Inside • Academe Vol. XX • No. 2 • 2014–2015

A publication of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni

In This Issue… ACTA Celebrates 20 Years of Promoting

Academic Freedom and Excellence 2 In Box wenty years ago, on March 17, 1995, And what a history it has been! The 3 Breaking News TACTA’s founding president, Jerry small fledgling organization, not yet ACTA Calls for Due Martin, and ACTA’s current president, named ACTA, was then known as NAF, Process: Learning from the Anne Neal, developed a vision and a the National Alumni Forum, and it scored UVA Scandal strategy to restore academic freedom and some major victories in its early years. In academic excellence 1996, a year after to American higher its launch, NAF 4 Effective Trusteeship education. While rattled the nation New Guide Outlines too many education with The Shakespeare Best Practices for Bold leaders were resting File, decrying the Leadership on reputation and disappearance runaway funding, of crucial course NACIQI Backs Down the new organiza- requirements on Recusal tion, born in a small from our colleges. student tavern in Newspapers from the 5 Speaking Up Georgetown, rec- New York Times to A Victory for Donor Intent ognized the chal- the LA Times picked lenges and set about up the story. NAF’s Featured Donor to overcome them. bold intervention Eugene Grant There is so much the following year to celebrate and we helped Brooklyn 6 ACTA’s Legacy Society have an entire year’s College preserve worth of events planned, culminating in a its storied core curriculum. And we gained Featured Trustee 20th Anniversary Gala on October 16 friends and distinguished supporters, as Saul Harold “Hal” Daub at the National Geographic Society in Bellow, Hank Brown, Irving Kristol, Jacques Washington, DC. Before that, we’re hosting Barzun, Marty Peretz, and other leaders th 7 In Memoriam a 20 Birthday Party on March 17, the and policymakers joined NAF’s National Walter Berns day of ACTA’s founding. Council. (continued on 2)

Join us for ACTA’s 20th Birthday Party!

www.goacta.org Join us for a festive evening celebrating ACTA’s official 20th birthday on March 17 from 6-8pm at F. Scott’s in Georgetown! The event will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and surprise guests just a [email protected] few steps from ACTA’s birthplace. Registration is complimentary at www.goacta.org/ anniversary/events. All registered guests will receive two drink tickets upon arrival. 1-888-ALUMNI-8 We do hope you’ll join us in toasting 20 years of raising the bar of higher ed! in ACTA Calls for Due Process: Box Learning from the UVA Scandal

