miami University Board of Trustees. Previously, he held office as vice chair, treasurer, and committee chair. He also volunteers with Miami University’s Community Outreach and Recruiting Programs.With a passion for service, Mr. Ridenour has served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including several independent high schools, Lourdes University, the Toledo Zoological Society, and Mercy Health Partners. He is the president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Northwest Ohio Affiliate.
The Picture ACTAs Gold Standard Paints of Higher Education GOACTA 2024-05-07 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
The Damage Institutional Neutralitys Absence Has Visited Upon Higher Education GOACTA 2024-05-06 | ACTA's message to university officials is clear. Respect diversity of thought and let the campus community form their own opinions.Learn more: goacta.org/kalven-report#highered #highereducation #freeexpression #freespeech #freethought #cancelculture #college #collegelife #diversity #polarization
Innocent Until Proven Greek: ACTAs Tools for Free Speech Advocates GOACTA 2024-05-03 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
Innocent Until Proven Greek: Uneven Application of Free Speech GOACTA 2024-05-02 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
Innocent Until Proven Greek: The Way Forward GOACTA 2024-05-02 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
Innocent Until Proven Greek: The Growing Illiberal Trends in Higher Education GOACTA 2024-05-02 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
Innocent Until Proven Greek: The National Perspective GOACTA 2024-05-02 | ACTA's Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom Dr. Steven McGuire joined a panel to discuss how college administrators increasingly stifle student life and trample on students' rights to free speech, free association, and due process. The panel also discussed recent actions taken by University of Maryland administrators targeting students who belong to fraternities and sororities.
Why are Colleges Making Political Statements? GOACTA 2024-04-26 | ACTA's message to university officials is clear. Respect diversity of thought and let the campus community form their own opinions.Learn more: goacta.org/kalven-report#highered #highereducation #freeexpression #freespeech #freethought #cancelculture #college #collegelife #diversity #polarization
Innocent Until Proven Greek: How Academic Bureaucracies Threaten Student Civil Liberties GOACTA 2024-04-26 | The Fraternity and Sorority Action Fund hosted “Innocent Until Proven Greek: How Academic Bureaucracies Threaten Student Civil Liberties” at 9 a.m., Thursday, April 25, 2024. The panel examined how ever-growing administrative control at universities has endangered individual rights of freedom of association, due process, speech, privacy and more, as well as how some students are fighting back. Experts also discussed unprecedented actions by the University of Maryland to suspend the civil rights of students participating in Greek life and how all students, regardless of their affiliations, should be on high alert.About the Panelists:Dr. Dawn Watkins Wiese is the Chief Operating Officer of FRMT, Ltd., which provides insurance for men’s fraternal organizations. She is the founder of Plaid, an organizational and leadership consultancy. Prior to consulting, Dr. Wiese was the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean of Students and Dean of Freshmen at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. She also served as Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Events and Events Planning at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.Dr. Steve McGuire is the Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni ACTA). Prior to joining ACTA, Dr. McGuire was director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good and associate teaching professor in the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program at Villanova University. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lethbridge, a master’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a PhD from The Catholic University of America, where he was a Bradley Fellow and an ISI Richard M. Weaver Fellow. He was a 2021 Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow.Micah Kamrass is an attorney specializing in higher education at Manley Burke, where he represents both the men’s and women’s groups suiting the University of Maryland for civil rights violations. He attended The Ohio State University for undergraduate, graduate and law school. Here, he served as the student body president representing more than 40,000 of his fellow students, as well as president of Alpha Epsilon Pi and on the group’s International Supreme Board of Governors. He earned a PhD in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. He is also an adjunct professor teaching higher education law at the University of Louisville.Farah Aliabadi is a sophomore at the University of Maryland studying psychology. She is the president of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority.Garrett Bruce is a sophomore at the University of Maryland studying finance and management. He is the president of Kappa Alpha Order and the former Chief Justice of the UMD Interfraternity Council Judiciary Board.
The Wars Against Ukraine and Israel and the Duty of the Jewish People by Bernard-Henri Lévy GOACTA 2024-04-19 | Mr. Lévy is a French philosopher, novelist, filmmaker, and playwright. For 50 years, he has covered the world’s “forgotten wars,” both independently and on behalf of the French government. He is the creator of many renowned documentaries, including three films on the war in Ukraine: Why Ukraine, Slava Ukraini, and Glory to the Heroes, the last of which will be released in December. In November 2023, he is on the front lines in Gaza and has rallied the West to support Israel’s struggle against terrorism.Mr. Lévy delivered these remarks at the 2023-2024 series of the Levy Forum for Open Discourse, “God, Man, Society, & Civilization.” The Levy Forum is a speaker series hosted at the Palm Beach Synagogue, sponsored by ACTA board member Paul Levy and ACTA. The goal of these events is to promote the epistemic virtues that ACTA seeks to promote on university campuses across the country, such as curiosity, objectivity, and wisdom.
