Ralston College

Ralston College is an unaccredited institution of higher education in Savannah, Georgia, that offers an in-person Master's degree program.[1] It launched its MA in the Humanities program in autumn of 2022.[2]

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

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] It also offers one online short course, run in conjunction with the FutureLearn platform, on Samuel Johnson’s Rasselas that is led by cultural critic Anthony Daniels.[6][7][8] Additionally, Ralston College runs a podcast series[9] and has advertised a public symposium.[10]

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.[11]

Incorporated as a non-profit in the State of Georgia in 2010,[12] Ralston College obtained the power to grant degrees from the State of Georgia in late 2020.[1] 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.[13] In May 2022, Ralston College appointed Jordan Peterson as its Chancellor.[14][15]

Ralston's first class of in-person MA students began classes in the fall of 2022. The first term was held in Greece and focused on learning Modern and Ancient Greek; this was following by three terms in Savannah, GA, [16] with classes held in the education building of St. John's Episcopal Church.[17]

Ralston College continues to accept students for its MA in the Humanities program.[18]

Criticism

On March 29, 2023, the Savannah Morning News reported that Ralston College faces a July 2023 deadline to obtain accreditation from an accreditation agency recognized by the US Department of Education as a condition of the renewal of its degree-granting authority.[19]

Co-founder of FIRE, Harvey Silverglate, recently resigned from Ralston's Board of Visitors. Explaining the reasons for his resignation, Silverglate said, "I resigned from the advisory board because Ralston is becoming exactly what I'm writing about, what I've been litigating against and what I have been opposing from [sic] my whole career." He continued, "Rather than a breath of fresh air, it sort of jumped on the bandwagon. All these administrators, very few teachers, the secrecy, which is antithetical to the whole concept of a liberal arts institution. So, that's why I left. The dream has disappeared and just become a bit of a nightmare."[19]

References
  1. "Directory of Institutions". Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  2. "Pushback at cancel culture is leading to new educational initiatives". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. 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. "Short Courses | Humanities | Ralston College". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  9. "Podcasts | Ralston College". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  10. "Savannah Symposium – A Gathering for Thinkers | Ralston College".
  11. "Prelude | A brief history | Ralston College". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  12. "Georgia Corporations Division, Georgia Secretary of State".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. Ralston College. "People". Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  14. Jacobs, Sherelle (14 November 2022). "Inside the new 'meritocratic' university where Jordan Peterson lectures". Daily Telegraph.
  15. "Ralston College | Jordan B. Peterson Appointed Chancellor". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  16. "Ralston College visiting program". greece.chs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  17. "Savannah Morning News". www.savannahnow.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  18. "Humanities MA | Ralston College". www.ralston.ac. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  19. "Savannah Morning News". www.savannahnow.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
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