JAC’s Response to Accreditation

By John Adams College Board of Trustees

College accreditation is something that people often think of as similar to an insurance policy on their education. Since their degree is from an accredited institution, they believe they will have no difficulty in finding a job. But from the research we have done as trustees of John Adams College, we don’t see accreditation that way. In fact, accreditation is one of the underlying problems with higher education and is a large part of the reason universities all tend to exhibit the same troubling issues. An internet search will reveal many articles which have been written about these concerns; here is a more recent one. Accreditation, while it may have been useful and appropriate in the past, no longer maintains the value it had historically.

Accepting government funds likewise poses a problem as federal money always comes with strings attached. JAC’s trustees believe these strings are concerning enough that government funds should not be a consideration. The proper role of the federal government does not include being an arbiter of what constitutes good education.

Consequently, JAC’s trustees have made the decision not to pursue accreditation or accept government funding. In lieu of writing reports for the accreditation agency, we have compiled this information as an explanation of how JAC resolves the issues that accreditors care about, including our standards and practices. We have written this report with our students and their parents in mind as its readers, but also as the best judges of the quality of our education.

We, as John Adams College Trustees, willingly share the aims and processes JAC uses to help students attain the education which attracted them to JAC in the first place. We hope those reading this report will understand John Adams’s decision concerning accreditation and not allow this issue to stop them from attending.

JAC’s Foundation.

JAC is licensed through the state of Utah as a degree-granting institution of higher education. Every year the state of Utah ensures we follow all laws, have good accounting practices, and maintain the highest standards. But even without that oversight, we would still maintain the highest standards because as an institution, JAC strives to uphold our motto, Liberty through Virtue, just as we expect our faculty, administration, and students to do.  

One aspect of accreditation is the expectation that colleges will evaluate themselves against other similar colleges around the nation. John Adams graduates do very well against similar colleges today but we prefer to evaluate our success through more traditional means. For example, many of our student outcomes are the same used by higher education during our nation’s founding, a noteworthy time for American colleges.

Traditionally, a college education was seen as a way to learn about the great ideas of the past, see patterns through history, understand liberty, acquire leadership skills, and recognize truths. Those in the past who were educated in the classical liberal arts were expected to be better prepared to find gainful employment. Thus, a job was seen as the byproduct of education, not its main goal. 

But, over the past couple of decades or so, everything changed and jobs became the primary goal. Jobs are vital, everyone needs to earn a living, so how will a classical liberal arts degree help? We have found that JAC grads as well as graduates from other nonaccredited degree-granting institutions are just as capable or more so at finding and beginning the careers of their choice. Our graduates have built a reputation that mirrors what employers are looking for and are increasingly sought after.

A similar answer to that question comes from Dr. Niall Ferguson, a British-American historian who has been associated with the Hoover Institution, Harvard, and Oxford, among others. Talking to students at the University of Austin, one of the few schools still attempting the liberal arts path, Dr. Ferguson spoke about this very thing:

When I talk to the top employers, Ken Griffin at Citadel or Steve Schwarzman at Blackstone, or their counterparts in the technology companies, the constant complaint is that the people they are hiring out of college are worse educated than was true ten or twenty years ago. There is so much dissatisfaction with the quality of the Ivy League graduates, that there’s a kind of revolt against hiring them. So, my sense is, you will have to trust me on this, that when you graduate [with a classical liberal arts education] you will be hugely in demand because of your superior intellectual firepower. What employers want is not people who’ve padded their resumes, trust me, what they want are people who can cope with vast quantities of information under high pressure, absorb it, analyze it, turn it into something actionable. That’s what employers really need. And they also need people with good judgment, under uncertainty and under pressure.

Actually, classical liberal arts students are already exceeding their employers’ expectations exactly as Dr. Ferguson described. One employer of a JAC student agrees, though he prefers to remain anonymous:

From the moment she joined our team, she demonstrated the kind of initiative, professionalism, and insight that are rare even among seasoned employees. She quickly learned her core responsibilities and, without hesitation, expanded her capabilities by mastering additional tasks as needed. Her time management and reliability made her a key contributor to our team.

What set her apart most was her ability to see the big picture. She understood how different roles and functions interconnected, and used that insight to communicate effectively across the team and with management. Her strong communication skills, paired with her self-starting attitude, made her a natural fit for a collaborative environment. If her peers are anything like her, I would gladly hire more in a heartbeat.