Antisemitism, Academic Freedom, and Board Leadership GOACTA 2024-04-15 | In the aftermath of the horrific events that took place in Israel on October 7, college and university leaders across the country have grappled with serious questions about institutional neutrality, the right to free speech, and protecting students from harassment. On April 11, 2024, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni hosted a webinar exploring antisemitism, how it manifests on campus, and how to prevent harassment of Jewish students while upholding free expression on campuses. Panelists include: Lawrence H. Summers, President Emeritus at Harvard University and former U.S. Secretary of Treasury; Pamela Paresky, Senior Fellow at the Network Contagion Research Institute, Senior Advisor to the Open Therapy Institute, and Advisor to the Mindful Education Lab at New York University; Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Eli Noam, director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information and Garrett Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Business Responsibility at Columbia Business School.This webinar is part of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s Institute for Effective Governance®: goacta.org/initiatives/board-services
Why are Colleges Making Political Statements? They Should Adopt Institutional Neutrality Instead. GOACTA 2024-04-03 | Institutional neutrality preserves campus freedom of expression and intellectual diversity. When a university remains neutral and abstains from declaring a collective opinion on political and social issues, it frees students and faculty to develop and articulate their own individual ideas and opinions.Learn more: goacta.org/kalven-report
Michael Poliakoff Discussing The Danger of DEI and Its Chilling Effect on Free Speech GOACTA 2024-04-01 | ACTA President Michael B Poliakoff recently spoke about a wide range of topics at The Texas Policy Summit in Austin. His remarks were incisive and outlined the urgent need for serious discussion and action in the Higher Education space.
Texas Policy Summit: The Failing of The Core Curriculum for the Next Generation of Citizens GOACTA 2024-03-22 | ACTA President Michael B Poliakoff recently spoke about a wide range of topics at The Texas Policy Summit in Austin. His remarks were incisive and outlined the urgent need for serious discussion and action in the Higher Education space.
Texas Policy Summit: The Damage of DEI and Its Offspring GOACTA 2024-03-22 | ACTA President Michael B Poliakoff recently spoke about a wide range of topics at The Texas Policy Summit in Austin. His remarks were incisive and outlined the urgent need for serious discussion and action in the Higher Education space.
Texas Policy Summit: The Urgent Need for Academic Freedom, Academic Excellence and Accountability GOACTA 2024-03-22 | ACTA President Michael B Poliakoff recently spoke about a wide range of topics at The Texas Policy Summit in Austin. His remarks were incisive and outlined the urgent need for serious discussion and action in the Higher Education space.
VA Senate Bill 506 - A Cautionary Tale GOACTA 2024-03-15 | Should Virginia Senate Bill 506 become law, it will cause even more confusion among members of university governing bodies in the commonwealth, as well as imply that these governing boards are beholden to the president of the institution. In reality, university boards of visitors should be receptive to all campus constituencies, but beholden to only the great, general interest and common good of Virginia. #highered #highereducation #legislative #legislation #virginia #statepolitics #localnews #localpolitics #uva #university #college #thecommonwealth #trustee #universityofvirginia #jmu #virginiatech #williamandmary #georgemasonuniversity #richmond #richmondva #richmondvirginia #senate #senatebill #stateassembly #roanoke #roanokevirginia #roanokeva
Middle East Challenges for America and Israel by John Bolton GOACTA 2024-03-14 | Ambassador Bolton served as assistant to the president and national security advisor under President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2019. He was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006 and served in high-level positions in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. His incisive commentary on world affairs and America’s role has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other major newspapers.Mr. Bolton delivered these remarks at the 2023-2024 series of the Levy Forum for Open Discourse, “God, Man, Society, & Civilization.” The Levy Forum is a speaker series hosted at the Palm Beach Synagogue, sponsored by ACTA board member Paul Levy and ACTA. The goal of these events is to promote the epistemic virtues that ACTA seeks to promote on university campuses across the country, such as curiosity, objectivity, and wisdom.
Is teaching minority students standard English racist? GOACTA 2024-03-08 | Dr. Erec Smith on his own personal degradation ceremony.#freeexpression #freespeech #highered #highereducation #rhetoric #freethought #english #communication #mobmentality #cancelculture #cancelled
