Higher Ed Now

Manu Meel, a rising senior at the University of California Berkeley who serves as the CEO for Bridges USA, discusses how students can reform our political culture by bringing constructive discourse back to our college campuses. 

Even after more than a year of weathering intense criticism and professional censure for airing her controversial views in public, University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Amy Wax remains as engaging, outspoken, and unapologetic as ever. Whether you agree or disagree with her viewpoints, her wit and sharp intellect fuel a provocative dialogue on academic freedom that will endure for years to come.

Kai Fox, a rising junior at American University who serves as CEO for Students for Free Expression, outlines his group's mission to build a student-led community to drive a culture of free speech and viewpoint diversity on college campuses across the U.S.

When Professor Samuel Abrams of Sarah Lawrence College wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times in October 2018, he didn't expect a stunning  backlash from students, faculty and administrators. The episode has become one of the hottest touchpoints in the national conversation on academic freedom and viewpoint diversity. In this podcast, Abrams joins former University of Pennsylvania trustee Paul Levy and ACTA president Michael Poliakoff for a penetrating discussion on the threats that campus monocultures pose to freedom of expression, reasonable debate and dialogue in higher education.

Sean Decatur, President of Kenyon College, sat down for a skype interview with ACTA's Erik Gross (a Kenyon alumnus) to talk about the virtues and benefits of a liberal arts education, and how his experience as a scientist influences his leadership of a liberal arts institution.

Seton Hall University Professor Robert Kelchen explores higher ed accountability, and explains how accreditation practices, private-sector interests, and internal requirements have become so important to institutional success and survival.

Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of History of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Case for Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues in American Schools, joins ACTA’s Erik Gross to discuss the decline of civic education, the history and purpose of higher education, college costs, and more.

Bruce Cole, who passed away in January 2018, is most often remembered for his outstanding leadership of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Beyond that, he was a visionary national scholar and educator who brought light into the humanities and arts. Our podcast shares highlights of a conversation between three higher education leaders who knew Bruce Cole personally and were profoundly affected by him. Our special guest, Mona Charon, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center is joined by David Bruce Smith of the Grateful America Foundation, and ACTA’s president, Michael Poliakoff. 

Now in its 10th year, What Will They Learn is one of ACTA’s most courageous and groundbreaking initiatives. It takes a penetrating look at more than 1,100 colleges and universities, grading how effective they are in delivering a comprehensive liberal arts education that equips students to succeed in the global marketplace and civic life. Listen in as Elliott Cole engages program leaders Megan Riethmiller and Nathaniel Urban, along with ACTA's president Michael Poliakoff, to examine how What Will They Learn cuts through the dense verbiage of course catalogs and boldly shows what really matters in higher education.