The late M. Stanton Evans, the founder of the National Journalism Center, also understood the importance of a liberal arts education for a career. In this interview, he was asked about how he would teach someone to be a serious reporter:

The nuts and bolts part is fairly easy. It’s not rocket science. But the substantive understanding; I often say that . . . I think I can teach the reasonably intelligent person how to run a lead, how to write a story; give me six weeks, I think I can teach that. Why would anybody spend four years of college studying that, I don’t know. But what I cannot teach is remedial civilization in six weeks. So we’re looking for students who bring something to the table; who have a strong educational background to begin with, if possible. And who are reasonably sharp in their thinking. And if I can get such a student, I can teach that person to be a journalist, I think, but I can’t teach everything of substance in 6 weeks and others can’t either.

This “strong educational background” he is speaking about is a classical liberal arts education. And this past spring, the National Journalism Center hired Ella Johnson, a 2025 graduate of John Adams College, without her even applying for the job, because she had the “substantive understanding” the NJC was looking for, and she is also an impressive writer. Four days after graduation she was in Washington DC working hard and loving every minute! She doesn’t have a problem finding something to write about because she has a classical liberal arts education that gives her a solid foundation in history and many other subjects as well, all fodder for articles.

While a classical liberal arts education does not focus exclusively on job training, it’s actually doing more than you might think. The curriculum not only offers a real education, but at the same time helps students acquire the most in-demand career skills on the market today.

Between 2015 and 2020, the National Association of Colleges and Employers worked with many employers to compile a list, known as the NACE Competencies, which college students must develop for successful careers in the workforce. Summarized, these NACE Competencies include the following:

• Career and Self-Development – Self-identifying personal strengths and weaknesses and securing the education needed to improve the weak areas.
• Communication – Effectively exchanging information, both verbal and written, and know how and when to listen.
• Critical Thinking – Knowing how to ask questions and find relevant answers.
• Equity and Inclusion – Respectively engaging with and interacting with people from all walks of life.
• Leadership – Taking ownership of the process, capitalizing on team strengths to meet goals.
• Professionalism – Knowing how to interact with others within workplace standards.
• Teamwork – Working effectively in collaborative relationships.
• Technology – Understanding and leveraging technologies ethically.

These highly marketable and transferable skills are still regarded by employers as the most valuable skills in the job market today, but they are not learned in regular college classes. These Competencies are learned through the process of earning a classical liberal arts education. As Dr. Daniel Rogers, a professor at John Adams, likes to explain to his students;

These skills are the difference between being “qualified” for a job and being “selected” for that job. Someone with a regular college degree has job training and is therefore qualified for the interview. But a liberal arts graduate, who has acquired these NACE Competencies, will be the one selected for the job.

Classical liberal arts students are engaging every day with the most marketable skills out there. Consequently, a liberal arts degree is the most effective college option and the most powerful degree today!

At John Adams College, we train future leaders to think critically, to understand themselves in a way that allows them to flourish under pressure, (usually in stark contrast to their non-JAC peers), and to understand human nature such that they will be recognized as leaders by those around them. Students leave JAC with a personal toolkit, crafted directly from their Socratic exposure to history’s most influential minds, which gives them an almost unfair advantage. Our curriculum not only offers real education but also helps our students in their preparation for the future unknown job market.

Our Beginnings.

In 2018, John Adams’s founders, which included Gordon Jones, Jennifer Jensen, and the late Frank Brown, shared a dream of starting a college that would be different from and even creatively disrupt the status quo colleges of today. They envisioned John Adams as a small, elite college of 80 to 100 students who would be prepared upon graduation to make a positive difference in the world. This difference would not be about activism but rather about entrepreneurialism and creativity; about seeing a need and figuring out how to fill that need through imagination, hard work, creativity, and determination. This dream for JAC students included the following goals:  

• To acquire a firm grasp of truth and reality through the study of all kinds of history, literature, philosophy, and government and to recognize truth, beauty and goodness;
• To practice critical thinking and problem-solving, hard work, and thinking outside the box as our class Socratic discussions incorporate these skills;
• To be prepared to see many different opportunities in the world while future job prospects diminish in the face of AI;
• To stay strong in personal faith, morals, and values within the JAC college environment which encourages these traits; and
• To learn to apply all these skills successfully in their personal lives.

