The X Institute for Lifelong Learning

Overview

The X Institute for Lifelong Learning is something like a college for retirees and those whose financial circumstances free them from the need to pursue an education predicated on preparation for employment. It differs from a college in the following ways:
  • The X Institute for Lifelong Learning does not have a two or four year curriculum. Enrollment is open ended. Students may study for as many years as they like.
  •  The institute does not require entry exams, issue degrees, hold exams, or assign grades. Members monitor their own satisfaction with the progress that they are making. Students with outstanding abilities are promoted to the status of teacher.
  • The institute does not design its courses as preparations for employment.
  • The institute does not have a single campus, but a number of interlinked locations. The common bond is not a location, but the quest for wisdom.
  • The institute is not a component of the 'youth culture.' Students must be at least 21 years old to enroll, and those with childish or barbaric interests or habits are not welcome to stay.
The Curriculum for The X Institute for Lifelong Learning is an expanded 'Great Books' curriculum which encompases the greatest works in both the Eastern and Western Intellectual Traditions, together with many 'Nearly Great' texts, and elements from pop culture and current events, coupled with a hands-on approach to the history of science and technology. The curriculum is carefully woven together to form a cumulative whole. It is not a mere jumble of 'offerings' from which students are made to select haphazardly.Members of the community study in small groups, and the general format of classes is that of a discussion group. Classes are held throughout the year with generous breaks for weekends and holidays. As at most colleges, there are ample opportunities for extracurricular activities (sports, drama, fine arts, socializing, etc.).

Statement of Purpose

The goal of The X Institute for Lifelong Learning  is the creation or enabling of a cooperative class of individuals who, by virtue of an awareness of the Intellectual Tradition, and by hard practice in the skills of reading, writing, thinking, experimentation, and speaking, are thus better equipped to meet their responsibilities as members of their communities, citizens of their homelands, and caretakers of the Earth.
 

Curriculum

The Curriculum is an Expanded Great Books Program. Each certified instructor is authorized to chart his or her own course through and around a roughly determined set of canonical texts, with the liberty to stay close to texts and topics that they feel confident in exploring. The following graphic illustration may help to clarify the difference between an expanded Great Books program and a tradition Great Books program.

Location

The institue offers classes in a number of cities. Check here for a location near you
 

Costs

The tuition for a semester of study is set on a sliding scale. While the base tution is quite high, nearly everyone qualifies for one of more discounts that make participation affordable for them. Some of the elements that are considered when determining discounts are these:
  • Income
  • Intelligence
  • Participation level
  • Sociability
  • Character