Frequently Asked Questions

AltLiberalArts FAQ

  • AltLiberalArts is a nonprofit education initiative offering alternative and online learning platforms to fill gaps created by bans, censorship, and threats that result in self-censorship in college and early college studies. We are academicians concerned with academics. We promote the study of student activism and academic freedom.

  • Liberal arts and sciences education across the globe is under threat in countries like Hungary, Russia, and Myanmar. Academic freedom is similarly being challenged 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 began making 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, which are also now spreading to other states.

    AltLiberalArts believes it is critical to support liberal arts subjects, students and scholars under siege. We have taken lessons from “Invisible Colleges” created by dissidents in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s, now reborn for places like Ukraine, Russia, and Myanmar.

  • AltLiberalArts is formed by a group of collaborators, many of whom formerly worked or studied at New College of Florida, including alumni, community supporters, and academic scholars and leaders.

    (Note: AltLiberalArts is not affiliated with, associated with or endorsed by New College of Florida or any other institution with the words new and college in their name.)

  • Our focus is on subjects currently under threat, including the study of race, gender, intersection of science and politics, student activism, civic engagement and academic freedom. We are building our curriculum with a series of online lectures available here.

    Our offerings are enhanced by offerings from the Open Society University Network. You can read about offerings here. Further lectures, workshops and course offerings will be available soon.

  • Bard College is offering in partnership with AltLiberalArts three early college courses in Introduction to African American History, Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Gender studies. These courses are free to admitted Florida high school students. You can read more about these here.

  • AltLiberalArts offerings are:

    • Free to current and former New College of Florida students on a space available basis. *

    • Free to students in the state of Florida on a space available basis

    • Free to other students in the US and abroad who value academic freedom, on a space available basis.

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    Join our email list here to follow our offerings and connect to registration.

    *Note: 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.

  • At this point all offerings are free, but space is often limited. Donations (not yet tax deductible) are welcome here to cover our costs.

  • 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.)