Our John Adams Mission Statement reflects these values:

John Adams College: Applying the Wisdom of the Past
to the Problems of Today and Tomorrow; Liberty through Virtue.

The JAC Student Mission Statement also encapsulates these ideas:

John Adams College is preparing men and women to enter the world
defending liberty, standing in humility, and upholding virtue.

Upon completion of all requirements, JAC students graduate with a bachelor’s degree in the Classical Liberal Arts, akin to combining in-depth learning in such areas as ethics, government, and economics, all in one degree.

Those original five goals, which first inspired the founding of John Adams College, have evolved over the years into two sets of objectives or outcomes in which JAC graduates demonstrate proficiency.

The first set, which we term our LIBERTY Characteristics, are skills we expect all our students to improve upon while attending JAC. John Adams’s entire curriculum is focused on helping instill these characteristics in our students:

Leadership

• · Work well within a team
• · Collaborate successfully with others
• · Understand what decisions need to be made and be willing to make them
• · Have integrity
• · Listen to others
• · Accept accountability for one’s decisions and responsibilities
• · Act respectful, engaged, and supportive regardless of personal feelings or differences of opinion

Intentionality

• · Apply good morals, principles, and life skills in the planning and execution of goals
• · Have insight into the past and present
• · Use foresight to help in anticipating and preparing for what’s ahead in order to minimize risk
• · Prepare to see all sorts of opportunities in the world while future job prospects diminish in the face of AI

Bravery

• · Be willing and wise in moving forward even when fearful.
• · Uphold beliefs and standards against the disapproval of others and the pressure to conform; act on the true principles learned
• · Demonstrate humility and meekness
• · Willing to learn from mistakes
• · Take responsibility for all aspects of one’s life
• · Learn from failure, reformulate plans, and then try again; don’t accept failure

Ethics

• · Stay grounded within ethical standards, morals, and values
• · Know whether a task should be done, not merely whether it can be done
• · Stand by one’s decision against the pressure to conform, but also be willing to admit mistakes
• · Surround all JAC characteristics including critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving, within an ethical framework

Respect

• · Understand human nature, other cultures, and different belief systems
• · Treat everyone with courtesy, compassion, and kindness
• · Act respectfully regardless of personal feelings or differences of opinion

Transformation

• · Start with improving oneself and then move outward rather than trying to change everyone else first
• · Utilize creativity, innovation, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and effective communication of all kinds as a catalyst for transformation
• · Implement Socratic discussions to practice and hone these skills
• · Recognize, experience, and contribute to the good, the true, and the beautiful

Yearning

• · Have a firm grasp of truth and reality through the study of a variety of history and literature
• · Be on a path of life-long learning in all areas, personal, educational, and spiritual
• · Know one has the ability to learn everything required to fulfill one’s goals
• · Understand the importance of faith in life and have a desire to remain strong in one’s own faith while respecting the faith of others.

In addition to these LIBERTY Characteristics, which have noticeable similarities with the NACE Competencies, John Adams has specific outcomes we expect our bachelor’s students to improve upon as they work towards their Classical Liberal Arts degrees:

Trivium and Quadrivium (the original liberal arts)

• · Grammar
• · Logic
• · Rhetoric
• · Arithmetic
• · Astronomy
• · Music
• · Geometry

Diplomacy and Respect

• · Build and maintain relationships with others of a different viewpoint; ask questions, give thoughtful responses, but always allow others to make their own decisions
• · Utilize true principles to explain and teach in a way that is inviting and friendly while still conveying truth
• · Develop the capacity to acknowledge different beliefs while maintaining one’s own

Deep and Complex Thinking

• · Demonstrate a well-rounded, broad education in history, literature, philosophy, and government
• · Recognize the overarching themes in human nature and societies seen through history and currently
• · Differentiate true principles such as human nature and natural law
• · Develop the quality of independent judgment rather than accepting the appeal to authority; trust but verify
• · Be open to new ideas, look at all sides of an issue, see the fallacies, and come to logical conclusions through reason and faith

Intellectual Agility

• · Demonstrate a broad historical foundation in order to see the past and present in context
• · Exhibit the ability to make connections between subjects, disciplines, and industries
• · Research to understand the various viewpoints related to a concept
• · Recognize sound economic principles
• · Learn legal, finance, corporate governance, and risk management principles to help with entrepreneurial pursuits

Government and Statesmanship

• · Gain a respect for the U.S. Founding and its documents
• · Understand the U.S. Constitution and its original intent
• · Recognize principles of sound government

These college and degree outcomes demonstrate the type of education JAC provides. In addition, every John Adams course has objectives posted in the syllabus covering the subject matter of that course. All this happens within a framework of Judeo-Christian values, classics, and the Socratic method.  

