Reliance College

📢 Highlights from Reliance College's Jefferson Dinner: Dr. Stephen Hicks on Entrepreneurial Education 🧠✨

In his captivating speech, Dr. Stephen Hicks dives deep into the importance of entrepreneurial education for the modern world. He discusses the critical need for fostering individualism in education, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to prepare students for future careers and industries that have yet to emerge.

🌍 Drawing on historical revolutions in science, industry, and politics, Hicks illustrates how understanding these transformative periods can help us equip the next generation with the tools to innovate and succeed.

📈 From the decline of traditional corporate jobs to the rise of entrepreneurial ventures, Hicks emphasizes that today's students must be ready to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving global economy. This talk is a must-watch for anyone passionate about the future of education and empowering the leaders of tomorrow.

📢 Highlights from Our Jefferson Dinner: Dr. Stephen Hicks on Entrepreneurial Education 🧠✨ 📢 Highlights from Reliance College's Jefferson Dinner: Dr. Stephen Hicks on Entrepreneurial Education 🧠✨In his captivating speech, Dr. Stephen Hicks dives ...

Reliance College founder Marsha Familaro-Enright recently joined hosts Vinay Kolhatkar and Roger Bissell on The Savvy Street Show, delving into Reliance College's pioneering educational methods, the practical implications of Ayn Rand's philosophy, and the fascinating intersection of emotions and cognition. Explore how Montessori principles and classical liberal values come together to create a truly transformative learning experience.

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of education and the journey toward self-discovery and personal empowerment! 🌟🧠 #

Marsha Enright on The Savvy Street Show - SAVVY STREET Marsha Enright discusses education, psychology, and philosophy with Roger Bissell and Vinay Kolhatkar.

"Excel in Life. Fight for Liberty." 🗽

Reliance College sponsored the LevelUp 2024 conference, presented by the Objective Standard Institute, last month in Atlanta, GA! Speakers included Craig Biddle, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Hannah Frankman, and many more!

What an incredible week at the Ayn Rand Summer Seminar on Transforming Business and Life in Springfield, IL! 🎉 Organized by William Kline, head of the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation, the event featured an amazing lineup of speakers, and was attended by Marsha Familaro Enright, founder of Reliance College.

Marsha was invited to contribute her thoughts and reflections in the discussions after the presentations. The program was a rich experience for business students.

Reliance College Advisory Board member, Dr. Carrie Ann Biondi, presented on three topics:
✨ Mike Rowe and Ayn Rand on the Virtue of Productivity
✨ Friendship and Flourishing
✨ The Meaning of Life

Fellow Reliance Trustee Dr. Stephen Hicks’ presentations included:
✨ Does Objectivity Matter?
✨ Ayn Rand on Racism
✨ On Being the Entrepreneur of Your Life

Dr. Richard Salsman presented on:
✨ Capitalism and the Human Environment
✨ The Ethics and Economics of Profit
✨ The Morality of Inequality

Academy and Conference organizer, William Kline spoke about:
✨ What is business?
✨ What is value?
✨ What is selfishness?

The students and faculty visited the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, catching two reenactment actors channeling their inner Grant and Lincoln.

From CNN: "If you’re applying to college, you can spend hours crafting the perfect admissions essay. Or you can just write the same word 100 times. It worked for Ziad Ahmed.

"The Princeton, New Jersey, high school senior was recently admitted to Stanford University after writing 100 times in response to the application question, “What matters to you and why?”

“First, there was a word limit on the question prompt – you couldn’t have less than 100 words,” he explained in an interview with CNN."

…

Embrace a journey of discovery at Reliance College! 🌟

Unlike traditional education systems, we prioritize self-reliance and intellectual freedom. Our curriculum, grounded in the Great Books of Western Civilization and enriched by contemporary works, is designed to foster deep understanding and robust discussion. 🤔💭

Dive into a world where learning is self-initiated and every question leads to deeper knowledge. Be part of shaping a free society through reasoned thought and practical experience. "

According to a recent feature in the Wall Street Journal, “College students today are lonelier, less resilient and more disengaged than their predecessors, research shows. The university communities they populate are socially fragmented, diminished and less vibrant. The pandemic bruised the psyche of a generation. The politics seared it.”

