Ralston College

Ralston College is a non-accredited institution of higher education that offers in-person degree programs as well as online programs. It began its first in-person offering, an MA in the Humanities, in autumn of 2022 with the authority to grant degrees.[1] Its first semester included Greek language learning in Greece.[2] Its curriculum focuses on the liberal arts,[3] and it has declared a commitment to freedom of speech, enshrined in its motto "sermo liber vita ipsa" ("Free Speech is Life Itself").[4][5] Its first short course, run in conjunction with the FutureLearn platform, is on Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas and led by critic Anthony Daniels.[6][7] Other programs it offers include its symposia.[8]

Ralston College
MottoSermo Liber Vita Ipsa (Latin)
Motto in English
Free speech is life itself
TypePrivate institution of higher learning
Established2010 (2010)
FounderStephen Blackwood
Endowment$650,272 (2020)
ChancellorJordan Peterson
PresidentStephen Blackwood
Academic staff
2
Students24 (Fall 2022)
Location
Savannah
,
Georgia
,
United States

32°4′15″N 81°5′48″W
CampusUrban
ColorsBlack and White
   
Websitewww.ralston.ac

History

In 2006, Stephen Blackwood and James Atkins Pritchard came to believe that the reform of higher education they sought could not happen within existing universities, and that only new institutions could break free from what they believed to be an ideological status quo and corruption that exists within modern universities. The pair began fundraising for their vision of establishing an institution of higher education. Early supporters included philosopher Hilary Putnam, literary critic Harold Bloom, and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel.[9]

Late in 2020, Ralston College received the power to grant degrees from the State of Georgia, and was authorized for operation. Ralston launched its first online degree program shortly after. In May 2022, Ralston College appointed Jordan Peterson as its Chancellor.[10][11] Among the members of its board of visitors are Vernon Smith, Heather Mac Donald, Harry Lewis, Ruth Wisse, Roger Kimball, and Jordan Peterson. Also, Freeman Dyson, Sir Roger Scruton, and Harold Bloom were listed as visitors of Ralston College before their deaths.[12] Ralston's first class of 24 in-person students began their first semester in the fall of 2022. Ralston College now accepts students of all ages and backgrounds to study, both in person and remotely online.

References
  1. "Pushback at cancel culture is leading to new educational initiatives". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  2. "Ralston College visiting program". greece.chs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  3. Stanley Fish (November 8, 2010). "The Woe-Is-Us Books". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  4. Ralston College. "Ralston's Teaching". Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  5. Few, Jenel (February 4, 2011). "Highbrow hopes for higher ed in Savannah". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  6. "Theodore Dalrymple on Samuel Johnson's Rasselas". Ralston College. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  7. FutureLearn. "Samuel Johnson's Rasselas: An Introduction - Humanities and Literature Course". FutureLearn. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  8. "Savannah Symposium – A Gathering for Thinkers | Ralston College".
  9. "Prelude | A brief history | Ralston College". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  10. Jacobs, Sherelle (14 November 2022). "Inside the new 'meritocratic' university where Jordan Peterson lectures". Daily Telegraph.
  11. "Ralston College | Jordan B. Peterson Appointed Chancellor". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  12. Ralston College. "People". Retrieved January 14, 2019.
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