JAC’s Education.

John Adams College’s success is measured by our students’ educational achievements; we consider every aspect of our education very carefully.

The coursework required to fulfill our bachelor’s degree has been carefully selected for its depth and breadth. Our courses build upon each other; every class expands a student’s foundation from which they experience the world. With each course, more connections are constructed, adding deeper comprehension. Students see patterns, understand themselves and others better, and learn to recognize true principles. A JAC education is personal; we expect students to identify principles and truths they need – their personal toolkit – as they participate and really dig into the course materials. JAC graduates will know how to research and understand truth and utilize logic in approaching problems along with other course outcomes; this is far broader than the typical college degree offers.

One of the goals of a liberal arts education is to help students distinguish themselves in a crowd of job applicants. For example, any student today can get AI to write their paper or report; this creates no obvious difference among applicants. But JAC graduates will stand out because they do their own thinking, write their own papers, and consequently, are prepared to do their own work. Add in the NACE Competencies, and our students have a distinct advantage.

Our courses have a maximum of 20 students to allow for class Socratic discussions. Additionally, this enables professors to personally get to know each student. Students can approach any of their professors and receive help and feedback throughout the semester.

Testing is another important area to accreditors. Because of the nature of our education, there are no fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice tests here. Rather, tests – orals, essay questions, and often papers – are utilized as additional teaching moments.

John Adams College is based on Judeo-Christian values and principles but being grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition should not be read to mean that we ignore the wisdom found in other cultures. Our students read widely in the classics of non-Western cultures, searching for truth and beauty wherever they are to be found.

Our honor code is taken from Philippians 4:8, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be anything virtuous, and if there be anything praiseworthy; we seek after these things.” Together with our mission statements, these represent how JAC is educating students. Those who agree to adhere to these principles are welcome here as students, faculty, and administration. Refusing accreditation and government funding keeps John Adams free to fulfill its mission. These external influences apply great pressure to conform to their very different standards, something JAC cannot ethically do.

Our education is different and purposely so. Students interested in attending JAC feel the pull of earning a great education and JAC is unabashedly determined to help those who want a great education. Students who graduate with a John Adams College bachelor’s degree will be prepared for graduate programs, entrepreneurial pursuits, meaningful careers, and anything else they choose to do.

Our Learning Environment.

The college learning environment is another area where accreditors are interested. JAC works hard to ensure its learning environment is of a specific nature: classics, original sources, and Socratic discussions, followed by application. Our relentless focus is to improve JAC’s education through refining course readings and assignments, giving students many extracurricular opportunities, and helping them find meaningful and fulfilling practica, or internships. Just like accreditors expect, JAC students are sent course evaluations each semester to assess their impressions of the quality of the courses. Every senior, as part of their graduation application, must fill out a Senior Assessment which gives them an opportunity to reflect on their personal growth and improvement since they began their studies at John Adams.

The administration and faculty take these evaluations and assessments very seriously; they give a good overall picture of the curriculum from a student’s perspective. Because we want to give our students the best college education available, JAC is purposely very intentional regarding its curriculum and pays close attention to these assessments.

Another significant part of our learning environment is class Socratic discussions. We expect our students to discuss, debate, and respond to each other in an appropriate manner. That does not mean we always agree with each other; in fact, we expect our students to think for themselves, which means differences will occur. But disagreeing can be done in a manner that is not offensive or malicious to others. This is another valuable learning experience for JAC students: to hear ideas with which they disagree. This is an important part of education and takes inner strength to consider all sides of an argument.

John Adams Administration.

Accreditors consider the faculty and administration to be another area of importance. John Adams College is governed by a Board of Trustees with a Board of Advisors, whose authority and responsibilities are set by detailed bylaws. John Adams College leadership includes president, provost, and chancellor positions; all three of these positions are part of the Board of Trustees. Other roles include various administration and faculty, each with specific tasks and responsibilities.  

