During its best years in the 1960s and 1970s,
the main expense of the Minnesota Free Univesity
was publishing the bulletin that listed the classes,
which was called the FreeYou.
In some years the FreeYou was pubished monthly.
But for most of its history the FreeYou appeared each quarter:
Winter, Spring, Summer, & Fall.
But in its 21st-century incarnation,
we are going to attempt to run a free university without any money at all.
This can be done if everyone involved is a volunteer.
And the only expense will be the information shared on this website,
which is already paid for.
There will be no need for a checking account
for the Minnesota Free University
because there will be no income and not expenses!
The largest trick will be getting started
when no one knows about the existence of the Minnesota Free University.
FREE MEDIA KICK-START
Here's the plan:
We will be ready to go at any time.
And we will wait until someone in the news media discovers the MFU.
As soon as there is an article or a broadcast piece,
then people can start looking for the Minnesota Free University
on the Internet.
This website can be found by searching for these words:
"Minnesota Free University".
The Minnesota Free University is newsworthy for the following reasons:
1. It is really free, not driven by money in any way.
2. It is really open, allowing people to offer classes on anything.
3. The classes themselves are newsworthy in some cases.
Then people who want to offer classes
can write up their course descriptions.
And people who want to take these courses
can show up at the times and places indicated.
I HAVE CREATED LISTS OF INTERESTED PERSONS
For my own classes,
I have already written course descriptions.
But I have no times and places yet,
because there are not enough participants ready to take these classes.
As soon as there are 10 people, a class can meet.
I will keep a running total for each class I am offering.
Go to class accumulator
.
It might take more than a year
for 10 people to discover one of my classes.
But interested persons can invite their friends to
indicate their interest.
And that will mean that the class can be started sooner.
And if there is already a group of at least 10 people
who want to organize a class I can offer,
then an instant class can be created.
Because the Minnesota Free University no longer
has any printed bulletin,
classes can begin at any time during the year.
There is no deadline for the next set of classes,
since classes do not appear in sets.
Classes can begin as soon as the organizer
gets the class description to me
and as soon as I put in on this website
and as soon as enough people respond.
AN E-MAILING LIST FOR THE MINNESOTA FREE UNIVERSITY
I think the MFU will also create an e-mailing list
of all people in the Twin Cities
who want to hear about new classes as they are listed.
This will also be a means of publicity that costs nothing.
This will be just a little more active
than passively waiting for people to discover this website by accident.
INTERNET MAGIC
Also I have heard of things being discovered on the Interenet overnight.
I have no idea how this happens.
But I guess it requires people who like the idea
to pass the URL along to others who might also be interested.
Anyone who knows how to get a buzz going
should feel free to start the information spreading.
OTHER IDEAS WELCOME
If you know of any other ways to get the Minnesota Free University re-started,
please let me know:
Send an e-mail to me, the MFU webmaster, James Park, e-mail:
PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU
Go to the opening page for this website:
An Existential Philosopher's
Museum