Report college faculty: “Despite the current protests on some campuses, in recent years college quads have lost their ‘town square’ feeling. There are fewer crowds. Less excitement. Smaller knots of students in conversation or enjoying free time with friends on the grass. ‘How can I put this, it’s duller than before Covid,’ said Gari Laguardia, who has taught Spanish and culture at SUNY Purchase for nearly 40 years. “The kids are less independent than they used to be. They seem to not be able to exercise much agency.

Libraries and other academic study areas have significantly less foot traffic than before the pandemic, and students are spending more time in their dorms and less time in gyms and fitness areas, said Aaron Benz, CEO of Degree Analytics, a Texas-based company which measures where students spend their time on campus using the school’s wireless network.

University cafeterias at some schools, once universal gathering spots for students, now mostly serve students with bagged lunches they take back to their rooms to eat.

The average student is spending 40% less time in dining spaces than before the pandemic, said Benz.

“The data also suggests students are spending more time alone in their dorm rooms,” said Benz.

Orly Meyer is the class president at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. She said a lot of institutional knowledge within student clubs was lost during the pandemic.

One such tradition was a walk members of the student government would take as a group before a meeting. After Covid, someone brought a rope. And now they walk connected, like a group of preschoolers, she said.

Columbia University announced last week that all classes will be remote for the rest of the year as anti-Israel protests continue to disrupt the institution. ⚠️

Calls for tuition refunds are increasing as the college costs $70k+ a year❗

"It’s vital that teaching and learning continue during this time. We recognize conditions vary across our campuses and thus are issuing the following guidelines."

Should the college refund tuition for their part in these protests?

🙌 𝘼𝙣 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 🌟

Join us for the third installment of the Reliance College Jefferson Dinner series on Thursday, May 16, 2024, from 5-9 PM at the Union League Club in the heart of New York City. This exclusive gathering is limited to 50 attendees to ensure an intimate and engaging experience. 🏫

We are thrilled to have Lenore Skenazy, author of “Free Range Kids” and founder and head of LetGrow, as our special guest speaker. She is a renowned advocate for childhood independence and will captivate us with a profound message infused with humor.

This event is not merely a dinner but a revival of the art of conversation, where ideas have the power to change the world. Expect an evening of intellectual exploration and enlightened dialogue, reflecting Thomas Jefferson’s tradition of thought-provoking dinners. 🧠 🗣

Tickets are $250 per person, with an early bird price of $199 available until May 1st. For those wishing to join Lenore at her table, tickets are priced at $500 per person.

Please note the Union League Club’s dress code requires traditional business attire; gentlemen are required to wear a jacket, and equally formal attire is expected for ladies. Casual attire such as jeans and sneakers is not permitted.

Want to know what Reliance College is all about❓

We've spent 12 years formulating and testing our programs for our future students, and we are finally ready to give you a taste through our summer seminars. Through our Great Connections Summer Seminar, you will engage in a week-long program of collaborative study, informative and enjoyable activities, and exploring the city of Chicago 🌆 through lenses of architecture, commerce, and philosophy.

