Some of the most intense intellectual development at college takes place outside the classroom. A university experience is impoverished if learning stops when class lets out. The most important factor in getting a good education in such an ideological university environment is the formation and flourishing of good intellectual friendships.

ISI Groups have long served as a dynamic and enriching way for students and faculty to explore the values and institutions that help sustain a free society. Various leaders from the fields of education, journalism, and public affairs have benefited from the intellectual give-and-take available only through ISI Groups. The formation of an ISI Group will provide thoughtful and motivated students a venue to discuss and debate the seminal works of Edmund Burke, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, F.A. Hayek, Russell Kirk, and a host of other authors and subjects of permanent interest.

ISI Groups traditionally perform many functions and conduct a variety of activities and events with ISI financial and content assistance. These include, but are not limited to:

• Organizing socials, where you can enjoy good company and engage in civilized discussions
• Working with ISI to identify speakers for lectures and debates on your campus
• Providing ISI books to support periodic discussion groups, or videos that enliven intellectual issues
• Publishing a newsletter, establishing a website, or assembling a library
• Joining with your friends to attend ISI lectures, training events on nearby campuses, or a regional or national conference

What can you achieve by founding an ISI Group? You can …

• Build a network of friends on your campus and across the nation
• Get a real education by meeting, hearing, and reading scholars committed to conserving the Western Tradition
• Develop and apply leadership skills while you are a student
• Discover the excitement of the life of ideas

ISI's relationship to associated groups is informal and varies from school to school. The first requirement for affiliation is to assure ISI that the group is solely educational and will neither participate in any political activity nor associate with any political organization. The second requirement is an outline of the group's agenda. Lastly, we enjoy hearing how things are going, so please stay in touch by phone and email.

To join ISI's national network of college groups, please contact the Director for Membership and Campus Leadership at (800) 526-7022 or at members@isi.org.

Campus Volunteer Guide (pdf)
Letter of Association (pdf)
ISI Group Associated Roster (pdf)
"Political Activity" Defined (pdf)

Click here to learn if ISI representatives are on a campus near you.