Heather Noyes, Director of Operations The Honorable Richard S. Bray, President Maine Heritage Policy Center Beazley Foundation CTA has consistently warned and prosecution of grave criminal activity Portland, ME Portsmouth, VA A that when a college must deal with can only be done effectively by the police “Your conference definitely provided a new viewpoint on ways “As always, the ACTA ATHENA Roundtable is a special event grave and emotionally charged issues— and the courts.” UVA’s ill-considered re- in which [the Maine Heritage Policy Center] can work with in content and attendance. The presentations offer much and surely sexual assault is such an is- sponse, however, stands as an example of trustees in Maine. As always, it was terrific to see you and many substance and the opportunity to meet and greet new and old sue—it is due process and the principle what happens when a university chooses a thanks for your hospitality and a great conference.” friends is added pleasure. To participate in the program was a of innocence until guilt is established that different path. Editor’s Note: Ms. Noyes attended ACTA’s trustee seminar in unique privilege for me....” alone can ensure justice. Many on cam- As is now notorious, the story told in Cambridge, MA. Editor’s Note: In November, ACTA held its ATHENA Roundtable pus and in political leadership feel better Rolling Stone quickly came apart and the —an annual meeting of influential college and university trustees, by crying for swift, stern punishments, article became emblematic of something The Honorable Harold Daub, Trustee educators, state policymakers, and alumni leaders from around but rapid, bungled investigations often else: the incontrovertible reality of false University of Nebraska the country—at Columbia University. This year’s is scheduled for mean that the guilty walk free and the accusations, the intellectual and moral Lincoln, NE October 16 at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. innocent are punished. Unless we want to bankruptcy of trial by the media, and the “Thank you for your...letter and the new report Governance for a see vigilante-style justice, we need to rely failure of college leadership. Elise Scanlon, Co-Host New Era. I have enjoyed reading it and found it most impactful. on the legal system to deal with crime. KC Johnson, a longtime ACTA friend Radio Higher Ed Keep up the good work!” The recent events at University of and professor of American history at “... I would like to thank you being a contributor on Radio Virginia offer a case in point. Brooklyn College, was one of the first to Louise Mirrer, President and CEO Higher Ed in our third season of production. We were thrilled Shortly after Rolling Stone magazine point out discrepancies. It was Profes- The New-York Historical Society to be able to share your perspective and insight with our published “A Rape on Campus: A Bru- sor Johnson who chronicled how several New York, NY audience of listeners. Your podcast was very well received and tal Assault and Struggle for Justice at members of the Duke lacrosse team were we are grateful that you were willing to be part of such an “What a splendid evening you organized and how honored I UVA,” ACTA issued the statement, “Col- held by their own university to be guilty important conversation.” feel to have been the beneficiary of the Merrill award.” leges have the responsibility of providing of a rape they did not commit. His astute Student protester at UVA’s Phi Kappa Psi house. th Editor’s Note: ACTA president Anne Neal was featured in the June Editor’s Note: Dr. Mirrer was awarded the 10 annual Philip a safe atmosphere, but the investigation analysis of the UVA situation called for (continued on 7) Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts 13 Radio Higher Ed podcast: “Reflections on Purpose: the Need for Education at a gala event in November, 2014. Change in Core Curriculum and Accreditation.” You can hear the podcast at radiohighered.com. ACTA’s 20th Anniversary, continued from 2

Benno Schmidt in signing a bold commitment to improving for the various events. Be sure to check back frequently as we’ll ACTA’s 20th Anniversary, continued from 1 college governance and be updating the site with advancing the goals that important information In 1998, we became ACTA, and our campaign to ensure that American higher education remains the finest in the world only ACTA set forth 20 years regularly. There will also intensified. In the summer of 2000, ACTA issued Losing America’s Memory: Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century, with the chilling ago: academic excellence, be a set of historical results of a survey that revealed the historical illiteracy of seniors from America’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The academic freedom, and highlights featured each project was endorsed by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough. The nation took note: Congress passed a unanimous accountability. month, speaking to concurrent resolution calling on boards of trustees to strengthen U.S. history requirements. And we remain on the front line of this You can find more how much we’ve grown campaign, with further surveys on the state of historical and civic knowledge in 2012, 2013, and 2014. ACTA’s work on historical information about the throughout the years. literacy was featured in over 500 publications—including TIME magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post—with a upcoming birthday Our rich and total nationwide circulation that put the story before 34 million Americans. event on the cover of energetic history of By 2004, ACTA began a national campaign to rescue general education. That year, ACTA published The Hollow Core: Failure of this issue, and on our the past two decades th the General Education Curriculum. By 2009, that project blossomed as our signature What Will They Learn?TM online college guide, new 20 anniversary is ACTA’s inspiration. which now encompasses over 1,100 colleges and universities in its annual reviews, and which has earned the praise of columnists in website, www.goacta. Much remains to the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and many other newspapers. org/anniversary. This be done. Join us in In recent years, ACTA has published three major studies of intellectual diversity and academic freedom, culminating in Free to website will be the online celebrating the past Teach, Free to Learn, an anthology of contributions by leading First Amendment scholars. And in the lead-up to our anniversary home for our anniversary Flanked by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, then-president Jerry Martin and Anne Neal publicized Losing 20 years and looking year, 21 of the nation’s college presidents, policymakers, and political leaders joined former Yale president and CUNY board chair celebration, including America’s Memory’s disturbing findings at a press conference on Capitol Hill. Soon after, Congress passed forward to the challenges unanimous resolutions calling upon boards of trustees to add requirements in U.S. history. (continued on 3) registration information ahead. •

