Ralston College
| Motto | Animus crescat (Latin) |
|---|---|
Motto in English | "Let your mind expand" "Let your spirit rise" "Let your courage thrive" |
| Type | Private institution of higher learning |
| Established | 2010 |
| Founder | Stephen Blackwood |
| Accreditation | unaccredited |
| Endowment | $650,272 (2020) |
| Chancellor | Jordan Peterson |
| President | Stephen Blackwood |
Academic staff | 3 |
| Students | 24 (Fall 2022) |
| Location | , , United States 32°4′15″N 81°5′48″W / 32.07083°N 81.09667°W |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Black and White |
| Website | ralston |
 | |
Ralston College is a private unaccredited liberal arts college in Savannah, Georgia.[1] It describes itself as being dedicated to "freedom of thought and speech",[2] and is associated with prominent conservative figures,[3][4] with Stephen Blackwood as president, Jordan B. Peterson as Chancellor and funding from conservative activists including Paul Marshall.[5] Ralston College started accepting graduate students to its one-year MA in the Humanities in the summer of 2022.
History
In 2006, Stephen Blackwood and James Atkins Pritchard began fundraising for the establishment of an institution of higher education. Ralston was incorporated in the State of Georgia in 2010.[6] Among the members of its Board of Visitors are Vernon Smith, Heather Mac Donald, Harry Lewis, Ruth Wisse, Roger Kimball, and Jordan Peterson who was appointed Chancellor in May 2022.[7][8][9]
Ralston's first class of MA students began classes in the fall of 2022,[10] with classes held in the education building of St. John's Episcopal Church.[11]
Ralston College has received criticism for a series of high-level terminations.[11] In March 2023, a member of Ralston's Board of Visitors, Harvey Silverglate, resigned his position and stated that the college was "antithetical to the whole concept of a liberal arts institution".[11]
The college has acquired property in the historic Savannah area,[12] which totals 50,000 square feet as of April 2024.[13]
Academics
Ralston College's curriculum focuses on the liberal arts: after a term studying Ancient Greek and Modern Greek in Greece, the following three terms of the MA in the Humanities focus on ancient, medieval and modern literary texts and works of arts.[14][1] Blackwood has stated that Ralston aims “to play a role in the renewal of the conditions for human flourishing”.[4] The one-year MA program revolves around particular philosophical themes that last the entire year: for example, the "human self" and "the whole."[15]
The college also offers one online short-course, run in conjunction with the FutureLearn platform, on Samuel Johnson's Rasselas.[16][17][18]
Accreditation
The college has been authorized for operation and awarded degree-granting powers by the State of Georgia,[4] but is not accredited.[11]
References
- ^ a b Fish, Stanley (8 November 2010). "The Woe-Is-Us Books". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "'About Ralston College'". Ralston College. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Ahmed, Nafeez (10 December 2021). "Peter Thiel's Free Speech for Race Science Crusade at Cambridge University Revealed". Byline Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Jemima (26 October 2023). "The Reopening of the American Mind". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Graystone, Andrew. "The Marshall Plan". Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Georgia Corporations Division, Georgia Secretary of State". Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Ralston College. "People". Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ Jacobs, Sherelle (14 November 2022). "Inside the new 'meritocratic' university where Jordan Peterson lectures". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Ralston College | Jordan B. Peterson Appointed Chancellor". Ralston College. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Ralston College visiting program". Center for Hellenic Studies in Greece. Harvard University. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d Nicholson, Zoe. "'So much for the experiment': Ralston College faces accreditation deadline, loss of degree-granting status". Savannah Morning News. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
The deadline looms as troubles plague the organization within and without. Accusations of mismanagement, coupled with several high-level firings, have followed the college since at least August 2022.
- ^ Schwartzburt, Joseph (11 April 2024). "Ralston College expands Savannah footprint through lease of former Parker's headquarters". aol.com. Savannah Morning News. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "New liberal arts college expands campus, leases former Parker's headquarters on Chippewa Square". Connect Savannah. 11 April 2024. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Ralston College MA in the Humanities". Ralston College. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Katz, Joshua T. (11 January 2023). "Logos in Savannah". City Journal. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Theodore Dalrymple on Samuel Johnson's Rasselas". Ralston College. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ "Samuel Johnson's Rasselas: An Introduction - Humanities and Literature Course". FutureLearn. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Short Courses | Humanities | Ralston College". Ralston College. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.