Championing open inquiry and civic engagement
About AltLiberalArts
OUR MISSION
AltLiberalArts is a nonprofit education initiative offering alternative and online learning platforms to fill the gaps created by bans, censorship and threats that result in self-censorship in college and early college studies in the United States. We are academicians concerned with academics. We support students and faculty in the interest of promoting academic freedom and free inquiry. We believe that if a democracy does not have freedom in education, it cannot preserve freedom in any part of society.
AltLiberalArts invites collaboration with students and scholars who share our beliefs in support of academic freedom. Internationally we have seen assaults on academic freedom and limits on teaching and scholarship in places such as Hungary, Myanmar, and Russia, where the liberal arts and sciences have been particularly under threat. This trend has hit home in the United States. New College of Florida, a top-ranked, public liberal arts college in Sarasota, gained national attention on January 6, 2023 when newly appointed trustees made decisions to disfavor certain academic subjects and close administrative departments, contributing to the exodus of many faculty and students. Other Florida colleges face the same threats now spreading to other states.
Now more than ever, it is time to support open inquiry and civic engagement for students and scholars.
“Free universities are a free society. We’re here for free inquiry. We’re here to give kids degrees in neuroscience and economics and social sciences and [to] treat and teach each of them as free citizens.”
Michael Ignatieff, Former Rector, Central European University
Our Partners
AltLiberalArts is inspired by the goodwill of scholars from all over the world who have been moved to support our mission by giving lectures and teaching online. The Open Society University Network has made its entire curriculum available to students around the globe who are facing similar challenges related to suppression and censorship. AltLiberalArts is also supporting the efforts of Bard College efforts to offer early college courses to high school students in Florida as it does in many other states.
AltLiberalArts is not associated, affiliated with or endorsed by New College of Florida, New College of University of Oxford, New College of California, New College of Arizona State University, New College of the University of Alabama or the many other institutions and organizations which have the words “new” and “college” in their names.
We invite you to the cause.
There are many ways you can help:
• Sign on here to receive updates and course offerings.
• Promote our educational initiatives on your social media.
• Sign up here to offer to teach.
• Connect us to resources and sponsors.
• Donate here to support our aim to offer free courses to students and payment to teaching scholars (Donations are not yet tax deductible but are essential in our start up operations.)