“We all have fond memories of our college years. But increasingly, many alumni cannot recognize their alma maters, because the deep immersion in the liberal arts they remember has given way to hyperspecialized research and classes on trendy topics. During my years as a university president and philanthropic leader, I found that the Fund for Academic Renewal was a resource for sound advice and creative ideas to ensure that undergraduates receive a high-quality education that prepares them for career and citizenship. This is a vital initiative for donors who wish to find new ways to support a renewal of academic life in this country.”
The Honorable Hank Brown
Former U.S. Senator, Colorado
President Emeritus, University of Colorado
Former President and CEO, Daniels Fund
“Friends of academic excellence and academic freedom have something new to be excited about: the Fund for Academic Renewal. The Fund supports and encourages the creation of centers of excellence at colleges and universities around the country. It provides alumni and other supporters with an opportunity to put their generosity to work in ways that are consistent with their values and which reflect their belief in high standards of scholarship and teaching.”
Robert P. George
McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence & Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University
“It has probably never been more difficult to donate prudently to higher education than it is today, when so many basic assumptions about the aims of higher education and the norms of scholarship are in dispute. ACTA’s Fund for Academic Renewal is an invaluable asset to any donor who wishes to make informed decisions.”
Truman Anderson
Former Executive Director, The Stuart Family Foundation
“Reform-minded trustees and college leaders know that many alumni are deeply dissatisfied with tendentious curricula and the limited range of viewpoints found on all too many college campuses. Alumni and college donors are invaluable allies in the fight to insist that colleges meet the highest standards of intellectual rigor, including study of American history and institutions of freedom. Targeted philanthropy is one of the most effective ways to deliver the focus and intellectual integrity higher education so desperately needs. The Fund for Academic Renewal can help donors restore excellence to higher education through thoughtful, selective giving.”
Jane Barrows Tatibouet
President, Hawaii Hotel Consultants
Former Trustee, Cornell University
Former Regent, University of Hawaii System
“My commitment to the Fund for Academic Renewal is based on a spirit of optimism. . . . Graduates and other donors want to help their universities to be their very best. With the Fund for Academic Renewal, there is now a way for them to do it.”
Herbert Wiley Vaughan, Esq.
“The Fund for Academic Renewal will guide donors who create college programs by providing academic and legal expertise, thus protecting donor intent and academic excellence.”
Diana Davis Spencer
President, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation
“Donor restriction can call institutions of higher learning to fulfill their highest ideals.”
Frank M. Turner, Ph.D.
Former Provost, Yale University
