According to Intercollegiate Studies Institute president Johnny Burtka, “Free societies don’t work without virtuous and educated people.” The American republic relies on a “citizenry that can engage in politics at every level – from local townhalls to the highest offices in the country.”
Though political engagement is important, “especially with institutionalized wokeness and systematic purging of curriculums, political victories are ultimately short-lived,” Burtka argues. Long-term recovery, he continues, is contingent on renewing “civic education, which is the tip of the spear of ISI’s efforts.”
Burtka says that ISI isn’t just “supplementing student learning but instead provides a complete education altogether.” ISI should be viewed as “America’s university,” because it provides students who will be future leaders in academia, business, and government an education grounded in the canonical texts of Western civilization. A new student dorm and the opening of the Linda L. Bean Conference center on Labor Day 2022 will heighten the university feel.