To learn more, visit https://reliancecollege.org/2024-seminar/

⚠️ From “Law and Liberty”: “Contrary to what you might suppose, the government has little role in (university accreditation). Rather, groups of university professors form into cliques that assess the merits of the programs run by their peers at other colleges. The US Department of Education then affirms what the academics have decided. The system is supposed to ensure two things: basic requirements for learning are being met and graduates are finding jobs. 💼

"Yet, plainly, in many fields, neither is happening. In 2015, Inside Higher Ed reported that fewer than 40% of Ph.D. graduates from the six highest-ranked English departments in the country were getting tenure-track university positions, and some of those students won’t obtain tenure. For students from the English departments ranked 29–62, the rate of gaining one of those entry-level tenure track positions was below 30 percent. Moreover, the programs are more notable for their trendiness than for academic rigor. A contemporaneous review of the 52 highest-ranked English departments in the country found that only four required a Shakespeare course. (The ones that did were Harvard, Berkeley, Wesleyan, and the Naval Academy.)” 🎓

One thing that sets Reliance College apart from other colleges is our aim to help students develop their market value. Students will create multi-year portfolios from the real-world work they will do in our program. These portfolios will provide detailed proof of their value to future employers and graduate programs. ✨

At Reliance, students solve real-world problems with the help of accomplished professional mentors, acquire rigorous skills in reasoning and logic, and writing “to get things done.” 📝

Our stated purpose is this: to deeply prepare young adult students for an independent, productive, and well-lived life.

We want to see more autonomous, thriving individuals in the world. We know that the right education can make that possible. We are dedicated to intellectual and personal challenge and achievement in an environment of free inquiry. 🧠

Learn more at reliancecollege.org.

From The Economist: “Universities have boomed in recent decades. Higher-education institutions across the world now employ in the order of 15m researchers, up from 4m in 1980. These workers produce five times the number of papers each year. Governments have ramped up spending on the sector. The justification for this rapid expansion has, in part, followed sound economic principles. Universities are supposed to produce intellectual and scientific breakthroughs that can be employed by businesses, the government and regular folk. Such ideas are placed in the public domain, available to all. In theory, therefore, universities should be an excellent source of productivity growth.

“In practice, however, the great expansion of higher education has coincided with a productivity slowdown. Whereas in the 1950s and 1960s workers’ output per hour across the rich world rose by 4% a year, in the decade before the covid-19 pandemic 1% a year was the norm. Even with the wave of innovation in artificial intelligence (ai), productivity growth remains weak—less than 1% a year, on a rough estimate—which is bad news for economic growth. A new paper... suggests that universities’ blistering growth and the rich world’s stagnant productivity could be two sides of the same coin.”

At Reliance College, we provide an education specially crafted to instill the mores, the habits of thought and action, necessary for free, independent, self-reliant persons to be autonomous. We help young people become the entrepreneurs of their own lives. We aim to develop that active minority which leads any society—and who will lead our society to the liberty, prosperity and peace so lacking today.

Learn more at reliancecollege.org.

Felicia Marie and our student Mya Hardamon representing Reliance College and our Summer Seminar at LibertyCon. Great job!

From The Committee to Unleash Prosperity: “Them vs. U.S.: The Two Americas and How the Nation’s Elite Is Out of Touch with Average Americans

“The people who run America, or at least think they do, live in a bubble of their own construction. They’ve isolated themselves from everyday America’s realities to such a degree their views about what is and what should be happening in this country differ widely from the average American’s. An analysis of their thinking, conducted for the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, finds that on a variety of economic, social, and political issues, there exists a wide gap between how the top 1% – the Elites – think things should be and how the rest of America looks at them.

“When Americans are asked if there is too much or too little freedom, Elites are three times more likely to say that there is too much individual freedom in America than all Americans. Almost six out of ten of the graduates from Elite colleges think there is too much freedom.”
...

Introducing Reliance College: A Beacon of Independent Thought and Real-World Skills

In an era where traditional education often seems disconnected from the realities and needs of today's world, Reliance College emerges as a transformative force, redefining the landscape of higher learning with its unique blend of classical learning and practical skill-building. As you navigate the tides of information and decision-making about your future, consider how Reliance College stands apart, offering a sanctuary of independent thinking, robust debate, and real-world readiness.

At Reliance College, we understand the critical importance of fostering an environment where free thought and discourse flourish. Drawing inspiration from the Montessori Method's emphasis on independence and self-guided learning, we've created a unique educational ecosystem. Here, you're not just a student; you're an active participant in shaping your educational journey and future career path.

