Former Antioch Faculty Teach Nonstop
Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute Begins Classes This Fall
The Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute (Nonstop) will begin classes on September 4, 2008 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Nonstop is the educational wing of the Nonstop Antioch Movement: a grassroots effort of alumni, faculty, students, staff, and friends of Antioch College to keep the undergraduate institution alive.
Since June 2007, the Antioch University Board of Trustees has worked to suspend operations at the undergraduate campus. In response to Trustees' actions, the Nonstop Antioch Movement established a non-profit organization, the College Revival Fund, which has committed financial support for the Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute.
Nonstop is Partnered with the Village of Yellow Springs
After the Antioch College community was exiled from the campus, the village of Yellow Springs offered sanctuary. Materials being developed by the Curriculum Committee (a subcommittee of the Faculty Senate) state that "educational offerings are open to all members of the Yellow Springs community and are taught in a wide variety of local venues: bookstores, coffee shops, churches, schools, homes, art galleries, parks and the Glen [Helen Nature Preserve]."
Nonstop is a Unique and Innovative Education
Nonstop retains what Hassan Rahmanian, Professor of Management, called "the soul of Antioch" in a speech at Antioch College Reunion 2008. This is education rooted in classroom learning, cooperative education, and community self-governance. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in and direct class discussions; work in rewarding positions; and serve on the democratic governing bodies of Nonstop.
"In all of our lives, we run up against administrative and bureaucratic red tape. The faculty and the rest of the community now have the chance to make a curriculum and an educational institution without that administrative red tape, and the only constraints now are their numbers and their imagination," said Rowan Kaiser, Nonstop Community Manager in a personal interview on July 18, 2008.
An integral part of the Nonstop education is Nonstop Presents, which includes series like The Al Denman Friday Forum, lectures, exhibitions/presentations/performances, films, and workshops. These open events will feature artists, academics, and professionals from throughout the country.
"The curriculum is one of the most dynamic curricula I have seen...and with a mom who was a professional developer of K-12 curricula for a metropolitan school district, I have to say, that means a lot. It's so relevant for our time," said incoming student James Russell in an email interview on July 16, 2008.
Nonstop is Taught by Accomplished and Dedicated Faculty
The Nonstop faculty includes Jean Gregorek, Associate Professor of Literature, whose essay entitled "Masculinity and the Modern Intellectual in George Gissing's Born in Exile,"will be featured in the upcoming issue of Nineteenth-Century Studies [Nineteenth-Century Studies Association, Volume 21, 2007]; and Louise Smith, Professor of Theater (also a '77 Antioch College alumna), who was honored with a special citation at the 2003 Obie Awards for her work in the Talking Band company's production of Painted Snake in a Painted Chair.
Other talented faculty members are Nevin Mercede, Professor of Visual Arts, who exhibited a twenty-year review of her work in the Herndon Gallery in the spring of 2008 and whose manuscript, Seeing Painting, is currently under publication review; and Colette Palamar, Professor of Environmental Studies, who published "The Justice of Ecological Restoration: Environmental History, Health, Ecology, and Justice in the United States"in the Human Ecology Review [Society for Human Ecology, Volume 15, Summer 2008, Number 1].
Nonstop is not currently accredited or certified by the Ohio Board of Regents. However, documents from the Curriculum Committee state: "final primary evaluations are narrative, detailing student's performance, areas of strength and further suggestions for enhancement. Letter-grade equivalencies are available upon request, " and "students compile a sufficiently detailed portfolio of their educational gains and works/performances for each course."
Russell said attending Nonstop will be his first experience away from his parent's home and he expects his education will include learning how "to live on my own, pay bills, adjust, adapt, and thrive. And, of course, learning how to read, write, think, and lead the revolution would be ideal too."
The Nonstop community, including former Antioch College faculty, staff, students, and alumni, is working in conjunction with the village of Yellow Springs to offer students an experiential and rigorous program. Classes taught by gifted faculty will begin this fall.
For more information, visit The Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute website (currently under construction)
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