Originally organized in 2007 shortly after Antioch University announced the closure of the original college and campus, the effort was first known as "Antioch-College-in-Exile"[2] but changed its name after the university threatened a lawsuit over use of the Antioch name or other identifiers.
[4] It was described in 2008 as reimagining "education for the twenty-first century as progressive liberal arts for life."
The curriculum of the Institute was distinctive in its historically unprecedented level of integration into, and collaboration with, the surrounding community.
"[2] Nonstop was founded as a college without a campus, inhabiting churches, coffee shops and homes around the village of Yellow Springs[5] and served local residents as well as traditionally aged students.
"[7] The refocus on reopening Antioch College, whose first students arrived in the fall of 2011, ended funding of Nonstop Liberal Arts Institute.