In late October, Reliance College President Marsha Familaro-Enright had the privilege to attend the Mont Pelerin Society’s annual meeting as a guest of a very generous Reliance supporter, Peter Cooper. It was beautifully hosted by the American Institute of Economic Research (AIER) at the Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. This was a particularly historic event as the venue was the location of the 1944 Bretton Woods conference.

Set in the picturesque White Mountains, the 1944 meeting brought economic experts and political leaders from around the world to discuss and agree on a new, international monetary system. Three commissioners, famous in their own right, led the discussion: Henry Dexter White, from the U.S., John Maynard Keynes from the U.K., and Eduardo Suarez from Mexico. The Mount Washington Resort has plaques on their rooms and those of other famous people from the conference, plus a room of memorabilia about its history.

The purpose of the 1944 conference was to stabilize trade and fiscal events around the world, with the idea that a central authority could prevent further dire problems, such as the hyperinflation of Germany in the ‘20 which led to World War II. However, many would disagree with the reasons for this agreement, and are disturbed by its consequences! But that’s a discussion for another time.

The Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) was formed in 1947 in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland by a cadre of classical liberal economists and thinkers, such as journalist Henry Hazlitt, Ludwig Erhard, chancellor of post-war Germany, and economists Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Ludwig von Mises. Classical liberalism had reached a nadir amidst the world’s intellectuals’ love affair with collectivism. The Society was formed to reboot the use of classical liberal principles, including researching and developing the intellectual tools to support and advance the classical liberal order of private property, free markets, and a free society.

This year’s theme was “Liberalism and the Global Economy.” The word “Liberalism” is used here as it is everywhere but the U.S.; it means Classical Liberalism, an ideology that believes in the dignity of individuals and the objective superiority of private property, free markets, and the rule of law for societies. There were substantial talks about issues from “The Gold Monetary System” to “Why Is Liberalism So Hard?” to “Can Ukraine Win?”

Marsha was able to network with astoundingly accomplished people from around the world, such as the inimitable Ron Manners, head of the Mannwest Group and the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation in Perth, Australia (also a Reliance supporter!). At 87 years old, Ron is not slowing down and puts younger people to shame in the most cheerful way!

⚠️ Business Insider: “High school seniors have made 17% fewer early admission applications to Harvard (in 2023), bringing the level of early interest to a four-year low… 📉

“The drop in applications comes as Harvard has become embroiled in a national row over how US colleges are handling incidents of antisemitism in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel and Israel's subsequent military action in Gaza."

At Reliance College, we provide a superior education that promotes the values of reason, individualism and a free society in which individual rights are respected and protected by the rule of law. 🗽

We hope you will join us on this ambitious new journey. We chose the name “Reliance College” to convey the self-reliance we aim to instill in our students. We’re opening Reliance College in the greater Chicago area as a residential program, coming Fall 2025—but we need your help to make it happen. 🎓

If you join us today, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you will help create a better future for you and your loved ones. 🙌

Reliance College will start small, but we’ll quickly expand and plan to become a larger educational force by opening multiple small colleges on the same campus with slightly different flavors, such as the Claremont Colleges. This will give students wider learning opportunities from which to benefit. After opening, we plan to develop inspiring cultural and educational offerings for the wider public—including supporters like you.

Learn more today at reliancecollege.org.

From December 16th to the 18th, Reliance College tabled at AmericaFest in Phoenix. An enormous event of TurningPoint USA! Over 13,000 people attended to hear a huge roster of speakers, including James Lindsay, co-author of Cynical Theories, professor and evolutionary biology business researcher Gad Saad, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, among many others.

The conference included a gigantic media hall, with radio and live-stream programs galore. We weren't able to partake in this because we had so many young people, parents, and grandparents to talk to at our table!