INSIDE ACADEME 2 2014-2015 No. 2 INSIDE ACADEME 3 2014-2015 No. 2 Effective Featured Donor: With TRUSTEESHIPBurgeoning Endowments, Elite Colleges Start to Act “SPEAKING UP” Eugene Grant A Victory for Donor Intent New Guide Outlines Best Practices for Bold Leadership hen it came to light in 2008 that Trinity College was violating the stipulations of rustees across America know that it’s time for higher At many institutions Wits benefactor, the late Shelby Cullom Davis, ACTA joined the fight to preserve Teducation to enter the 21st century. They know they can do of higher education, at- donor intent. The struggle has been long and hard, but finally, in late 2014, Trinity better by students, and that the stagnation which has become tempts at reform run into BOLD LEADERSHIP, REAL REFORM agreed in writing to comply with the terms of the bequest. the norm in academe can and must be overcome. What they strong opposition. New Best Practices in University Governance Shelby Cullom Davis, investment visionary and father of ACTA friend Diana Davis often don’t know, however, is how to take these crucial goals initiatives can creep for- American Council of Trustees and Alumni | Institute for Effective Governance Spencer, had established a fund in 1976 at Trinity College in Connecticut with explicit from idea to implementation. Where does one start when there’s ward at a snail’s pace, and directions that included hiring a chair who would teach students about private enterprise so much to fix? it can be hard to remain and entrepreneurship, the practice of which made Mr. Davis so very successful as a ACTA’s new trustee guide, which we sent to over 17,000 committed to reform businessman and investor. But Trinity quietly began diverting the funds to other projects trustees at 1,100 institutions this month, has the answer. when the road is long and that were not congruent with the donor’s wishes. The chair, Gerald Gunderson, alerted resident of Eugene M. Grant Drawing on the experiences of universities across the country, the voices of naysayers are the Connecticut attorney general’s office. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2009: P& Company, a real estate Bold Leadership, Real Reform: Best Practices in University strong. But, as ACTA’s “Trinity’s president summoned him to the school’s cavernous Gothic conference room, investment firm, Eugene Grant is Governance details what works in higher education. The guide new guide observes: where he called the professor a ‘scoundrel’ and threatened not to reappoint him.” a successful businessman, noted presents 12 best practices aimed at reducing the cost of a degree “large-scale change in For years Gunderson and Mr. Davis’ family were engaged in efforts to ensure the gift philanthropist, and longtime friend while increasing the quality of student learning. It provides higher education is not was used in ways that complied with donor intent, a donor who made sure to write “no of ACTA. He’s a member of ACTA’s exceptions whatsoever” across his final agreement letter with the college. ACTA wrote to trustees with the knowledge and tools to make their school only possible, it has hap- Chairman’s Society and has been a trustees, underscoring the important role generous donors play in supporting higher ed, a stronger institution. With suggestions for everything from pened.” The universities dedicated supporter for 15 years. and demanding adherence to donor intent as “critical to maintaining the trust of current optimizing classroom use to measuring student learning, Bold and systems profiled in this guide show that efforts towards Born and raised in New and future Trinity College donors.” Leadership, Real Reform offers solutions for the most pressing reform can and will pay off—all that it takes is