JAC’s Boards and administrative decision-making responsibilities include considering advice from many sources. This advice is then compared to the college and student mission statements and historical examples before any decisions are made. As our students’ success is at stake, any actions taken are given much thought, consideration, and discussion.

JAC’s Faculty.          

We believe the faculty to be the most important position at John Adams besides our students. We appreciate how hard they work and their willingness to help their students, assist each other, and promote the mission of the college.

Part of a faculty member’s responsibilities at John Adams College includes designing courses based on the specific subject matter to be covered. In designing course curricula, the subject matter must be investigated through original sources and the classics of that field, while using Socratic discussions in the class room. As current events change, class discussions and readings may change as well. Faculty members are expected to continually improve their courses for current application. A big part of a liberal arts education is being able to apply that education to the current situation: to see all sides more clearly, recognize patterns, and offer solutions.

In the class room, it is vital for students to engage with the various viewpoints, giving them a sense of all sides of an argument. As John Stuart Mill said,

He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion. [Mill, John Stuart. On Liberty. Ch. 2.]

For example, in our Political Economy courses, students read Adam Smith, Frederic Bastiat, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Milton Friedman, and Murray Rothbard, to name just a few. As the differing views are studied, students grapple with the discrepancies and how human nature works within different economic and political systems. Allowing our students to read from the various economic philosophies gives students a foundation in political economy which they cannot get any other way.

Because of our unique size, faculty and administration often meet together to discuss various issues, including growth and development opportunities, help with courses, and even possible changes in our curriculum. In these meetings, everyone is given the opportunity to express opinions and offer suggestions. Our faculty members are a team and we appreciate their hard work. In such a small college, everyone is needed and all ideas are valued.        

JAC’s Students.

John Adams College graduates have been accepted into graduate programs at Columbia, Rutgers, Ralston, Ashland, and Antioch universities. Our graduates have also received fellowships at The Spectator World in Washington DC, Encounter Books in New York City, and have been hired by such institutions as American Heritage Schools and the National Journalism Center. We fully expect this list to expand as we send out more graduates. We are confident that students who willingly spend the time and effort it takes to earn a JAC degree will similarly work hard afterwards. Consequently, our graduates are sure to be successful at whatever they do.

Currently, JAC admits up to twenty new freshmen yearly. In accordance with all state and federal laws, we do not consider an applicant’s race, gender, religion, etc.; John Adams accepts the students we believe are best suited for the education we offer. As long as students are committed to their education, they will succeed; it really is up to them.

Besides meeting personally with each new applicant to ensure they understand our educational model and the work required, we look at each applicant closely: their education, past reading list, application essays, and letters of recommendation. We try to ensure future students understand exactly what they are applying for: our education is rigorous but achievable and students must study and prepare to be successful.

Graduates leave JAC with an education that will assist them in finding a career as well as anything else they want to do.

Early Enrollment

A note on early admission students: the high school years can be a hard time, especially for homeschool families in terms of finding good resources and keeping their youth motivated to learn. Often, parents aren’t sure which way to turn and may consider enrolling their high schoolers in John Adams College classes as a possible solution. And because public schools are pushing early enrollment, there is increased pressure to follow their lead.

Early enrollment works fairly well at a regular college where the workload is not as demanding, but John Adams is about the education, not just the degree. Our courses are difficult, and they cover a lot of material which students are expected to study and be prepared to discuss. We have noticed that often, early enrollment students are not ready for the hard work or the depth of material. Consequently, sitting in class with older, more mature classmates, who can converse at a deeper level, makes them feel inadequate or even incapable. Instead of jumping ahead in their college experience, many early enrollment students give up after only a semester or two. It is heartbreaking. Here is an article that highlights some of the same concerns we have about early enrollment at JAC.

Of course, this pattern doesn’t hold for every early enrollment student; JAC has had its share of high school-aged students who have more than met the challenge. Because our goal is for every student to be successful, we will still permit early enrollment students at JAC, but only after we interview each applicant personally. If they are ready for our education, they are welcome to join us. We want students to flourish when they come. They should feel like they are stretching and growing, and that, although it’s difficult, they can ultimately succeed if they work hard.

Important Policies.

Another concern for accrediting agencies is our school policies. Admissions, academics, grading, and graduation policies are published and very clearly explained on our website. Everything is there, including course offerings, degree information, tuition and fees, FAQs, etc. Extra helps, guidelines, and processes, such as our Student Graduation Worksheet, are located in our Student Center, to help students navigate through the curriculum. In addition, students can speak to administration or faculty at any time for help and guidance.

