What is ISI?
Is ISI affiliated with any political party?
Is ISI affiliated with any particular religion?
Where does ISI get its financial support?
Where is ISI located?
Can members visit ISI?
Does ISI offer any college credit for participation in its programs?
Where can I purchase ISI Books?
What are the benefits of ISI membership?
What does it cost to be a member of ISI?
What sort of fellowship programs does ISI sponsor?
Does ISI have an internship program?
What is the Western Tradition?

What is ISI?
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute is a 501c(3) non-profit, educational organization whose mission is to instill in successive generations of students a better understanding of and appreciation for the values and institutions that sustain a free and virtuous society. Through its various programming and publishing elements, ISI annually reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals who are interested in obtaining a genuine liberal arts education both on and off the college campus.

Founded in 1953, ISI works "to educate for liberty," to nurture in future leaders an allegiance to America's founding principles -- limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, the rule of law, the free market economy, and moral norms.

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Is ISI affiliated with any political party?
No. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute meets the Internal Revenue Service definition of a 501 c(3) non-profit educational organization. ISI does not attempt to influence legislation as part of its activities nor does it participate in campaign activity for or against political candidates.

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Is ISI affiliated with any particular religion?
No. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute is not affiliated with one particular religious body, though the Institute relies on the moral and cultural traditions that are part of the Judeo-Christian heritage and rooted in Western Civilization.

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Where does ISI get its financial support?
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute receives its funding from a variety of sources, including private charitable trusts and individual gifts. These supporters recognize ISI’s dedication and success in reforming and improving higher education and building sound leadership for the nation’s future. With an established track record for efficient and effective programming, ISI ensures its donors the best value and impact for their support.

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Where is ISI located?
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute is located in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Can members visit ISI?
Yes. Members are welcome to visit ISI’s national headquarters, the F. M. Kirby Campus, during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Monday through Friday. All visits must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance by calling (800) 526-7022.

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Does ISI offer any college credit for participation in its programs?
No. ISI is not an accredited educational institution with formal classroom instruction. Instead, ISI is characterized as a “para-university,” working alongside colleges to point students to the heart of higher education – engaging the world of ideas. As one former ISI member observed, “I received my diploma from the university, but obtained my education from ISI.”

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Where can I purchase ISI Books?
ISI Books are available for purchase through a variety of retail outlets. These include Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Borders Books, and Amazon.com. The University of Chicago Press distributes ISI Books. Online purchases can also be made at www.isibooks.org.

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What are the benefits of ISI membership?
Members enjoy a host of educational resources aimed at supplementing their formal education. A subscription to The Intercollegiate Review (3 issues annually) as well as invitations to lectures and conferences and special offers from ISI Books are included.

In addition, membership is the first step toward hosting ISI-sponsored lectures and events, participating in essay competitions and other contests, and applying for fellowships and academic programs.

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What does it cost to be a member of ISI?
Membership is FREE to current students, faculty, and all those engaged in formal academic work. All others can take advantage of the benefits of membership for $25 as Associate Members.

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What sort of fellowship programs does ISI sponsor?
Over the past forty years, ISI has awarded more than 500 graduate fellowships to outstanding students preparing for a career in teaching at the university level. Between 10–16 fellowships are awarded annually.

Annually ISI selects 50 outstanding undergraduates to participate in the Honors Program. This fellowship includes a weeklong summer conference, ongoing mentoring relationship in a chosen field, a library of ISI books, and invites to several ISI conferences, including a special career development seminar.

The William E. Simon Fellowship is a $40,000 unrestricted cash grant awarded annually to a graduating college senior who is pursuing a life of noble purpose, one dedicated to and distinguished by honor, generosity, service, and respect.

Fellows of the Lehrman American Studies Center attend two-week summer institutes devoted to intellectual development and course development. They also receive ongoing mentorship in syllabus and program development from ISI staff and the teaching faculty of the institutes. Fellows typically are at the beginning of their university teaching careers.

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Does ISI have an internship program?
Although no annual internship program exists, occasional short-term employment opportunities are available dependent on the needs of the Institute. Announcements of such openings are made exclusively through the membership network.

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What is the Western Tradition?
The Western Tradition is a unique achievement, and it is our common heritage. From the inspiring poetry of Homer to the keen philosophic questioning of Socrates, from the architectural triumphs of Rome to the codification of Roman law by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, from the voice of the Hebrew prophets to the liturgy of medieval Christendom, and from the English common law to our own American Constitutional order — all of this is a precious achievement.

It is because we as Americans are heirs of Washington, Adams, Madison, and Jefferson, that we are also heirs of Shakespeare, Dante, Plato, and Saint Augustine – for our nation’s founders were themselves stewards of the Western patrimony. The American experiment in ordered liberty is a distinctively Western project, and the success of that experiment is put into jeopardy by the great loss of memory now evident in our institutions of higher learning. Indeed, in many cases contemporary academic enthusiasms have brought students to the point where it is now our own civilization that is terra incognita — an “unknown land.”

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute is working to chart the way into the exotic landscape of Western Civilization. ISI hosts a series of educational programs to support at every level the study of the unique institutions, ideas, and values of the West and to work for reform in our universities. Within these initiatives, ISI is working to renew the traditions of liberal learning in American higher education.

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