a strategic and York City, Mr. Grant earned a The story ends well. This fall, the Shelby Cullom Davis Endowment Fund, which has problems universities face today and outlines examples of informed approach, and the courage to advocate for change. bachelor’s degree at the University grown over the years, will support two additional tenure-track faculty positions to further • of Michigan, and then a J.D. at institutions where these strategies are working. the passion that Shelby Cullom Davis had for promoting entrepreneurship and the Columbia Law School. He also understanding of free market economics. This is a tremendous victory for donor intent as served our country as an Air Force well as academic excellence and intellectual diversity. ACTA will, of course, continue to NACIQI Backs Down on Recusal advise donors on their gifts and promote our Intelligent Donor’s Guide to College Giving, pilot during World War II. Shaped now in its second edition. by his own military service, he has • been outspoken about the benefits CTA president Anne Neal success- others years before. ACTA made the cri- surfaced. SACS requested Ms. Neal be of a service year for young people, A fully fought off a decision by the tique openly, and it was published on our recused from NACIQI deliberations and he encouraged ACTA when U.S. Department of Education that website and in an article by the Associated concerning SACS, and the Department we stood up for ROTC programs, would have banned her from the review Press. The letter opened a dialogue about of Education—without any input from which were under fire at our elite and discussion of a major regional the proper role of accrediting bodies: “If Neal—granted SACS’ request. colleges and universities. ACTA accreditor—part of her role as a member federal accreditors are allowed to substitute “This situation was a perfect example won many successes on that front, of the National Advisory Committee their judgment in matters of state law and of the bullying behavior that accreditors bolstered by Mr. Grant’s support. on Institutional Quality and Integrity governance whenever internal constituen- too often display toward colleges and uni- Harvard, Brown, Stanford, Yale, (NACIQI). cies feel aggrieved, they will bring about versities,” said Neal. “Without any notice and Columbia have now reinstated In 2012, Neal wrote a letter to the De- the sure erosion of institutional autonomy to me, SACS used the recusal process ROTC on campus. partment of Education in her capacity as and undermine the ability of governing to eliminate a critical perspective on the Mr. Grant and his wife Emily are ACTA president to question the Southern bodies everywhere to provide needed over- committee. It took six months to have the supporters of many laudable orga- Association of Colleges and Schools Com- sight.” decision reversed. Isn’t it time to admit nizations, and Mr. Grant serves on mission on Colleges’ (SACS) decision to Neal serves on NACIQI, which ad- that accreditors are more like guilds, fo- the boards of several. He has been place the University of Virginia “on warn- vises the Secretary of Education on mat- cusing on their own interests, rather than a stalwart ally of ACTA’s, and we ing.” The letter pointed to the problem of ters related to accreditation. Last summer, acting in the public interest?” thank him for doing so much to help federal overreach into an institution’s au- shortly before SACS was up for renewal, • us lead the way in higher education tonomy—an issue that had been raised by Neal’s critique of SACS curiously re- used with the permission of Jeff Dangizer and the Cartoonist Group. All rights reserved. All rights Group. and the Cartoonist Dangizer used with the permission of Jeff Cartoon Editorial Danziger Jeff reform. •

