Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
- HEAugust 24 · 1 hr
H.R. McMaster & John Hillen: Teaching Military History Reveals America's Complexity and Character
On this episode of Higher Ed Now Civics Edition, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff moderates a bracing and illuminating conversation with Lt. General H.R. McMaster, the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and former U.S. National Security Advisor, and Dr. John Hillen, Executive-in-Residence in Duke University's Political Science Department and Distinguished Lecturing Fellow at the university's Center for Politics. Our guests discuss American military history and strategic vision within the context of American self-governance and civilian control of the military. They emphasize that this understanding is the foundation of informed patriotism. Both are members of ACTA's National Commission on American History and Civic Education and contributors to an upcoming volume of essays on what every college student should know about American history and government. A very special video version of this episode is available on YouTube now!
- HEAugust 17 · 56 min
Vincent Phillip Muñoz: Faith and Free Speech
On this episode of Higher Ed Now Civics Edition, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff speaks with Vincent Phillip Muñoz, the Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and Concurrent Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame as well as the Founding Director of Notre Dame's Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government. Professor Muñoz is also the author of the 2022 book, Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion. The lively conversation covers the conflicts over religion that shook the Founders, separation of church and state, and the perils of student self-censorship in today's academy. A very special video version of this episode is available on YouTube now!
- HEAugust 3 · 1 hr 7 min
Michael Auslin: The Making of a National Treasure
On this episode of Higher Ed Now Civics Edition, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff speaks with Michael Auslin, the Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Professor Auslin is the author of "National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America", a dual history of the Declaration of Independence. The new book details both the physical artifact's journey from dark storage rooms to the National Archives' centerpiece and how Jefferson's words and the spirit of the document inspired generations of Americans, from abolitionists to anarchists. A very special video version of this episode is available on YouTube now!
- HEJuly 20 · 30 min
Aimee Guidera: Higher Education and the Nation's Founding Aspirations
In April 2026, Dr. Bryan Paul, Curricular Fellow for ACTA's College Debates and Discourse Alliance, joined Aimee Guidera, former Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, to organize and lead a student-driven civil debate at Harvard University. Sponsored by Harvard's Institute of Politics, where Secretary Guidera served as a Spring 2026 Resident Fellow, this Braver College Debate centered on a timely and critical question: "Has the United States lived up to its promises in the Declaration of Independence?" This episode captures Dr. Paul's conversation with Secretary Guidera immediately following the debate.
- HEJuly 15 · 46 min
Mike Balow: Resisting MSU's Crackdown on Dissent
ACTA's Nick Down interviews Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees member Mike Balow. The aftermath of an emergency meeting to revise MSU's trustee code of ethics has embroiled the Board in controversy. The revised ethics code includes a "loyalty pledge" that limits trustee speech, with threats to sanction and publicly censure any trustee who refuse to sign. Trustee Balow and one colleague refused to sign the loyalty pledge. Since then, the dissenting trustees have faced intense public pressure, including doxxing and social media threats. Trustee Balow tells his side of the story of what really happened at the emergency meeting, and why he categorically opposes the new mandate. Note: Since this recording, MSU president Kevin Guskiewicz has reversed his decision to depart MSU and will remain on as the university's president.
- HEJune 29 · 36 min
Max Schanzenbach: An Insider's Guide to Divestment
ACTA's chief of staff and SVP, Armand Alacbay, interviews Max Schanzenbach, the Seigle Family Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law. Professor Schanzenbach's work focuses on the intersection between economy and law, and he recently coauthored multiple papers on university divestment policies. In this conversation, he explains the crucial nuances that most discussions about universities divesting from Israel fail to consider.
- HEJune 22 · 52 min
Mark T. Mitchell: How Patrick Henry College Sets the National Standard
ACTA's Academic Affairs Fellow Veronica Bryant is joined by Dr. Mark T. Mitchell, Dean of Academic Affairs at Patrick Henry College as well as the author of numerous books on political theory. A small Christian school in Virginia, Patrick Henry College is one of only eight colleges in the country to receive an "A+" grade from ACTA's What Will They Learn?© project for its rigorous and high-quality core curriculum. Dr. Mitchell walks Veronica through the extraordinary structure of the classical liberal arts education offered at Patrick Henry College, as well as why this education is valuable today.
