American Council of Trustees and Alumni

"A Broadside for the Nation", assembled by ACTA’s National Commission on American History and Civic Education, makes the case for higher ed to restore a required course in US history and government in order to graduate - as well as how to make this vision a reality.

Read the full eulogy: goacta.org/2026/05/in-mem…

The loss of Robert Woodson last week is a loss for all of America. @WoodsonCenter @BradleyFdn

ICYMI: ACTA president Michael Poliakoff and head of UT-Knoxville's civics center Joshua Dunn describe the urgent need - and miraculous rebirth - of civics education in the United States. wapo.st/42JL6nx

Robert Woodson's full panel on the relationship between Jewish philanthropy and the African-American struggle for equal rights: youtu.be/GuGkt5v75tc

ACTA is saddened to hear of the passing of Robert Woodson, a great American patriot and an iconic civil rights activist. Our president Michael Poliakoff was honored to sit alongside him earlier this year at the Levy Forum for Open Discourse.

Conservatives don't enter academia because they can't handle it. That's the type of idea that stems from groupthink and @timurkuran's concept of preference falsification, explains @SeanGailmard. ⬇️

Read the former governor's op-ed: washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/…

"Pride in America is at an all-time low. Few students are proficient in American history and civics. Most could not even pass the basic test to become an American citizen." And yet, @ScottWalker remains optimistic - if we teach our history to young people again. 📰@WashTimes

Read the new op-ed from ACTA President Michael Poliakoff and UT-Knoxville civics center head Josh Dunn in the Washington Post: wapo.st/42JL6nx

📰Only a fraction of US universities require courses in American civics or history in order to graduate. This crisis of civic ignorance could lead to the death of the Republic. But the movement to restore civics education at American universities has racked up win after win.

It should be 100 percent. There is defense for a democratic republic to not educate the voters in the politics they are expected to participate in. Very few have even tried to articulate a justification, because there isn't one.

Two Harvard economists: “We hope that all schools decide to push back on grade inflation — both to advance their students’ education and, as the reputational costs of grade inflation become clear, to strengthen their graduates’ chances in the job market and graduate admissions.”

Full article in TIME: time.com/article/2026/0…

"As the federal Department of Education is dismantled, states have the opportunity to get math right. Our schools should focus on data and financial literacy, statistical reasoning, and math’s powerful ideas." 🖊️Ted Dintersmith 📰@TIME

Harvard faculty have decided to fight grade inflation. They voted 458 to 201 to cap A-grades at 20% (plus up to four more). They also supported using “average percentile rankings, rather than GPA, to determine internal awards and honors.” The changes take effect in fall 2027.

How can universities be restored to their original function? There are a few different ways. nationalreview.com/magazine/2026/…

Civics institutes such as the James Madison Program at Princeton are rebuilding intellectual diversity and challenging ideological monoculture, one university at a time. 🖊️@abigailandwords 📰 @NRO

🔗Article link: thedispatch.com/article/civics…

"Opting for either the total deconstruction of the American project or an overly simplistic, nostalgic understanding of our past are roads to ignorance or national divorce." Great review by @JPittsAZ on Paul Carrese's new book about reviving civics education in @thedispatch.

"The state of higher education demands durable congressional action, not fleeting regulatory reform." ✒️ ACTA's Kyle Beltramini & @ThirdWayEDU's Emily Rounds 📰 @dcexaminer washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4570891…