INSIDE ACADEME 4 2014-2015 No. 2 INSIDE ACADEME 5 2014-2015 No. 2 ACTA’s Legacy Society In Memoriam: Walter Berns t is with much sadness that we mourn the loss of Walter Berns, the Igreat political theorist, constitutional scholar, and professor. He s we mark 20 years, there is much to be thankful for— passed away this January at the age of 95. A including the members of ACTA’s Legacy Society, those A student of Leo Strauss, Berns spent his career exploring what the special donors who have remembered ACTA in their estate greatest thinkers of the past—from Aristotle and Plato to Hobbes and planning. Whether it’s through endowing fellowships for ACTA Locke—had to say to our modern republic. He believed firmly that interns, sponsoring long-term projects, or funding ACTA’s democracy’s success was dependent on the maintenance of an educated rainy-day fund, Legacy Society members have made a commit- and virtuous citizenry. ment to sustain ACTA’s work into the future. Perhaps that is why he was always such a dedicated friend and sup- Roger and Edna Haskell, members of the Legacy Society, porter of ACTA. He was with us in the trenches from ACTA’s earliest had this to say about why they decided to make such a gift: days, participating in our Shakespeare teach-in at Georgetown to de- fend the place of the Bard in university curricula. And when ACTA led When it became apparent to us that there were very serious the charge to preserve the University of Chicago’s legendary core cur- problems in the provision of essential and basic instruction at riculum, Walter Berns was by our side demanding that the university the university level in our beloved nation, we were immensely not drop its Western Civilization requirement. The nation will remember him as a defender of Western civilization, the American pleased to discover the perfect answer to this distressing situation Republic, and the notion that true education is about studying the best that has been thought and said. Here at ACTA, we will in the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. ... surely remember him as all that. But we will also remember him as a dear friend and fellow reformer. May he rest in peace. We felt our long-standing concern could be best satisfied by setting • aside a legacy which would further the momentous advances being pursued by ACTA. Judging from the great success being achieved, ACTA Calls for Due Process, continued from 3 there is no question that we have done the right thing. safeguard a rich liberal arts education for future generations. We are truly honored by the commitment made by the the proper procedures and inquiries UVA’s leadership should Some good has come after all the scaremongering. Many came For information about ACTA’s Legacy Society, please contact have undertaken. to realize, as this all unfolded, that universities are atrociously ill- Haskells and all of our Legacy Society members. We hope you Jacquie Merrill at [email protected] or (202) 401-6787. too will consider joining ACTA’s Legacy Society; your gift will • But UVA’s leadership failed to control the emotional climate equipped to handle cases of sexual assault. ACTA has repeatedly on campus. Mobs of student “activists” responded to the over- advised that the alcohol-fueled party culture prevalent in heated atmosphere, vandalizing Charlottesville and on college the house of the fraternity named campuses around the country Featured Trustee: Harold “Hal” Daub in the article, and calling for provides a matrix for sexual harsher punishments of those assault and has to end. As we note they already deemed guilty. The in our trustee guide, Substance he University of Nebraska is lucky to presidential search firm to help with the crowds were so aggressive that Abuse on Campus: What Trustees Tcount Harold “Hal” Daub among its process. This is a topic of long-standing the Phi Kappa Psi brothers had Should Know, trustees’ most regents. A former congressman and once- interest to ACTA. One of our earliest to be temporarily housed in a important obligation is to ensure mayor of Omaha, Daub is a good friend guides on the subject is Selecting a New hotel off campus for their own that the “university is and should of ACTA. He recently reached out to us President: What to Do Before You Hire a safety. At the height of the frenzy, be primarily a place of learning as the University of Nebraska Board of Search Firm, which outlines the board President Sullivan failed to offer and intellectual discovery. ... Self- Regents was in the midst of a presidential planning process and emphasizes the the presence on campus that such destructive substance abuse fills search process. ACTA has worked with urgent need for boards to create search a crisis requires. On the PBS NewsHour, ACTA president Anne Neal argued that sexual assault is a sensitive the void created by the lack of him to ensure that the regents remain committees solely or primarily of trustees ACTA president Anne Neal’s crime that demands the training and evidentiary standards of the criminal justice system . meaningful course requirements actively engaged throughout the search and chaired by a trustee. Most recently, statement on the incident noted that “Charlottesville Chief of and minimal effort needed to earn passing grades.” and maintain the level of transparency 22 higher leaders in Governance for a Police Timothy Longo said he hadn’t previously spoken in front ACTA will continue to work with trustees in the exercise of necessary to assure stakeholders in the New Era called on boards everywhere “to of the Board of Visitors. ... If UVA is to move forward, it has to their fiduciary duty to maintain the safe, academically-focused campus community that the Board has consider carefully whether search firms remedy the communications breakdown among students, ad- environment that students and taxpayers deserve. their interests in mind. really add value” to the search process ministrators, and law enforcement.” • The Board, like many faced with the given the growing case that they give “rise complicated task of finding a dynamic to a conflicted, expensive and inefficient INSIDE ACADEME published by ACTA, Washington, DC and capable president, brought on a process.” Publisher: Anne D. Neal • Editor: Alex McHugh • Production & Design: Lauri Kempson • Telephone: 1-888-ALUMNI-8 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.GoACTA.org • Blog: www.goactablog/the_forum

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