- HEMay 11 · 37 min
David Rohrbacher: Inside New College's Curriculum Turnaround
ACTA's Veronica Bryant welcomes David Rohrbacher, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Classics at the New College of Florida. NCF made headlines after they skyrocketed from an "F" grade to a "B+" rating in ACTA's What Will They Learn? Project (WWTL), becoming this year's "most improved school." WWTL assigns letter grades based on the rigor of the core curriculum at over 1,100 American colleges and universities. This improvement was thanks to a total overhaul of their general education program in 2024. Professor Rohrbacher discusses how that change came about and the innovative academic reforms that engage NCF students in substantive, serious coursework.
- HE
April 23 · 50 minLucas Morel: Frederick Douglass's Evolving View of Abraham Lincoln
On this episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA's Michael Poliakoff hosts Washington & Lee University's John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics, Lucas Morel. Professor Morel currently serves on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and ACTA's National Commission on American History and Civic Education. He has also co-edited the book "Measuring the Man: The Writings of Frederick Douglass on Abraham Lincoln," a groundbreaking new volume on how abolitionist Frederick Douglass's view of Abraham Lincoln evolved as America navigated its way through the Civil War and, eventually, to the Emancipation Proclamation. A very special video version of this episode is available on YouTube now!
- HEApril 10 · 30 min
Glenn Corn: A Former CIA Agent's Case for Language Learning
ACTA's Academic Affairs Fellow Veronica Bryant welcomes Glenn Corn, who spent 35 years working in the national security and international affairs community. Mr. Corn served as CIA chief of station for four different Eurasian and Middle Eastern countries. He now teaches graduate-level courses in International Affairs and Security Studies at the Institute of World Politics. In addition to his teaching work, Mr. Corn provides strategic advising and consulting, acts as a visiting fellow at George Mason University's law school's National Security Institute, and serves as an expert contributor to the Cipher Brief. Mr. Corn compellingly argues that language learning is essential, both for an intelligence career and for national security.
- HEMarch 3 · 47 min
Wagner, Colonialism, and K-Pop: How Language Learning Connects Us to Culture and History
ACTA's Academic Affairs Fellow Veronica Bryant is joined by Dr. Marie Kawthar Daouda, stipendiary lecturer in French at the University of Oxford's Oriel College. Dr. Daouda teaches both literature and language, and her research focuses on the reception of antiquity in modern times and artistic representations of good and evil in periods of political and religious crisis. She is the author of Not Your Victim: How Our Obsession with Race Entraps and Divides Us. In their wide-ranging conversation, Drs. Bryant and Daouda discuss the role of language in shaping national, cultural, and individual identity.
- HENov 13, 2025 · 45 min
David Eubanks: How Accreditation Does (And Does Not) Work
ACTA's Kyle Beltramini welcomes David Eubanks, assistant vice president of the Office of Institutional Assessment and Research at Furman University. Professor Eubanks is an expert on the philosophy and practice of leadership in higher education, particularly learning outcomes assessments, strategic planning, and institutional effectiveness. His work emphasizes using data-driven processes to inform decision-making. He recently completed a term on the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). Professor Eubanks and Mr. Beltramini discuss accreditation's essential role in assuring academic quality, how the system has degraded over time, and how it can be effectively reformed.
- HEOct 9, 2025 · 45 min
Thad Westbrook: Leading Higher Education Reform at the University of South Carolina
ACTA's Nick Down interviews Thad Westbrook, chairman of the University of South Carolina's (USC) Board of Trustees. Mr. Westbrook earned his bachelor's degree in political science from USC and his J.D. from the USC School of Law. A member of the USC Board since 2010, he spearheaded the creation of USC's Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse and has helped lead the movement to break up the higher education accreditation monopoly.
