Articles Available and/or Published Through Sherman Institute

Reflections by Students About Courses 

•  Reflections on the Sociotheosphere Course - by Niki Hannevig

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NEW HIGHER ED INSTITUTION SETS MARCH GRAND OPENING

Freedom-loving people have talked about it for a generation – the decline of academia in America, and the lack of teaching (or even discussing) certain topics in college. When will people from “our side” have a post-secondary school where these (important) things can be taught?

Good news! – Sherman Institute’s grand opening is in March of 2012. Enrollment is now open.

With a full catalog of courses, numerous academic paths, and a collection of instructors befitting the task, Sherman Institute is just what the patriot community has been praying for.

Their approach is so vastly different than anything else yet deployed, you will want to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real.  It is.

Imagine using Dr. Edwin Vieira’s “Pieces of Eight: The Monetary Powers and Disabilities of the United States Constitution” as the principal textbook for several college-level economics courses. Name any college in America today that would dare do it.  That’s just the beginning.....

What about teaching the Constitution using Madison’s Notes and Elliot’s Debates, instead of forcing students to swallow errant supreme Court decisions as the foundation of American law? Unheard of – until now.

Or how about courses designed specifically for political activists, promising to provide immeasurable help to our tea parties, third parties, and others working in the trenches for reforms? This is not a joke.

If you have a grand child, home schooled student, or ever wanted to finish (or get) a degree of your own, you just might want to visit Sherman Institute’s web site before you enroll elsewhere. (You can also transfer out of other schools and into theirs.)

And no, they do NOT accept federal student aid, or take any state or federal funding in either program development or for student expenses. They teach the principle of remaining debt free as part of economics, so why be hypocritical about it with tuition of otherwise? (Some of their instructors actually price their courses in terms of silver.)

But yes, they have somewhat rewritten the job description for Deans. You can actually talk to them to help customize your Individual Education Plan.

Test courses and semesters have been run, programs and instructors have been vetted, and the Grand Opening is set for the first week of March.

Courses can be taken as straight “Continuing Education” offers, or applied to any of a collection of degree prospects. Associates, Bachelors, and a series of shorter, specialty certificate programs are in the mix.

How would a “Speech Writer” certificate, or “Micro Degree In Activism” sound; or maybe an Associate in Political Science or Theology?

For Sherman Institute, “Ethics” are not “situational”. “Rhetoric” courses help the activist cut through political double-talk to understand what is going on. State Government courses focus on the rules on government, instead of how to get the most federal grant for the liberty losses incurred. It's a novel approach, for certain.

Moreover, their full degree programs are built on the classical “Great Books” Liberal Arts approach – of the style used in pre-Dewey America that made our educational systems so desirable.

Every course has been custom-built by the instructors for the realities of modern America. In “The Sociotheosphere” for example, the student explores the historical connection between organized religion and various governments around the globe, starting with English King John’s edict of 1213 that led to the Magna Charta in 1215.

Maybe it should be called "Politically Incorrect U".

But they opted to name their Institution for Roger Sherman, the only Founding Father to sign all four American formation documents – the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Association, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution. Sherman was also the driving force behind the hard money provisions of the Constitution; and reading his “Caveat Against Injustice” (exposing the evils of paper money) is part of one of their economics courses.

Sherman Institute accepts ages 14+ who are capable of higher education. The focus is on reading and writing (the classical “arts” approach), with maths and sciences (required in degrees) created to be of a practical nature. They do not offer Psychology, Sociology or other more dubious studies. They do have Logic, Dialectics, and History courses that are unparalleled.

FOUNDERS

Sherman Institute was the brainchild of three primary Founders: David Schied, David Irons, and Aaron Bolinger. Early conceptual input was provided by many others who are either still deeply involved, or on the periphery awaiting the start of their courses in the rotation. These would include Jon Roland (Instructor), Karen Ruff, Ph.D. (Dean of the Department of English & Instructor), and Niki Hannevig, M.S. (Dean of General Studies & Instructor). Numerous other Instructors and Advisors are providing creative input to their Political Science, Theology and other departments. In addition, they are still in search of more instructors to round out some of the specialties.

TWO WEB SITES

S.I. has two web sites – one for newcomers, and one for enrolled students.

http://shermaninstitute.com , is the promotional and informational site for newcomers. From it you can find contacts for Instructors/Deans, course descriptions, the catalog of options, and more.

When a person has made a decision to take S.I. courses, step one is registration at their “Dot Org” site. Visit http://shermaninstitute.org – where the courses are archived and worked. Step through the “First Time Here” process to complete site registration, and e-mail the Instructor for the course(s) of interest.

COMING IN MARCH

Freshmen (100 level) and some other foundational courses – including College Prep/Remedial offers, will be rolled out for their inaugural semester. In addition, “Activist” certificate programs and many related state and federal government studies, Constitutional Economics and some more advanced courses are on the March roll-out time frame. Check the .ORG web site for the full list of available offers.

Entrance exams to “test out” of the 90-Level courses (Economics Mathematics & English) are ready now as well.

Those who already have basic degrees will see shortly several advanced degree programs as well. They are planning for Master’s level studies in Public Policy Administration for upcoming semesters.