We were impressed with how knowledgeable the parents and grandparents were of the awful state of current education in the U.S. They were quite attracted to our program because of its emphasis on thinking skills, independence, confidence, and Great Books. Conversations with them revealed they had a good knowledge of U.S. foundational principles and the Constitution.

What we've been up to at Reliance College: Mount Pelerin, AmericaFest 2023, Charcon, and more!

Mt Pelerin, Charcon, & AmericaFest 2023 - Reliance College In late October, I had the privilege to attend the Mont Pelerin Society’s annual meeting as a guest of a very generous Reliance supporter, Peter Cooper. It

In February 1967, University of Chicago President George W. Beadle appointed the Kalven Committee. This faculty group had a crucial task: to craft a declaration outlining the University's stance regarding involvement in political and social matters. Their report, known as the Kalven Report, was meant to uphold the institution's dedication to safeguarding the academic freedom of both faculty members and students, even in the presence of pressures from within or outside, while also advocating for the University's impartiality concerning political and social concerns.

How have times changed? Dropping your student off for the first semester of university isn’t like it used to be.

Reliance College is different. We provide a superior education that promotes the values of reason, individualism and a free society in which individual rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

We hope you will join us on this ambitious new journey. Learn more at reliancecollege.org today.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 📖🏛️

Using our powerful discussion method, we meet weekly to dive into history’s most important and world-changing texts.

𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗?

Our aim: respectful conversations that help you judge ideas and issues for yourself.

𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨

Have enjoyable and productive conversations—not debates—so everyone can come to his or her own reasoned conclusions!

𝙀𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨

Explore classic texts as a group that have extraordinary relevance to modern life.

This is a free program offered via the online conference platform, Zoom. We are currently offering sessions on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM Central Time (US), reconvening in the new year with a new list of readings.

𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘 🚨: A recent report by Open the Books 💡 reveals wealthy universities have received $𝟰𝟱 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 of taxpayer cash 💰 and benefits since 2018, with endowments soaring by nearly $𝟲𝟱 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻! 💼

Other key findings include:

- The Ivy League schools 🎓 – plus Stanford and Northwestern – took $𝟯𝟯 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 in federal grants and contracts, mostly for research projects 🧪.
- These schools also enjoyed a special 𝟭.𝟰% 𝘁𝗮𝘅 on their endowment growth (not the 20% capital gains most investors must pay) 💸.
- This special tax saved the Ivies another $𝟭𝟮 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻, for a total of $𝟰𝟱 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 in net benefits from the American taxpayer 🇺🇸.

*Why is taxpayer money still flowing to colleges and universities that today more resemble Marxist indoctrination camps than institutions of higher learning*? 🤔

We need more schools dedicated to developing young leaders 🌟 with the superior knowledge, thinking skills, and objective judgment to defend our freedoms and our republic - entirely privately funded rather than on the tax-payer funded gravy train 🚂. Learn more about Reliance College at www.reliancecollege.org. 📚✨

"Why not tell the truth? A little honesty goes a long way, and it might arrest some of the popular skepticism about higher education right now.

"We don’t protect free speech, at least not consistently, we’re overwhelmingly liberal in our politics, and we value research over teaching. No serious person denies these trends. The public would take us more seriously if we admitted them."

What went unsaid at the Congressional hearings on antisemitism on college campuses | Jonathan Zimmerman Under questioning from lawmakers, three university presidents said all the right things about protecting free speech. But they didn't acknowledge the many ways they've often fallen short in doing so.

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal argues what we've been pointing out for years: Intellectual culture in 2023 is increasingly collectivist – particularly on mainstream college campuses.

Their insidious goals have always been power and control, ingeniously using indoctrination masquerading as education. “Wokeism” has infected the minds of a disturbing number of young people.

Reliance College offers an alternative. The mission of Reliance College is to provide a superior education that promotes the values of reason, individualism and a free society in which individual rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

Since when has "open discourse" been a priority of most of today's university administrators? 🤔