- HESep 8, 2025 · 41 min
Lee Strang: Revitalizing Civics Education in the Buckeye State
ACTA president Michael Poliakoff speaks with Lee Strang, the inaugural director of the new Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society at the Ohio State University. He is also a professor at OSU's Moritz College of Law, the author of numerous books on Constitutional law, and the founder of Northwest Ohio Classical Academy. Professor Strang has devoted his life to the study and teaching of America's civic tradition, and he goes in-depth about his experience leading the Chase Center, from designing curriculum to managing relations with the broader university. He and Michael also discuss how Ohio has emerged as the frontrunner state in the ongoing revival of American civic education.
- HEAug 15, 2025 · 33 min
Building Bridges for Higher Ed Accreditation Reform
Description: In this episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA Policy Research Fellow Kyle Beltramini and Third Way Education Policy Advisor Emily Rounds discuss how accreditation became a mainstream political issue overnight. They also examine the urgent need for modernization of the current system, as well as how both Democrats and Republicans can advance reform. For more, please see their recent white paper, "Five Bipartisan Principles for Accreditation Reform."
- HEJul 16, 2025 · 47 min
Douglas Ginsburg & Deecy Gray: Teaching Civics Amid Academia's Pushback
In this episode, ACTA President Michael Poliakoff discusses solutions to our nation's civic education crisis with distinguished jurist Douglas Ginsburg and his wife, Dorothy "Deecy" Gray. Judge Ginsburg previously served as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and is currently a professor at George Mason University's (GMU) Antonin Scalia Law School. A former member of the GMU Board of Visitors, Deecy Gray is a strong advocate for civic education. Together, they created Civics Fundamentals, a free online civics course for those studying to take the U.S. Citizenship Test and for the many students who have never been exposed to these basic, foundational lessons.
- HEJun 24, 2025 · 38 min
Richard Haass: Guarding Democracy by Teaching Civics
ACTA president Michael Poliakoff speaks with Richard Haass, distinguished diplomat and president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Haass has served four U.S. Presidents over 25 years, including two years leading the Irish peace process as the U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. He is the author or editor of fourteen books on American foreign policy, one book on management, and one on American democracy. His most recent book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, was published by Penguin Press in January 2023 and became a New York Times bestseller. Dr. Haass serves on ACTA's National Commission on American History and Civic Education, where he will work alongside dozens of distinguished historians, political scientists, and education leaders to help remedy the long-standing failure of American colleges and universities to require a foundational course in U.S. history and government. For more of Dr. Haass's work, read his analyses on his substack Home And Away.
- HEMay 20, 2025 · 24 min
Free Speech Soars at GMU Law School
Dubbed "Washington's School for Civil Discourse," George Mason University's (GMU) Antonin Scalia Law School exposes students to all legal and political viewpoints and leads them in civil, respectful debate. In this episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA's Bryan Paul interviews JoAnn Koob, assistant professor of law and director of the Antonin Scalia Law School's Liberty & Law Center, an academic forum dedicated to protecting individual liberty and free expression, and Debi Ghate, director of the Voices for Liberty initiative, which examines how free speech protects underrepresented voices.
- HEMay 7, 2025 · 28 min
Reinvigorating Civil Discourse at M.I.T.
MIT Concourse is a program for first-year students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that "brings science into conversation with the humanities." It also hosts the Civil Discourse Project, which seeks to "reinvigorate the open exchange of ideas at MIT." In this episode of Higher Ed Now, ACTA's Bryan Paul interviews Senior Lecturer Linda Rabieh to learn how the Civil Discourse Project has used the Braver Angels debate format championed by the College Debates and Discourse Alliance — a joint program of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Braver Angels, and BridgeUSA — to prepare our nation's future STEM leaders for thoughtful, engaged citizenship. He also speaks with Mariam Abdelbarr, Isaac Lock, and Siddhu Pachipala, three students who have helped plan and conduct debates at MIT.