In our effort to ensure this report is open and transparent about everything we do at JAC, we will mention a few of the more important policies below.

• John Adams College prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment. Furthermore, JAC policy includes prohibitions on harassment of students and employees, i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination. We have a zero-tolerance policy with any and all forms of harassment.

• John Adams College offers no life experience credit. If education were static or limited, life experience credit would make more sense, but it isn’t. We believe that one’s education is never finished and because a student has had greater life experiences doesn’t mean there isn’t more to learn or different ways to apply that knowledge. It is also exceptionally hard to judge what people have or haven’t learned through their life experiences. Therefore, JAC prefers to assist our students in building on whatever education they already have. A classical liberal arts education takes a student from wherever they are to a higher level. Our goal is to deepen and broaden a student’s education, not about limiting it by saying, “you experienced ___________ and therefore your education is enough.”

• Transfer credit from other institutions of higher learning is done on a case-by-case basis due to the wide range of classes offered and how they compare to what a student learns at John Adams. If a course is commensurate to one they would take here, and they can show proficiency, we will give them transfer credit. Also, students can receive language credit for testing out of JAC’s language requirements.

• Historical data shows us that our students are better off starting here at John Adams College and finishing here. Though this may seem confining, it is actually much better for students to use the opportunities available at JAC through our smaller class sizes and individualized attention than to try and transfer to or from other universities.

• John Adams’s Master’s program is also a degree in the classical liberal arts; however, these classes are deeper and more specialized than our bachelor’s program. This degree is designed for those whose bachelor’s degrees were not in the liberal arts, but who are still looking for a classical education based in original sources and class Socratic discussions.

• JAC offers no student loan programs. The only financial aid JAC offers is scholarships through the application on our website. These scholarships contain no repayment obligations. JAC’s scholarships are not based on government funding or government backing, but on donations from private individuals and foundations. We are always grateful to donors who help our students in their educational pursuits at John Adams College.

• JAC does not give trigger warnings. We also do not offer remedial programs. We expect our students to be ready for the rigor, work, and differences of opinion involved in the education they receive here. If they are not, John Adams College is probably not the place they should be. If a student would be more successful attending a different college, then we believe another college is where they ought to be. Our limited student space is for those who crave a classical liberal arts education enough to do the work required to succeed. At John Adams, we don’t coddle our students but expect excellence. We will not compromise our integrity or our students’ education.

• While JAC does not have a specific department of academic advisement, students may talk with any faculty member or administrator to ask for assistance and advice. Members of our Board of Advisors enjoy helping our students as well.

• JAC has a library containing classical works to which we are adding regularly. We intend our library to house original sources on many subjects. With the availability of the internet and its research capabilities, our students have no difficulty finding additional information, books, and other resources they need to support their educational endeavors. And of course, the JAC library always accepts book donations and classical artwork.
  
  

We have also begun the John Adams Press which reprints old works not currently available in hard copy. The first reprint is a book by a lesser-known U.S. Founding Father, Elias Boudinot. His book, The Age of Revelation, will be available for purchase sometime this fall.

• Currently, financial planning is done by our Board of Trustees with the help of our Board of Advisors. This includes keeping reserves in place to ensure JAC remains financially viable in every economy. The Board of Trustees is committed to keeping John Adams College debt-free and is in the process of funding an endowment to further ensure against economic upheavals and increase financial independence. Based upon internal auditing, donations and tuition received, and expenditures made, have been recorded and directed according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and JAC-approved policies. As a 501(c)(3) organization, our tax returns are available to the public.

Conclusion.

JAC did not begin with millions of dollars in donations and then spend years creating the school. Our trustees, faculty, and inaugural set of freshmen students bootstrapped John Adams into existence and we will continue to work just as hard moving forward.

John Adams is a work in progress. We are continually growing and improving and are committed to continuing the momentum we have made thus far. John Adams College is a place where students can earn a classical liberal arts degree that is transformational, giving them the tools to be successful in their careers and all other future endeavors.

Algernon Sidney, whose writings influenced the American Founders, said it best,

“My work is to seek after truth.”

All of John Adams College, its trustees, advisors, administration, faculty, and students, share Sidney’s vision. We hope you will join us!